BrowserTools MCP

Name: BrowserTools MCP
Author: AgentDeskAI

Streams console, network, screenshots and Lighthouse audits from your own Chrome tabs to an MCP client

By AgentDeskAI TypeScript Local · stdio Browser automation Developer tools Testing

GitHub npm Website

65 popularity score ★ 7.3k ↓ 5.0k/wk

Connect your client

Local (npm)

Add in one click

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code Add to LM Studio Add to Goose

Opens the app, which asks before it adds the server.

Or add it by command or config

Claude CodeTerminal

claude mcp add browsertools -- npx -y @agentdeskai/browser-tools-mcp@latest

Claude Desktopclaude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browsertools": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@agentdeskai/browser-tools-mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cursor~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browsertools": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@agentdeskai/browser-tools-mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "browsertools": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@agentdeskai/browser-tools-mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Codex~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.browsertools]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@agentdeskai/browser-tools-mcp@latest"]

Gemini CLITerminal

gemini mcp add --scope user browsertools npx -- -y @agentdeskai/browser-tools-mcp@latest

Settings 9

`BROWSER_TOOLS_PORT`	Optional: Port of the local connector the extension talks to. Default `3025`.
`BROWSER_TOOLS_SCREENSHOT_DIR`	Optional: Folder where screenshots and the last audit reports are written.
`BROWSER_TOOLS_TOOLS`	Optional: Comma-separated tools to expose, hiding the rest (same as --only).
`BROWSER_TOOLS_EXCLUDE_TOOLS`	Optional: Comma-separated tools to hide (same as --exclude).
`BROWSER_TOOLS_EXTENSION_ID`	Optional: Accept pairing only from this extension id.
`BROWSER_TOOLS_REDACT`	Optional: Set to false to stop scrubbing credentials from captured data. Default `true`.
`BROWSER_TOOLS_TOKEN` secret	Optional: Token for attaching to a connector that is already running.
`BROWSER_TOOLS_AUDIT_ALLOW_ORIGINS`	Optional: Local or private origins audits may reach without an open tab. For audits.
`BROWSER_TOOLS_VERBOSE`	Optional: Set to true to print each captured entry as it arrives.

What it does

BrowserTools MCP gives a coding assistant in Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, Cline, Zed or Gemini CLI a view of the Chrome session you already have open and logged in to. It reads console output, network requests, the element picked in the Elements panel, page info and browser storage. It can also take screenshots, reload the tab and run Lighthouse audits for accessibility, performance, SEO and best practices. The idea is to debug the app in front of you instead of starting a fresh automated browser.

There are two pieces. The npm package @agentdeskai/browser-tools-mcp runs the MCP server and starts its own local connector, so nothing else needs launching. The Chrome extension is loaded unpacked from the chrome-extension folder of the repository. Capture for a tab starts once DevTools is open on it. Long histories, HAR files and full audit reports are served as MCP resources that the client can fetch when it wants them.

Version 2.0 rewrote the project. The maintainers say 1.x is unsupported and has critical vulnerabilities, including remote code execution, that will not be patched there. The README on the main branch also lists tab tools such as listTabs, readTab and softClick, but the v2.0.4 package registers 16 tools and none of those (src/mcp/server.ts at the v2.0.4 tag).

What it needs

Runtime	Node.js 22.19+
Runs on	macOS, Windows, Linux
Also	Chrome with the BrowserTools extension loaded unpacked Chrome DevTools open on the tab to capture A Chromium-based browser on the machine for Lighthouse audits

Download or clone the repository, open chrome://extensions, switch on Developer mode and use Load unpacked on the chrome-extension folder. Then open DevTools (F12) on the page you want read. Running the package with --doctor reports which part is missing. Audits find a Chromium-based browser on their own; set CHROME_PATH to pick another.

Limits

Early release listTabs, readTab, navigateBrowser, navigateTab, softClick and softType appear in the main-branch README but are not in the released 2.0.4 package
Not covered Network requests that finished before DevTools was opened are not captured, so reload the page to record a full load
Size cap Screenshots are kept under 3 MB by default by re-encoding as JPEG and downscaling; an image that still does not fit is returned as a file path
Platform Firefox has never been tested and screenshots will not work there; Arc is best effort
Limit Default console capture attaches the debugger, which shows Chrome's debugging banner unless the panel is switched to Wrap page console
Limit Audits start a separate headless browser and can take up to a minute each
Not covered Audits refuse localhost and private-network pages unless they are open in a connected tab or allowed with --audit-allow-origin
Limit Version 1.x is unsupported and has unpatched critical vulnerabilities, so upgrade to 2.x

Who it suits

Good for a developer who wants an assistant to look at the console, failing requests or storage of a web app they are already signed in to, with Lighthouse scores on the side. It runs locally and mostly reads, and the only changes it makes are reloading a tab, saving screenshots and clearing captured logs. In the released version it cannot click, type or navigate. For scripted end-to-end tests in a clean browser, the README points to Playwright MCP or Chrome DevTools MCP. Those start their own automated browser, while this one reads the profile you are signed in to.

Tools 16

13 only read, 2 change things, 1 can delete or overwrite. A ? marks an optional parameter.

getConsoleLogs: Recent console entries, newest first, with keyword filters and pagingkeywords?: arraytabId?: anyallTabs?: booleanlimit?: integeroffset?: integer
getConsoleErrors: Only errors and uncaught exceptions from the consolekeywords?: arraytabId?: anyallTabs?: booleanlimit?: integeroffset?: integer
getNetworkLogs: Captured XHR and fetch requests with status, timing and bodiesurlKeywords?: arraybodyKeywords?: arraytabId?: anyallTabs?: booleanlimit?: integeroffset?: integer
getNetworkErrors: Failed requests and those answered with 4xx or 5xxurlKeywords?: arraytabId?: anyallTabs?: booleanlimit?: integeroffset?: integer
getSelectedElement: Details of the node picked in the Elements paneltabId?: any
getPageInfo: URL of the page the tab is on and whether the extension is connected
getConnectionStatus: Extension connection, tab count, screenshot folder and capture counts
listBrowserTabs: Tabs that have DevTools open, with the tabId other tools accept
takeScreenshot changes: Captures the visible area, returns the image and saves it to diskname?: stringtabId?: any
refreshBrowser changes: Reloads the tab being inspectedtabId?: any
getBrowserStorage: Keys of localStorage, sessionStorage and cookies, with values only on requestkinds?: arrayincludeValues?: booleantabId?: any
wipeLogs deletes: Deletes the captured console and network historytabId?: any
runAccessibilityAudit: Lighthouse check of contrast, labels and screen-reader supporturl?: stringtabId?: any
runPerformanceAudit: Lighthouse performance score including Core Web Vitalsurl?: stringtabId?: any
runSEOAudit: Lighthouse check of metadata, indexability and crawlabilityurl?: stringtabId?: any
runBestPracticesAudit: Lighthouse check of security headers, deprecated APIs and similar hygieneurl?: stringtabId?: any

Resources 5

browser-tools://console/{tabId|all}: Full console history for a tab or all tabs
browser-tools://network/{tabId|all}: Every captured request with bodies
browser-tools://har/{tabId|all}: Captured traffic as a HAR 1.2 file
browser-tools://screenshot/{name}: A screenshot saved earlier
browser-tools://audit/{reportId}: Full Lighthouse report behind an audit summary

Prompts 3

debuggerMode: Step-by-step debugging workflow using the capture tools
auditMode: Workflow for running and acting on the audits
nextjsSeoAudit: SEO review aimed at Next.js apps

Popularity

65 popularity score, on our list (the bar is 36)

★ 7.3k ↓ 5.0k/wk

GitHub stars, whole repository	7,341	29.6 points
Stars in 30 days	+13	5.7 points
npm downloads, last week	5,001	29.6 points

It lives in the folder browser-tools-mcp of agentdeskai/browser-tools-mcp, which holds more than this server. Its stars are the whole repository's, so in the score they never count for more than its own downloads.

Measured 2026-11-07. How the score works.

Where it is published

Code	agentdeskai/browser-tools-mcp/browser-tools-mcp ★ 7.3k, the whole repository
npm	@agentdeskai/browser-tools-mcp 2.0.4, 2026-10-27

What it can reach

Runs	On your machine
Reaches	Drives a browser, Files on your machine, The internet
Changes things	Yes: it can write, send, create or delete
Sign-in	None
Licence	MIT (npm)
Last code change	2026-10-27

Runs on your machine through npx together with an unpacked Chrome extension. It reads what your signed-in Chrome shows in tabs where DevTools is open: console output, network requests with bodies, localStorage and sessionStorage, and cookies once you grant that optional permission. It reloads tabs, clears captured logs and writes screenshots and audit reports to a local folder. Audits load pages in a separate headless browser. In 2.x the connector binds 127.0.0.1, its HTTP API and the extension socket need a per-run bearer token, and Authorization and Cookie headers, JWTs and keys become [REDACTED] unless --no-redact or BROWSER_TOOLS_REDACT=false is set. The maintainers say 1.x has unpatched remote code execution and unauthenticated access bugs.

Over time

GitHub stars, whole repository 7.3k +13

7.3k7.3k

7 Oct 20267 Nov 2026

npm downloads a week 5.0k +1.8k (+57 %)

11k1.4k

20 Oct 20257 Nov 2026

Before the site measured it, read from npm's daily download counts.

Popularity score 65 −11 (−14 %)

7652

7 Oct 20267 Nov 2026

What is rising across the directory

Sources

Page checked 2026-10-27.

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MarkdownREADME.md

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Connect your client

Add in one click

Or add it by command or config

Settings 9

What it does

What it needs

Limits

Who it suits

Tools 16

Resources 5

Prompts 3

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