Playwright MCP

A Model Context Protocol server that provides browser automation capabilities using Playwright. Enables LLMs to interact with web pages through structured accessibility snapshots — no vision models required.

Example

You: Navigate to https://demo.playwright.dev/todomvc and add "Buy groceries".

→ browser_navigate { url: "https://demo.playwright.dev/todomvc" }
→ browser_snapshot

  - heading "todos" [level=1]
  - textbox "What needs to be done?" [ref=e5]

→ browser_type { ref: "e5", text: "Buy groceries", submit: true }
→ browser_snapshot

  - heading "todos" [level=1]
  - textbox "What needs to be done?" [ref=e5]
  - listitem:
    - checkbox "Toggle Todo" [ref=e10]
    - text: "Buy groceries"
  - contentinfo:
    - text: "1 item left"

The LLM reads the accessibility snapshot, finds element refs like e5, and uses them to interact — clicking buttons, filling forms, checking checkboxes. No screenshots or coordinate guessing needed.

Key Features

Snapshot-based — operates on the accessibility tree, not pixels. Each interactive element gets a unique ref for deterministic interaction
LLM-friendly — structured text output that LLMs parse naturally, ~200-400 tokens per snapshot vs thousands for DOM/screenshots
Cross-browser — Chrome, Firefox, WebKit, and Edge support
Full automation — 40+ tools covering navigation, forms, network mocking, storage, tracing, video, and more
Persistent sessions — login state and cookies preserved between sessions by default
Works everywhere — VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and any MCP client

Quick Start

Add the server to your MCP client:

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

The browser opens in headed mode by default so you can see what's happening. See Installation for client-specific setup.

Playwright MCP vs Playwright CLI

	MCP	Playwright CLI
Best for	Specialized agentic loops, exploratory automation	Coding agents (Claude Code, Copilot) working with large codebases
How it works	LLM calls MCP tools with structured parameters	Agent runs shell commands
Token cost	Higher — tool schemas + snapshots in context	Lower — concise CLI output, skills loaded on demand
Default mode	Headed	Headless
Setup	JSON config in MCP client	`npm install -g @playwright/cli`

Available Tools

Core

Tool	Description
`browser_navigate`	Navigate to a URL
`browser_navigate_back`	Go back in history
`browser_navigate_forward`	Go forward in history
`browser_reload`	Reload the page
`browser_snapshot`	Capture accessibility snapshot
`browser_click`	Click an element by ref
`browser_hover`	Hover over an element
`browser_drag`	Drag and drop between elements
`browser_type`	Type text into an element
`browser_fill_form`	Fill multiple form fields at once
`browser_select_option`	Select dropdown option
`browser_check`	Check a checkbox or radio
`browser_uncheck`	Uncheck a checkbox
`browser_press_key`	Press a key (Enter, Tab, etc.)
`browser_take_screenshot`	Take a PNG/JPEG screenshot
`browser_tabs`	List, create, close, switch tabs
`browser_handle_dialog`	Accept or dismiss dialogs
`browser_file_upload`	Upload files
`browser_close`	Close the browser
`browser_resize`	Resize the browser window
`browser_wait_for`	Wait for text, element, or time

Network & Storage

Tool	Description
`browser_network_requests`	List network requests
`browser_route`	Mock network requests
`browser_route_list`	List active mocked routes
`browser_unroute`	Remove mocked routes
`browser_cookie_list/get/set/delete/clear`	Manage cookies
`browser_localstorage_list/get/set/delete/clear`	Manage localStorage
`browser_storage_state`	Save cookies + localStorage to file
`browser_set_storage_state`	Restore saved state

Testing & Debugging

Tool	Description
`browser_run_code`	Execute Playwright code snippets
`browser_evaluate`	Evaluate JavaScript on the page
`browser_console_messages`	Get console output
`browser_generate_locator`	Generate Playwright locator for tests
`browser_verify_element_visible`	Assert element is visible
`browser_verify_text_visible`	Assert text is visible
`browser_start_tracing` / `browser_stop_tracing`	Record execution traces
`browser_start_video` / `browser_stop_video`	Record session video
`browser_pdf_save`	Export page as PDF

Vision (optional)

Tool	Description
`browser_mouse_move_xy`	Move mouse to coordinates
`browser_mouse_down` / `browser_mouse_up`	Mouse button press/release
`browser_mouse_wheel`	Scroll with mouse wheel

Example​

Key Features​

Quick Start​

Playwright MCP vs Playwright CLI​

Available Tools​

Core​

Network & Storage​

Testing & Debugging​

Vision (optional)​