playwright-mcp

Playwright MCP

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides browser automation capabilities using Playwright. This server enables LLMs to interact with web pages through structured accessibility snapshots, bypassing the need for screenshots or visually-tuned models.

Playwright MCP vs Playwright CLI

This package provides MCP interface into Playwright. If you are using a coding agent, you might benefit from using the CLI+SKILLS instead.

• CLI: Modern coding agents increasingly favor CLI–based workflows exposed as SKILLs over MCP because CLI invocations are more token-efficient: they avoid loading large tool schemas and verbose accessibility trees into the model context, allowing agents to act through concise, purpose-built commands. This makes CLI + SKILLs better suited for high-throughput coding agents that must balance browser automation with large codebases, tests, and reasoning within limited context windows.Learn more about Playwright CLI with SKILLS.

• MCP: MCP remains relevant for specialized agentic loops that benefit from persistent state, rich introspection, and iterative reasoning over page structure, such as exploratory automation, self-healing tests, or long-running autonomous workflows where maintaining continuous browser context outweighs token cost concerns.

Key Features

• Fast and lightweight. Uses Playwright's accessibility tree, not pixel-based input.
• LLM-friendly. No vision models needed, operates purely on structured data.
• Deterministic tool application. Avoids ambiguity common with screenshot-based approaches.

Requirements

• Node.js 18 or newer
• VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Desktop, Goose, Grok, Junie or any other MCP client

Getting started

First, install the Playwright MCP server with your client.

Standard config works in most of the tools:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add via the Amp VS Code extension settings screen or by updating your settings.json file:

"amp.mcpServers": {
  "playwright": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": [
      "@playwright/mcp@latest"
    ]
  }
}

Amp CLI Setup:

Add via the amp mcp add command below

amp mcp add playwright -- npx @playwright/mcp@latest

Add via the Antigravity settings or by updating your configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Use the Claude Code CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:

claude mcp add playwright npx @playwright/mcp@latest

Follow the MCP install guide, use the standard config above.

Follow the instruction in the section Configuring MCP Servers

Example: Local Setup

Add the following to your cline_mcp_settings.json file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "timeout": 30,
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ],
      "disabled": false
    }
  }
}

Use the Codex CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:

codex mcp add playwright npx "@playwright/mcp@latest"

Alternatively, create or edit the configuration file ~/.codex/config.toml and add:

[mcp_servers.playwright]
command = "npx"
args = ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]

For more information, see the Codex MCP documentation.

Use the Copilot CLI to interactively add the Playwright MCP server:

/mcp add

Alternatively, create or edit the configuration file ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json and add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": "npx",
      "tools": [
        "*"
      ],
      "args": [
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

For more information, see the Copilot CLI documentation.

Click the button to install:

Or install manually:

Go to Cursor Settings -> MCP -> Add new MCP Server. Name to your liking, use command type with the command npx @playwright/mcp@latest. You can also verify config or add command like arguments via clicking Edit.

Use the Factory CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:

droid mcp add playwright "npx @playwright/mcp@latest"

Alternatively, type /mcp within Factory droid to open an interactive UI for managing MCP servers.

For more information, see the Factory MCP documentation.

Follow the MCP install guide, use the standard config above.

Click the button to install:

Or install manually:

Go to Advanced settings -> Extensions -> Add custom extension. Name to your liking, use type STDIO, and set the command to npx @playwright/mcp. Click "Add Extension".

Use the Grok CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:

grok mcp add playwright -- npx @playwright/mcp@latest

Alternatively, create or edit the configuration file ~/.grok/config.toml and add:

[mcp_servers.playwright]
command = "npx"
args = ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]

For more information, see the Grok MCP documentation.

To add the Playwright MCP server in Junie CLI:

1. Type /mcp
2. Press Ctrl+A to add a new MCP server
3. Select Playwright from the list

Alternatively, add to .junie/mcp/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

For more information, see the Junie MCP configuration documentation.

Follow the MCP Servers documentation. For example in .kiro/settings/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Click the button to install:

Or install manually:

Go to Program in the right sidebar -> Install -> Edit mcp.json. Use the standard config above.

Follow the MCP Servers documentation. For example in ~/.config/opencode/opencode.json:

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "playwright": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": [
        "npx",
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ],
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}

Open Qodo Gen chat panel in VSCode or IntelliJ → Connect more tools → + Add new MCP → Paste the standard config above.

Click Save.

Click the button to install:

Or install manually:

Follow the MCP install guide, use the standard config above. You can also install the Playwright MCP server using the VS Code CLI:

# For VS Code
code --add-mcp '{"name":"playwright","command":"npx","args":["@playwright/mcp@latest"]}'

After installation, the Playwright MCP server will be available for use with your GitHub Copilot agent in VS Code.

Go to Settings -> AI -> Manage MCP Servers -> + Add to add an MCP Server. Use the standard config above.

Alternatively, use the slash command /add-mcp in the Warp prompt and paste the standard config from above:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Follow Windsurf MCP documentation. Use the standard config above.

Configuration

Playwright MCP server supports following arguments. They can be provided in the JSON configuration above, as a part of the "args" list:

Option	Description
--allowed-hosts <hosts...>	comma-separated list of hosts this server is allowed to serve from. Defaults to localhost, loopback IPs and the host passed via --host; other hosts must be listed explicitly. Pass '*' to disable the host check.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS
--allowed-origins	semicolon-separated list of TRUSTED origins to allow the browser to request. Default is to allow all. Important: does not serve as a security boundary and does not affect redirects.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ALLOWED_ORIGINS
--allow-unrestricted-file-access	allow access to files outside of the workspace roots. Also allows unrestricted access to file:// URLs. By default access to file system is restricted to workspace root directories (or cwd if no roots are configured) only, and navigation to file:// URLs is blocked.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ALLOW_UNRESTRICTED_FILE_ACCESS
--blocked-origins	semicolon-separated list of origins to block the browser from requesting. Blocklist is evaluated before allowlist. If used without the allowlist, requests not matching the blocklist are still allowed. Important: does not serve as a security boundary and does not affect redirects.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BLOCKED_ORIGINS
--block-service-workers	block service workersenv PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BLOCK_SERVICE_WORKERS
--browser	browser or chrome channel to use, possible values: chrome, firefox, webkit, msedge.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BROWSER
--caps	comma-separated list of additional capabilities to enable, possible values: vision, pdf, devtools.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CAPS
--cdp-endpoint	CDP endpoint to connect to.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CDP_ENDPOINT
--cdp-header <headers...>	CDP headers to send with the connect request, multiple can be specified.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CDP_HEADERS
--cdp-timeout	timeout in milliseconds for connecting to CDP endpoint, defaults to 30000msenv PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CDP_TIMEOUT
--codegen	specify the language to use for code generation, possible values: "typescript", "python", "java", "csharp", "none". Default is "typescript".env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CODEGEN
--config	path to the configuration file.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONFIG
--console-level	level of console messages to return: "error", "warning", "info", "debug". Each level includes the messages of more severe levels.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONSOLE_LEVEL
--device	device to emulate, for example: "iPhone 15"env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_DEVICE
--mobile	emulate a generic mobile device (Pixel 10 for Chromium, iPhone 17 for WebKit). Mobile pages are usually lighter, which saves tokens. Cannot be combined with --device.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_MOBILE
--executable-path	path to the browser executable.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXECUTABLE_PATH
--extension	Connect to a running browser instance (Edge/Chrome only). Requires the "Playwright Extension" to be installed.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXTENSION
--endpoint	Bound browser endpoint to connect to.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ENDPOINT
--file-paths	how file paths are rendered in tool results, "relative" to the workspace root or "absolute". Default is "relative".env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_FILE_PATHS
--grant-permissions <permissions...>	List of permissions to grant to the browser context, for example "geolocation", "clipboard-read", "clipboard-write".env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_GRANT_PERMISSIONS
--headless	run browser in headless mode, headed by defaultenv PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HEADLESS
--host	host to bind server to. Default is localhost. Use 0.0.0.0 to bind to all interfaces.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HOST
--idle-timeout	close the browser after this many milliseconds without a completed tool call, the next tool call relaunches it. Defaults to one hour for headless browsers, never for headed ones, 0 disables.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_IDLE_TIMEOUT
--ignore-https-errors	ignore https errorsenv PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_IGNORE_HTTPS_ERRORS
--ignore-roots	do not ask the client for its workspace roots, use the current working directory as the workspace root instead. Use this with clients that advertise roots, but can not answer the roots request.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_IGNORE_ROOTS
--init-page <path...>	path to TypeScript file to evaluate on Playwright page objectenv PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_INIT_PAGE
--init-script <path...>	path to JavaScript file to add as an initialization script. The script will be evaluated in every page before any of the page's scripts. Can be specified multiple times.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_INIT_SCRIPT
--isolated	keep the browser profile in memory, do not save it to disk.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ISOLATED
--image-responses	whether to send image responses to the client. Can be "allow", "omit" or "only". With "only", a response that carries an image consists of the image parts alone, without the text part. Defaults to "allow".env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_IMAGE_RESPONSES
--no-sandbox	disable the sandbox for all process types that are normally sandboxed.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_NO_SANDBOX
--background	do not activate controlled tabs or focus the browser window when using --extension.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BACKGROUND
--no-tab-group	do not group controlled tabs when using --extension.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_NO_TAB_GROUP
--no-webmcp	do not collect or expose the tools that a page registers through the WebMCP API.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_WEBMCP=false
--output-dir	path to the directory for automatically named output files, for example a screenshot taken without an explicit file name. Files with an explicit name are resolved against the workspace root instead and are not affected by this option.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_OUTPUT_DIR
--output-max-size	Threshold for evicting old output files, in bytes.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_OUTPUT_MAX_SIZE
--port	port to listen on for SSE transport.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PORT
--profile-dir-name	name of the profile directory in the user data dir to connect to with --extension, for example "Profile 1". Defaults to the last used profile that has the extension installed.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PROFILE_DIR_NAME
--proxy-bypass	comma-separated domains to bypass proxy, for example ".com,chromium.org,.domain.com"env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PROXY_BYPASS
--proxy-server	specify proxy server, for example "http://myproxy:3128", "http://user:password@myproxy:3128" or "socks5://myproxy:8080"env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PROXY_SERVER
--redact-url-params	comma-separated list of URL query and fragment parameter names, for example "access_token,code", whose values are replaced with in the tool responses.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_REDACT_URL_PARAMS
--sandbox	enable the sandbox for all process types that are normally not sandboxed.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SANDBOX
--save-session	Whether to save the Playwright MCP session into the output directory.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SAVE_SESSION
--secrets	path to a file containing secrets in the dotenv formatenv PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SECRETS_FILE
--shared-browser-context	reuse the same browser context between all connected HTTP clients.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SHARED_BROWSER_CONTEXT
--snapshot-boxes	include each element's bounding box as [box=x,y,width,height] in snapshots. Coordinates are viewport-relative, in CSS pixels.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SNAPSHOT_BOXES
--snapshot-mode	when taking snapshots for responses, specifies the mode to use. Can be "full" or "none". Default is "full".env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SNAPSHOT_MODE
--storage-state	path to the storage state file for isolated sessions.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_STORAGE_STATE
--test-id-attribute	specify the attribute to use for test ids, defaults to "data-testid"env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TEST_ID_ATTRIBUTE
--timeout-action	specify action timeout in milliseconds, defaults to 5000msenv PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_ACTION
--timeout-navigation	specify navigation timeout in milliseconds, defaults to 60000msenv PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_NAVIGATION
--timeout-settle	how long to wait after each action for triggered work to settle, in milliseconds, defaults to 500msenv PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_SETTLE
--user-agent	specify user agent stringenv PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_USER_AGENT
--user-data-dir	path to the user data directory. If not specified, a temporary directory will be created.env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_USER_DATA_DIR
--viewport-size	specify browser viewport size in pixels, for example "1280x720"env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_VIEWPORT_SIZE

User profile

You can run Playwright MCP with persistent profile like a regular browser (default), in isolated contexts for testing sessions, or connect to your existing browser using the browser extension.

Persistent profile

All the logged in information will be stored in the persistent profile, you can delete it between sessions if you'd like to clear the offline state. Persistent profile is located at the following locations and you can override it with the --user-data-dir argument.

# Windows
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\ms-playwright\mcp-{channel}-{workspace-hash}

# macOS
- ~/Library/Caches/ms-playwright/mcp-{channel}-{workspace-hash}

# Linux
- ~/.cache/ms-playwright/mcp-{channel}-{workspace-hash}

{workspace-hash} is derived from the MCP client's workspace root, so different projects get separate profiles automatically.

[!IMPORTANT] A persistent profile can only be used by one browser instance at a time, so concurrent MCP clients sharing the same workspace will conflict. To run several clients in parallel, start each additional client with --isolated or point it at a distinct --user-data-dir.

Isolated

In the isolated mode, each session is started in the isolated profile. Every time you ask MCP to close the browser, the session is closed and all the storage state for this session is lost. You can provide initial storage state to the browser via the config's contextOptions or via the --storage-state argument. Learn more about the storage state here.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@playwright/mcp@latest",
        "--isolated",
        "--storage-state={path/to/storage.json}"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Browser Extension

The Playwright MCP Chrome Extension allows you to connect to existing browser tabs and leverage your logged-in sessions and browser state. See microsoft/playwright › packages/extension for installation and setup instructions.

Initial state

There are multiple ways to provide the initial state to the browser context or a page.

For the storage state, you can either:

• Start with a user data directory using the --user-data-dir argument. This will persist all browser data between the sessions.
• Start with a storage state file using the --storage-state argument. This will load cookies and local storage from the file into an isolated browser context.

For the page state, you can use:

• --init-page to point to a TypeScript file that will be evaluated on the Playwright page object. This allows you to run arbitrary code to set up the page.

// init-page.ts
export default async ({ page }) => {
  await page.context().grantPermissions(['geolocation']);
  await page.context().setGeolocation({ latitude: 37.7749, longitude: -122.4194 });
  await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1280, height: 720 });
};

• --init-script to point to a JavaScript file that will be added as an initialization script. The script will be evaluated in every page before any of the page's scripts. This is useful for overriding browser APIs or setting up the environment.

// init-script.js
window.isPlaywrightMCP = true;

Configuration file

The Playwright MCP server can be configured using a JSON configuration file. You can specify the configuration file using the --config command line option:

npx @playwright/mcp@latest --config path/to/config.json

{
  /**
   * The browser to use.
   */
  browser?: {
    /**
     * The type of browser to use.
     */
    browserName?: 'chromium' | 'firefox' | 'webkit';

    /**
     * Keep the browser profile in memory, do not save it to disk.
     */
    isolated?: boolean;

    /**
     * Path to a user data directory for browser profile persistence.
     * Temporary directory is created by default.
     */
    userDataDir?: string;

    /**
     * Launch options passed to
     * @see https://playwright.dev/docs/api/class-browsertype#browser-type-launch-persistent-context
     *
     * This is useful for settings options like `channel`, `headless`, `executablePath`, etc.
     */
    launchOptions?: playwright.LaunchOptions;

    /**
     * Context options for the browser context.
     *
     * This is useful for settings options like `viewport`.
     */
    contextOptions?: playwright.BrowserContextOptions;

    /**
     * Chrome DevTools Protocol endpoint to connect to an existing browser instance in case of Chromium family browsers.
     */
    cdpEndpoint?: string;

    /**
     * CDP headers to send with the connect request.
     */
    cdpHeaders?: Record<string, string>;

    /**
     * Timeout in milliseconds for connecting to CDP endpoint. Defaults to 30000 (30 seconds). Pass 0 to disable timeout.
     */
    cdpTimeout?: number;

    /**
     * Remote endpoint to connect to an existing Playwright server. May be a
     * WebSocket URL string, or a [ConnectOptions] object that mirrors the
     * `connectOptions` shape used by the test runner. When passed as an object,
     * `exposeNetwork`, `headers`, `slowMo`, and `timeout` are forwarded to the
     * underlying connect call.
     */
    remoteEndpoint?: string | playwright.ConnectOptions & { endpoint: string };

    /**
     * Paths to TypeScript files to add as initialization scripts for Playwright page.
     */
    initPage?: string[];

    /**
     * Paths to JavaScript files to add as initialization scripts.
     * The scripts will be evaluated in every page before any of the page's scripts.
     */
    initScript?: string[];
  },

  /**
   * Connect to a running browser instance (Edge/Chrome only). If specified, `browser`
   * config is ignored.
   * Requires the "Playwright Extension" to be installed.
   */
  extension?: boolean;

  /**
   * Group controlled tabs when using the extension. Defaults to true.
   */
  tabGroup?: boolean;

  /**
   * Do not activate controlled tabs or focus the browser window when using the extension.
   * Defaults to false.
   */
  background?: boolean;

  server?: {
    /**
     * The port to listen on for SSE or MCP transport.
     */
    port?: number;

    /**
     * The host to bind the server to. Default is localhost. Use 0.0.0.0 to bind to all interfaces.
     */
    host?: string;

    /**
     * The hosts this server is allowed to serve from. Defaults to localhost, loopback IPs and the host passed via --host; other hosts must be listed explicitly.
     * This is not for CORS, but rather for the DNS rebinding protection.
     */
    allowedHosts?: string[];
  },

  /**
   * List of enabled tool capabilities. Possible values:
   *   - 'core': Core browser automation features.
   *   - 'pdf': PDF generation and manipulation.
   *   - 'vision': Coordinate-based interactions.
   *   - 'devtools': Developer tools features.
   */
  capabilities?: ToolCapability[];

  /**
   * Whether to save the Playwright session into the output directory.
   */
  saveSession?: boolean;

  /**
   * Whether to collect and expose the tools that a page registers through the
   * experimental WebMCP API. Enabled by default.
   */
  webmcp?: boolean;

  /**
   * Reuse the same browser context between all connected HTTP clients.
   */
  sharedBrowserContext?: boolean;

  /**
   * Secrets are used to replace matching plain text in the tool responses to prevent the LLM
   * from accidentally getting sensitive data. It is a convenience and not a security feature,
   * make sure to always examine information coming in and from the tool on the client.
   */
  secrets?: Record<string, string>;

  /**
   * Names of URL query and fragment parameters, for example `access_token` or `code`, whose values
   * are replaced with `<redacted>` in the tool responses. Use it for session and grant values that
   * are minted at runtime and cannot be listed in `secrets`. Like `secrets`, it is a convenience
   * and not a security feature.
   */
  redactUrlParams?: string[];

  /**
   * The directory for automatically named output files, for example a screenshot taken without an
   * explicit file name. Files with an explicit name are resolved against the workspace root instead
   * and are not affected by this option.
   */
  outputDir?: string;

  /**
   * Threshold for evicting old output files, in bytes.
   */
  outputMaxSize?: number;

  console?: {
    /**
     * The level of console messages to return. Each level includes the messages of more severe levels. Defaults to "info".
     */
    level?: 'error' | 'warning' | 'info' | 'debug';
  },

  network?: {
    /**
     * List of origins to allow the browser to request. Default is to allow all. Origins matching both `allowedOrigins` and `blockedOrigins` will be blocked.
     *
     * Supported formats:
     * - Full origin: `https://example.com:8080` - matches only that origin
     * - Wildcard port: `http://localhost:*` - matches any port on localhost with http protocol
     */
    allowedOrigins?: string[];

    /**
     * List of origins to block the browser to request. Origins matching both `allowedOrigins` and `blockedOrigins` will be blocked.
     *
     * Supported formats:
     * - Full origin: `https://example.com:8080` - matches only that origin
     * - Wildcard port: `http://localhost:*` - matches any port on localhost with http protocol
     */
    blockedOrigins?: string[];
  };

  /**
   * Specify the attribute to use for test ids, defaults to "data-testid".
   */
  testIdAttribute?: string;

  timeouts?: {
    /*
     * Configures default action timeout: https://playwright.dev/docs/api/class-page#page-set-default-timeout. Defaults to 5000ms.
     */
    action?: number;

    /*
     * Configures default navigation timeout: https://playwright.dev/docs/api/class-page#page-set-default-navigation-timeout. Defaults to 60000ms.
     */
    navigation?: number;

    /**
     * Configures default expect timeout: https://playwright.dev/docs/test-timeouts#expect-timeout. Defaults to 5000ms.
     */
    expect?: number;

    /**
     * How long to wait after each action for triggered work (navigations, requests) to settle before responding. Defaults to 500ms.
     */
    settle?: number;

    /**
     * Close the browser after this many milliseconds without a tool call, and relaunch it on the next one.
     * Defaults to one hour for headless browsers Playwright launched, and to no timeout for headed or attached ones. Pass 0 to disable.
     * The CLI shuts the whole session down instead of relaunching.
     */
    idle?: number;
  };

  /**
   * Whether to send image responses to the client. Can be "allow", "omit", or "only". Defaults to "allow".
   * With "only", a response that carries an image consists of the image parts alone, without the text part.
   */
  imageResponses?: 'allow' | 'omit' | 'only';

  /**
   * How file paths are rendered in tool results. Can be "relative" to the workspace root or "absolute". Defaults to "relative".
   */
  filePaths?: 'relative' | 'absolute';

  snapshot?: {
    /**
     * When taking snapshots for responses, specifies the mode to use.
     */
    mode?: 'full' | 'none';

    /**
     * Whether to include each element's bounding box as [box=x,y,width,height] in snapshots.
     * Coordinates are viewport-relative, in CSS pixels (Element.getBoundingClientRect).
     */
    boxes?: boolean;
  };

  /**
   * allowUnrestrictedFileAccess acts as a guardrail to prevent the LLM from accidentally
   * wandering outside its intended workspace. It is a convenience defense to catch unintended
   * file access, not a secure boundary; a deliberate attempt to reach other directories can be
   * easily worked around, so always rely on client-level permissions for true security.
   */
  allowUnrestrictedFileAccess?: boolean;

  /**
   * Do not ask the client for its workspace roots, use the current working directory
   * as the workspace root instead. Use this with clients that advertise roots, but
   * can not answer the roots request.
   */
  ignoreRoots?: boolean;

  /**
   * Specify the language to use for code generation.
   */
  codegen?: 'typescript' | 'python' | 'java' | 'csharp' | 'none';
}

Standalone MCP server

When running headed browser on system w/o display or from worker processes of the IDEs, run the MCP server from environment with the DISPLAY and pass the --port flag to enable HTTP transport.

npx @playwright/mcp@latest --port 8931

And then in MCP client config, set the url to the HTTP endpoint:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "url": "http://localhost:8931/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Security

Playwright MCP is not a security boundary. See MCP Security Best Practices for guidance on securing your deployment.

NOTE: The Docker implementation only supports headless chromium at the moment.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": ["run", "-i", "--rm", "--init", "--pull=always", "mcr.microsoft.com/playwright/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Or If you prefer to run the container as a long-lived service instead of letting the MCP client spawn it, use:

docker run -d -i --rm --init --pull=always \
  --entrypoint node \
  --name playwright \
  -p 8931:8931 \
  mcr.microsoft.com/playwright/mcp \
  /app/cli.js --headless --browser chromium --no-sandbox --port 8931 --host 0.0.0.0

The server will listen on host port 8931 and can be reached by any MCP client.

You can build the Docker image yourself.

docker build -t mcr.microsoft.com/playwright/mcp .

import http from 'http';

import { createConnection } from '@playwright/mcp';
import { SSEServerTransport } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/sse.js';

http.createServer(async (req, res) => {
  // ...

  // Creates a headless Playwright MCP server with SSE transport
  const connection = await createConnection({ browser: { launchOptions: { headless: true } } });
  const transport = new SSEServerTransport('/messages', res);
  await connection.connect(transport);

  // ...
});

Tools

• browser_click
  • Title: Click
  • Description: Perform click on a web page
  • Parameters:
    • element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
    • target (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
    • doubleClick (boolean, optional): Whether to perform a double click instead of a single click
    • button (string, optional): Button to click, defaults to left
    • modifiers (array, optional): Modifier keys to press
  • Read-only: false

• browser_close
  • Title: Close browser
  • Description: Close the page
  • Parameters: None
  • Read-only: false

• browser_console_messages
  • Title: Get console messages
  • Description: Returns all console messages
  • Parameters:
    • level (string): Level of the console messages to return. Each level includes the messages of more severe levels. Defaults to "info".
    • all (boolean, optional): Return all console messages since the beginning of the session, not just since the last navigation. Defaults to false.
    • filename (string, optional): File name to save the console messages to. Relative file names are resolved against the workspace root. If not provided, messages are returned as text.
  • Read-only: true

• browser_drag
  • Title: Drag mouse
  • Description: Perform drag and drop between two elements
  • Parameters:
    • startElement (string, optional): Human-readable source element description used to obtain the permission to interact with the element
    • startTarget (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
    • endElement (string, optional): Human-readable target element description used to obtain the permission to interact with the element
    • endTarget (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
  • Read-only: false

• browser_drop
  • Title: Drop files or data onto an element
  • Description: Drop files or MIME-typed data onto an element, as if dragged from outside the page. At least one of "paths" or "data" must be provided.
  • Parameters:
    • element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
    • target (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
    • paths (array, optional): Absolute paths to files to drop onto the element.
    • data (object, optional): Data to drop, as a map of MIME type to string value (e.g. {"text/plain": "hello", "text/uri-list": "https://example.com"}).
  • Read-only: false

• browser_emulate_media
  • Title: Emulate media features
  • Description: Emulate CSS media features for the page, for example switch between the light and dark color scheme. Omitted parameters are left unchanged; null clears an override.
  • Parameters:
    • colorScheme (optional): Emulates the prefers-color-scheme media feature
    • reducedMotion (optional): Emulates the prefers-reduced-motion media feature
    • forcedColors (optional): Emulates the forced-colors media feature
    • contrast (optional): Emulates the prefers-contrast media feature
    • media (optional): Changes the CSS media type of the page
  • Read-only: false

• browser_evaluate
  • Title: Evaluate JavaScript
  • Description: Evaluate JavaScript expression on page or element
  • Parameters:
    • element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
    • target (string, optional): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
    • function (string): () => { /* code / } or (element) => { / code */ } when element is provided
    • filename (string, optional): File name to save the result to. Relative file names are resolved against the workspace root. If not provided, result is returned as text.
  • Read-only: false

• browser_file_upload
  • Title: Upload files
  • Description: Upload one or multiple files
  • Parameters:
    • paths (array, optional): The absolute paths to the files to upload. Can be single file or multiple files. If omitted, file chooser is cancelled.
  • Read-only: false

• browser_fill_form
  • Title: Fill form
  • Description: Fill multiple form fields
  • Parameters:
    • fields (array): Fields to fill in
  • Read-only: false

• browser_find
  • Title: Find in page snapshot
  • Description: Search the accessibility snapshot of the current page for text or a regular expression. Returns matching snapshot nodes with a few lines of surrounding context (like search snippets), each shown under its path from the root of the tree, which is cheaper than capturing the whole snapshot when you only need to locate an element and its ref.
  • Parameters:
    • text (string, optional): Plain text to search for in the page snapshot (case-insensitive substring match). Provide either text or regex, not both.
    • regex (string, optional): Regular expression to search for in the page snapshot. Matching is case-sensitive by default; wrap the pattern in slashes to add flags, e.g. "/error/i" for case-insensitive. Provide either text or regex, not both.
    • maxResults (number, optional): Maximum number of matching items to return. Defaults to returning all matches.
    • filename (string, optional): Save results to a file instead of returning them in the response. Relative file names are resolved against the workspace root.
  • Read-only: true

• browser_handle_dialog
  • Title: Handle a dialog
  • Description: Handle a dialog
  • Parameters:
    • accept (boolean): Whether to accept the dialog.
    • promptText (string, optional): The text of the prompt in case of a prompt dialog.
  • Read-only: false

• browser_hover
  • Title: Hover mouse
  • Description: Hover over element on page
  • Parameters:
    • element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
    • target (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
  • Read-only: false

• browser_navigate
  • Title: Navigate to a URL
  • Description: Navigate to a URL
  • Parameters:
    • url (string): The URL to navigate to
  • Read-only: false

• browser_navigate_back
  • Title: Go back
  • Description: Go back to the previous page in the history
  • Parameters: None
  • Read-only: false

• browser_network_request
  • Title: Show network request details
  • Description: Returns full details (headers and body) of a single network request, or a single part if part is set. Use the number from browser_network_requests.
  • Parameters:
    • index (integer): 1-based index of the request, as printed by browser_network_requests.
    • part (string, optional): Return only this part of the request. Omit to return full details.
    • filename (string, optional): File name to save the result to. Relative file names are resolved against the workspace root. If not provided, output is returned as text.
  • Read-only: true

• browser_network_requests
  • Title: List network requests
  • Description: Returns a numbered list of network requests since loading the page. Use browser_network_request with the number to get full details.
  • Parameters:
    • static (boolean): Whether to include successful static resources like images, fonts, scripts, etc. Defaults to false.
    • filter (string, optional): Only return requests whose URL matches this regexp (e.g. "/api/.*user").
    • all (boolean, optional): Return all network requests since the beginning of the session, not just since the last navigation. Defaults to false.
    • filename (string, optional): File name to save the network requests to. Relative file names are resolved against the workspace root. If not provided, requests are returned as text.
  • Read-only: true

• browser_press_key
  • Title: Press a key
  • Description: Press a key on the keyboard
  • Parameters:
    • key (string): Name of the key to press or a character to generate, such as ArrowLeft or a
  • Read-only: false

• browser_resize
  • Title: Resize browser window
  • Description: Resize the browser window
  • Parameters:
    • width (number): Width of the browser window
    • height (number): Height of the browser window
  • Read-only: false

• browser_run_code_unsafe
  • Title: Run Playwright code (unsafe)
  • Description: Run a Playwright code snippet. Unsafe: executes arbitrary JavaScript in the Playwright server process and is RCE-equivalent.
  • Parameters:
    • code (string, optional): A JavaScript function containing Playwright code to execute. It will be invoked with a single argument, page, which you can use for any page interaction. For example: async (page) => { await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' }).click(); return await page.title(); }
    • filename (string, optional): Load code from the specified file. Relative file names are resolved against the workspace root. If both code and filename are provided, code will be ignored.
  • Read-only: false

• browser_select_option
  • Title: Select option
  • Description: Select an option in a dropdown
  • Parameters:
    • element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
    • target (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
    • values (array): Array of values to select in the dropdown. This can be a single value or multiple values.
  • Read-only: false

• browser_snapshot
  • Title: Page snapshot
  • Description: Capture accessibility snapshot of the current page, this is better than screenshot
  • Parameters:
    • target (string, optional): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
    • filename (string, optional): Save snapshot to a file instead of returning it in the response. Relative file names are resolved against the workspace root.
    • depth (number, optional): Limit the depth of the snapshot tree
    • boxes (boolean, optional): Include each element's bounding box as [box=x,y,width,height] in the snapshot. Coordinates are viewport-relative, in CSS pixels (Element.getBoundingClientRect)
  • Read-only: true

• browser_take_screenshot
  • Title: Take a screenshot
  • Description: Take a screenshot of the current page. Use browser_snapshot for actions by default. With the vision capability enabled, use screenshot coordinates with the coordinate-based mouse tools for elements not exposed in the accessibility snapshot.
  • Parameters:
    • element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
    • target (string, optional): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
    • type (string, optional): Image format for the screenshot. If unset, inferred from the filename extension, otherwise png.
    • filename (string, optional): File name to save the screenshot to. Relative file names are resolved against the workspace root. If not specified, the screenshot is saved into the output directory as page-{timestamp}.{png|jpeg|webp}.
    • fullPage (boolean, optional): When true, takes a screenshot of the full scrollable page, instead of the currently visible viewport. Cannot be used with element screenshots.
    • scale (string): Image resolution scale. "css" produces a screenshot sized in CSS pixels (smaller, consistent across devices). "device" produces a high-resolution screenshot using device pixels (larger, accounts for the device pixel ratio). Default is css.
  • Read-only: true

• browser_type
  • Title: Type text
  • Description: Type text into editable element
  • Parameters:
    • element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
    • target (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
    • text (string): Text to type into the element
    • submit (boolean, optional): Whether to submit entered text (press Enter after)
    • slowly (boolean, optional): Whether to type one character at a time. Useful for triggering key handlers in the page. By default entire text is filled in at once.
  • Read-only: false

• browser_wait_for
  • Title: Wait for
  • Description: Wait for text to appear or disappear or a specified time to pass. When both text and textGone are provided, waits for the first one to happen
  • Parameters:
    • time (number, optional): The time to wait in seconds, at most 30. When combined with text or textGone, serves as a timeout for them instead of the default action timeout
    • text (string, optional): The text to wait for
    • textGone (string, optional): The text to wait for to disappear
  • Read-only: false

• browser_tabs
  • Title: Manage tabs
  • Description: List, create, close, or select a browser tab.
  • Parameters:
    • action (string): Operation to perform
    • index (number, optional): Tab index, used for close/select. If omitted for close, current tab is closed.
    • url (string, optional): URL to navigate to in the new tab, used for new.
    • isolatedContext (string, optional): Name of an isolated browser context to create the new tab in, used for new. Tabs in the same isolated context share cookies and storage, tabs in different contexts are fully isolated. If omitted or "default", the tab is created in the default context.
  • Read-only: false

• browser_get_config
  • Title: Get config
  • Description: Get the final resolved config after merging CLI options, environment variables and config file.
  • Parameters: None
  • Read-only: true

• browser_network_state_set
  • Title: Set network state
  • Description: Sets the browser network state to online or offline. When offline, all network requests will fail.
  • Parameters:
    • state (string): Set to "offline" to simulate offline mode, "online" to restore network connectivity
  • Read-only: false

• browser_route
  • Title: Mock network requests
  • Description: Set up a route to mock network requests matching a URL pattern
  • Parameters:
    • pattern (string): URL pattern to match (e.g., "/api/users", "/*.{png,jpg}")
    • status (number, optional): HTTP status code to return (default: 200)
    • body (string, optional): Response body (text or JSON string)
    • contentType (string, optional): Content-Type header (e.g., "application/json", "text/html")
    • headers (array, optional): Headers to add in "Name: Value" format
    • removeHeaders (string, optional): Comma-separated list of header names to remove from request
  • Read-only: false

• browser_route_list
  • Title: List network routes
  • Description: List all active network routes
  • Parameters: None
  • Read-only: true

• browser_unroute
  • Title: Remove network routes
  • Description: Remove network routes matching a pattern (or all routes if no pattern specified)
  • Parameters:
    • pattern (string, optional): URL pattern to unroute (omit to remove all routes)
  • Read-only: false

• browser_cookie_clear
  • Title: Clear cookies
  • Description: Clear all cookies
  • Parameters: None
  • Read-only: false

• browser_cookie_delete
  • Title: Delete cookie
  • Description: Delete a specific cookie (optionally only on a given domain/path)
  • Parameters:
    • name (string): Cookie name to delete
    • domain (string, optional): Only delete the cookie on this domain
    • path (string, optional): Only delete the cookie on this path
  • Read-only: false

• browser_cookie_get
  • Title: Get cookie
  • Description: Get a specific cookie by name
  • Parameters:
    • name (string): Cookie name to get
  • Read-only: true

• browser_cookie_list
  • Title: List cookies
  • Description: List all cookies (optionally filtered by domain/path)
  • Parameters:
    • domain (string, optional): Filter cookies by domain
    • path (string, optional): Filter cookies by path
  • Read-only: true

• browser_cookie_set
  • Title: Set cookie
  • Description: Set a cookie with optional flags (domain, path, expires, httpOnly, secure, sameSite)
  • Parameters:
    • name (string): Cookie name
    • value (string): Cookie value
    • domain (string, optional): Cookie domain
    • path (string, optional): Cookie path
    • expires (number, optional): Cookie expiration as Unix timestamp
    • httpOnly (boolean, optional): Whether the cookie is HTTP only
    • secure (boolean, optional): Whether the cookie is secure
    • sameSite (string, optional): Cookie SameSite attribute
  • Read-only: false

• browser_localstorage_clear
  • Title: Clear localStorage
  • Description: Clear all localStorage
  • Parameters: None
  • Read-only: false

• browser_localstorage_delete
  • Title: Delete localStorage item
  • Description: Delete a localStorage item
  • Parameters:
    • key (string): Key to delete
  • Read-only: false

• browser_localstorage_get
  • Title: Get localStorage item
  • Description: Get a localStorage item by key
  • Parameters:
    • key (string): Key to get
  • Read-only: true

• browser_localstorage_list
  • Title: List localStorage
  • Description: List all localStorage key-value pairs
  • Parameters: None
  • Read-only: true

• browser_localstorage_set
  • Title: Set localStorage item
  • Description: Set a localStorage item
  • Parameters:
    • key (string): Key to set
    • value (string): Value to set
  • Read-only: false

• browser_sessionstorage_clear
  • Title: Clear sessionStorage
  • Description: Clear all sessionStorage
  • Parameters: None
  • Read-only: false

• browser_sessionstorage_delete
  • Title: Delete sessionStorage item
  • Description: Delete a sessionStorage item
  • Parameters:
    • key (string): Key to delete
  • Read-only: false

• browser_sessionstorage_get
  • Title: Get sessionStorage item
  • Description: Get a sessionStorage item by key
  • Parameters:
    • key (string): Key to get
  • Read-only: true

• browser_sessionstorage_list
  • Title: List sessionStorage
  • Description: List all sessionStorage key-value pairs
  • Parameters: None
  • Read-only: true

• browser_sessionstorage_set
  • Title: Set sessionStorage item
  • Description: Set a sessionStorage item
  • Parameters:
    • key (string): Key to set
    • value (string): Value to set
  • Read-only: false

• browser_set_storage_state
  • Title: Restore storage state
  • Description: Restore storage state (cookies, local storage) from a file. This clears existing cookies and local storage before restoring.
  • Parameters:
    • filename (string): Path to the storage state file to restore from. Relative file names are resolved against the workspace root.
  • Read-only: false

• browser_storage_state
  • Title: Save storage state
  • Description: Save storage state (cookies, local storage) to a file for later reuse
  • Parameters:
    • filename (string, optional): File name to save the storage state to. Relative file names are resolved against the workspace root. If not specified, the storage state is saved into the output directory as storage-state-{timestamp}.json.
  • Read-only: true

• browser_annotate
  • Title: Annotate the current page
  • Description: Open the Playwright Dashboard in annotation mode for the current page and wait for the user to draw annotations. Returns the annotated screenshot, ARIA snapshot, and the list of annotations.
  • Parameters: None
  • Read-only: true

• browser_hide_highlight
  • Title: Hide element highlight
  • Description: Remove a highlight overlay previously added for the element.
  • Parameters:
    • element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used when adding the highlight; must match the value passed to browser_highlight.
    • target (string, optional): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
  • Read-only: **t