chrome-devtools-mcp: Open Source Browsers & Extensions

What is chrome-devtools-mcp?

chrome-devtools-mcp is an Apache-2.0 TypeScript Model Context Protocol server, distributed on npm, that gives coding agents such as Claude, Cursor, Copilot and Antigravity control over and visibility into a live Chrome browser through the full Chrome DevTools toolset.

What it is

The project is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes Chrome DevTools capabilities to AI coding assistants. It runs locally alongside the agent, connects to a Chrome instance, and presents debugging, automation and performance tooling as MCP tools that the assistant can call. It lives in the MCP ecosystem and the npm/Node.js ecosystem, is written in TypeScript, and is published under the Apache-2.0 licence. A CLI is also provided for use without MCP, so the same underlying capability is reachable from a terminal when no agent is involved.

The concrete problem it solves is the manual loop of a developer opening Chrome DevTools by hand, reading network requests, console errors or a performance trace, and then describing all of that to an assistant that cannot see the browser. chrome-devtools-mcp closes that gap by letting the agent inspect the live page itself. Internally it uses puppeteer for browser automation, with automatic waiting for action results, and the Chrome DevTools frontend for trace recording and performance insight extraction. This replaces the hand-driven inspection and ad-hoc scripting that would otherwise sit between the agent and the browser.

Key capabilities

Records performance traces through Chrome DevTools and extracts actionable performance insights; performance tools may send trace URLs to the Google CrUX API for real-user field data, disabled with --no-performance-crux.
Analyzes network requests, takes screenshots, and reads browser console messages including source-mapped stack traces.
Automates browser actions with puppeteer and waits automatically for action results, giving reliable rather than best-effort automation.
Runs as an MCP server configured in the client with npx -y chrome-devtools-mcp@latest, or as a CLI without MCP.
Offers a --slim mode for basic browser tasks, combinable with --headless, for a smaller tool surface and no visible window.
Checks the npm registry periodically for updates and logs a notification when a newer version exists; disable with CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_NO_UPDATE_CHECKS.
Supports Google Chrome and Chrome for Testing officially, tracking the latest Extended Stable Chrome release.

Who uses it and how

Developers working inside an MCP-capable agent such as Claude, Cursor, Copilot or Antigravity who need the agent to debug a page it just changed.
Teams running agent-driven browser checks in automation, where the CI environment variable disables usage-statistics collection automatically.
Performance-focused workflows where a trace is recorded in the lab and compared against CrUX field data for the same URL.
Lightweight setups that use --slim --headless for basic navigation and inspection tasks rather than the full tool set.

Getting started

Add a mcpServers entry to the MCP client configuration using command: "npx" with args: ["-y", "chrome-devtools-mcp@latest"]; the same package is runnable as a CLI. Requirements are Node.js LTS, npm, and Chrome at current stable version or newer.

How it compares

The facts name no paid products this project replaces, and the tools mentioned in the README — puppeteer and the Chrome DevTools frontend — appear as internal dependencies rather than as competing products. On the record provided, chrome-devtools-mcp stands alone in this registry.

When to use it — and when not to

A self-hoster or local user must run Node.js LTS, npm and a current stable Chrome on the same machine as the browser session, and the server is officially supported only on Google Chrome and Chrome for Testing, so other Chromium-based browsers may behave unexpectedly. It should not be pointed at sessions containing sensitive or personal information, because it exposes the content of the browser instance to MCP clients that can inspect, debug and modify any data in the browser or DevTools. Usage statistics are collected by default, so privacy-conscious deployments should pass --no-usage-statistics or set CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_NO_USAGE_STATISTICS.

project readme (upstream, from github) — read inline

Chrome DevTools for agents

Chrome DevTools for agents (chrome-devtools-mcp) lets your coding agent (such as Antigravity, Claude, Cursor or Copilot) control and inspect a live Chrome browser. It acts as a Model-Context-Protocol (MCP) server, giving your AI coding assistant access to the full power of Chrome DevTools for reliable automation, in-depth debugging, and performance analysis. A CLI is also provided for use without MCP.

Tool reference | Changelog | Contributing | Troubleshooting | Design Principles

Key features

Get performance insights: Uses Chrome DevTools to record traces and extract actionable performance insights.
Advanced browser debugging: Analyze network requests, take screenshots and check browser console messages (with source-mapped stack traces).
Reliable automation. Uses puppeteer to automate actions in Chrome and automatically wait for action results.

Disclaimers

chrome-devtools-mcp exposes content of the browser instance to the MCP clients allowing them to inspect, debug, and modify any data in the browser or DevTools. Avoid sharing sensitive or personal information that you don't want to share with MCP clients.

chrome-devtools-mcp officially supports Google Chrome and Chrome for Testing only. Other Chromium-based browsers may work, but this is not guaranteed, and you may encounter unexpected behavior. Use at your own discretion. We are committed to providing fixes and support for the latest version of Extended Stable Chrome.

Performance tools may send trace URLs to the Google CrUX API to fetch real-user experience data. This helps provide a holistic performance picture by presenting field data alongside lab data. This data is collected by the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX). To disable this, run with the --no-performance-crux flag.

Usage statistics

Google collects usage statistics (such as tool invocation success rates, latency, and environment information) to improve the reliability and performance of Chrome DevTools MCP.

Data collection is enabled by default. You can opt-out by passing the --no-usage-statistics flag when starting the server:

"args": ["-y", "chrome-devtools-mcp@latest", "--no-usage-statistics"]

Google handles this data in accordance with the Google Privacy Policy.

Google's collection of usage statistics for Chrome DevTools MCP is independent from the Chrome browser's usage statistics. Opting out of Chrome metrics does not automatically opt you out of this tool, and vice-versa.

Collection is disabled if CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_NO_USAGE_STATISTICS or CI env variables are set.

Update checks

By default, the server periodically checks the npm registry for updates and logs a notification when a newer version is available. You can disable these update checks by setting the CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_NO_UPDATE_CHECKS environment variable.

Requirements

Node.js LTS version.
Chrome current stable version or newer.
npm

Getting started

Add the following config to your MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chrome-devtools": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "chrome-devtools-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

[!NOTE] Using chrome-devtools-mcp@latest ensures that your MCP client will always use the latest version of the Chrome DevTools MCP server.

If you are interested in doing only basic browser tasks, use the --slim mode:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chrome-devtools": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "chrome-devtools-mcp@latest", "--slim", "--headless"]
    }
  }
}

See Slim tool reference.

MCP Client configuration

For setup instructions specific to your editor or agent (e.g. Antigravity, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code), please see our Client Configurations Guide.

Your first prompt

Enter the following prompt in your MCP Client to check if everything is working:

Check the performance of https://developers.chrome.com

Your MCP client should open the browser and record a performance trace.

[!NOTE] The MCP server will start the browser automatically once the MCP client uses a tool that requires a running browser instance. Connecting to the Chrome DevTools MCP server on its own will not automatically start the browser.

Tools

If you run into any issues, checkout our troubleshooting guide. See the full Tool Reference for a complete list of all supported MCP capabilities.

Configuration

Find the complete list of server parameters (e.g., --headless, --isolated, --slim) and how to configure WebSocket connections in the Configuration Guide.

Advanced Usage

For advanced features such as handling concurrent sessions, persistent user data directories, connecting to a running Chrome instance instead of starting a new one, or debugging on Android, see our Advanced Usage Guide.

Integrating as a browser subagent

If you are developing agentic tooling and want to provide an integrated browser subagent as part of your product, we recommend building on top of Chrome DevTools for agents.

For a reference implementation, see the Gemini CLI browser agent documentation.

Frequently asked questions

Is chrome-devtools-mcp free to use?

chrome-devtools-mcp is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. There is no licence fee and no seat count — you can self-host it or, where the project offers one, pay a vendor for a managed version instead.

What does chrome-devtools-mcp do?

Chrome DevTools for coding agents

What is chrome-devtools-mcp written in?

chrome-devtools-mcp is primarily written in TypeScript. Its source is publicly available at https://github.com/ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp, and it has 52,197 GitHub stars.