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

Amp

Add via the Amp VS Code extension settings screen or by updating your settings.json file:```json
"amp.mcpServers": {
  "playwright": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": [
      "@playwright/mcp@latest"
    ]
  }
}

Amp CLI Setup:

Add via the amp mcp add command below```bash
amp mcp add playwright -- npx @playwright/mcp@latest

Antigravity

Add via the Antigravity settings or by updating your configuration file:```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

Use the Claude Code CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:```bash
claude mcp add playwright npx @playwright/mcp@latest

Claude Desktop

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

Cline

Follow the instruction in the section Configuring MCP Servers

**Example: Local Setup**

Add the following to your `cline_mcp_settings.json` file:```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "timeout": 30,
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ],
      "disabled": false
    }
  }
}

Codex

Use the Codex CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:```bash
codex mcp add playwright npx "@playwright/mcp@latest"

Alternatively, create or edit the configuration file `~/.codex/config.toml` and add:```toml
[mcp_servers.playwright]
command = "npx"
args = ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]

For more information, see the Codex MCP documentation.

Copilot

Use the Copilot CLI to interactively add the Playwright MCP server:```bash
/mcp add

Alternatively, create or edit the configuration file `~/.copilot/mcp-config.json` and add:```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": "npx",
      "tools": [
        "*"
      ],
      "args": [
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

For more information, see the Copilot CLI documentation.

Cursor

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.

Factory

Use the Factory CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:```bash
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.

Gemini CLI

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

Goose

#### 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".

Grok

Use the Grok CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:```bash
grok mcp add playwright -- npx @playwright/mcp@latest

Alternatively, create or edit the configuration file ~/.grok/config.toml and add:```toml
[mcp_servers.playwright]
command = "npx"
args = ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]

For more information, see the Grok MCP documentation.

Junie

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

For more information, see the Junie MCP configuration documentation.

Kiro

Follow the MCP Servers documentation. For example in .kiro/settings/mcp.json:```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"playwright": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"@playwright/mcp@latest"
]
}
}
}

LM Studio

#### Click the button to install:

#### Or install manually:

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

opencode

Follow the MCP Servers documentation. For example in `~/.config/opencode/opencode.json`:```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "playwright": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": [
        "npx",
        "@playwright/mcp@latest"
      ],
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}

Qodo Gen

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

Click Save.

VS Code

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:```bash

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.

Warp

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

Windsurf

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:

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 workers
env 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 · 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 30000ms
env 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 · 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 default
env 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 errors
env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_IGNORE_HTTPS_ERRORS |
--init-page · path to TypeScript file to evaluate on Playwright page object
env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_INIT_PAGE |
--init-script · 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 |
--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" or "socks5://myproxy:8080"
env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PROXY_SERVER |
--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 format
env 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 5000ms
env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_ACTION |
--timeout-navigation · specify navigation timeout in milliseconds, defaults to 60000ms
env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_NAVIGATION |
--timeout-settle · how long to wait after each action for triggered work to settle, in milliseconds, defaults to 500ms
env PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_SETTLE |
--user-agent · specify user agent string
env 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.```bash

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.```js
{
  "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.```ts
  // 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.```js
// 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:```bash
npx @playwright/mcp@latest --config path/to/config.json

Configuration file schema```typescript
{
  /**
   * 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;

  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 the host server is bound to.
     * 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>;

  /**
   * 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;

  /**
   * 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.```bash
npx @playwright/mcp@latest --port 8931

And then in MCP client config, set the `url` to the HTTP endpoint:```js
{
  "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.

Docker

NOTE: The Docker implementation only supports headless chromium at the moment.```js
{
"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 .

Programmatic usage```js
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

Core automation

• 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:

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