Chrome DevTools MCP
chrome-devtools-mcp lets your coding agent (such as Gemini, 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.
Tool reference | Changelog | Contributing | Troubleshooting
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 the browser console.
- 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.
Requirements
- Node.js v20.19 or a newer latest maintenance 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]
Usingchrome-devtools-mcp@latestensures that your MCP client will always use the latest version of the Chrome DevTools MCP server.
MCP Client configuration
Amp
Follow https://ampcode.com/manual#mcp and use the config provided above. You can also install the Chrome DevTools MCP server using the CLI:amp mcp add chrome-devtools -- npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest
Claude Code
Use the Claude Code CLI to add the Chrome DevTools MCP server (guide):claude mcp add chrome-devtools npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest
Cline
Follow https://docs.cline.bot/mcp/configuring-mcp-servers and use the config provided above.Codex
Follow the configure MCP guide using the standard config from above. You can also install the Chrome DevTools MCP server using the Codex CLI:codex mcp add chrome-devtools -- npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest
On Windows 11
Configure the Chrome install location and increase the startup timeout by updating .codex/config.toml and adding the following env and startup_timeout_ms parameters:
[mcp_servers.chrome-devtools]
command = "cmd"
args = [
"/c",
"npx",
"-y",
"chrome-devtools-mcp@latest",
]
env = { SystemRoot="C:\\Windows", PROGRAMFILES="C:\\Program Files" }
startup_timeout_ms = 20_000
Copilot CLI
Start Copilot CLI:
copilot
Start the dialog to add a new MCP server by running:
/mcp add
Configure the following fields and press CTRL+S to save the configuration:
- Server name:
chrome-devtools - Server Type:
[1] Local - Command:
npx -y chrome-devtools-mcp@latest
Copilot / VS Code
Follow the MCP install guide, with the standard config from above. You can also install the Chrome DevTools MCP server using the VS Code CLI:code --add-mcp '{"name":"chrome-devtools","command":"npx","args":["chrome-devtools-mcp@latest"]}'
Cursor
Click the button to install:
Or install manually:
Go to Cursor Settings -> MCP -> New MCP Server. Use the config provided above.
Gemini CLI
Install the Chrome DevTools MCP server using the Gemini CLI.Project wide:
gemini mcp add chrome-devtools npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest
Globally:
gemini mcp add -s user chrome-devtools npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest
Alternatively, follow the MCP guide and use the standard config from above.
Gemini Code Assist
Follow the configure MCP guide using the standard config from above.JetBrains AI Assistant & Junie
Go to Settings | Tools | AI Assistant | Model Context Protocol (MCP) -> Add. Use the config provided above.
The same way chrome-devtools-mcp can be configured for JetBrains Junie in Settings | Tools | Junie | MCP Settings -> Add. Use the config provided above.
Kiro
In Kiro Settings, go to Configure MCP > Open Workspace or User MCP Config > Use the configuration snippet provided above.
Or, from the IDE Activity Bar > Kiro > MCP Servers > Click Open MCP Config. Use the configuration snippet provided above.
Qoder
In Qoder Settings, go to MCP Server > + Add > Use the configuration snippet provided above.
Alternatively, follow the MCP guide and use the standard config from above.
Visual Studio
Click the button to install:
Warp
Go to Settings | AI | Manage MCP Servers -> + Add to add an MCP Server. Use the config provided above.
Windsurf
Follow the configure MCP guide using the standard config from above.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.
- Input automation (8 tools)
- Navigation automation (6 tools)
- Emulation (2 tools)
- Performance (3 tools)
- Network (2 tools)
- Debugging (5 tools)
Configuration
The Chrome DevTools MCP server supports the following configuration option:
-
--browserUrl,-uConnect to a running Chrome instance using port forwarding. For more details see: https://developer.chrome.com/docs/devtools/remote-debugging/local-server.- Type: string
-
--wsEndpoint,-wWebSocket endpoint to connect to a running Chrome instance (e.g., ws://127.0.0.1:9222/devtools/browser/). Alternative to --browserUrl. - Type: string
-
--wsHeadersCustom headers for WebSocket connection in JSON format (e.g., '{"Authorization":"Bearer token"}'). Only works with --wsEndpoint.- Type: string
-
--headlessWhether to run in headless (no UI) mode.- Type: boolean
- Default:
false
-
--executablePath,-ePath to custom Chrome executable.- Type: string
-
--isolatedIf specified, creates a temporary user-data-dir that is automatically cleaned up after the browser is closed.- Type: boolean
- Default:
false
-
--channelSpecify a different Chrome channel that should be used. The default is the stable channel version.- Type: string
- Choices:
stable,canary,beta,dev
-
--logFilePath to a file to write debug logs to. Set the env variableDEBUGto*to enable verbose logs. Useful for submitting bug reports.- Type: string
-
--viewportInitial viewport size for the Chrome instances started by the server. For example,1280x720. In headless mode, max size is 3840x2160px.- Type: string
-
--proxyServerProxy server configuration for Chrome passed as --proxy-server when launching the browser. See https://www.chromium.org/developers/design-documents/network-settings/ for details.- Type: string
-
--acceptInsecureCertsIf enabled, ignores errors relative to self-signed and expired certificates. Use with caution.- Type: boolean
-
--chromeArgAdditional arguments for Chrome. Only applies when Chrome is launched by chrome-devtools-mcp.- Type: array
-
--categoryEmulationSet to false to exclude tools related to emulation.- Type: boolean
- Default:
true
-
--categoryPerformanceSet to false to exclude tools related to performance.- Type: boolean
- Default:
true
-
--categoryNetworkSet to false to exclude tools related to network.- Type: boolean
- Default:
true
Pass them via the args property in the JSON configuration. For example:
{
"mcpServers": {
"chrome-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"chrome-devtools-mcp@latest",
"--channel=canary",
"--headless=true",
"--isolated=true"
]
}
}
}
Connecting via WebSocket with custom headers
You can connect directly to a Chrome WebSocket endpoint and include custom headers (e.g., for authentication):
{
"mcpServers": {
"chrome-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"chrome-devtools-mcp@latest",
"--wsEndpoint=ws://127.0.0.1:9222/devtools/browser/<id>",
"--wsHeaders={\"Authorization\":\"Bearer YOUR_TOKEN\"}"
]
}
}
}
To get the WebSocket endpoint from a running Chrome instance, visit http://127.0.0.1:9222/json/version and look for the webSocketDebuggerUrl field.
You can also run npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest --help to see all available configuration options.
Concepts
User data directory
chrome-devtools-mcp starts a Chrome's stable channel instance using the following user
data directory:
- Linux / macOS:
$HOME/.cache/chrome-devtools-mcp/chrome-profile-$CHANNEL - Windows:
%HOMEPATH%/.cache/chrome-devtools-mcp/chrome-profile-$CHANNEL
The user data directory is not cleared between runs and shared across
all instances of chrome-devtools-mcp. Set the isolated option to true
to use a temporary user data dir instead which will be cleared automatically after
the browser is closed.
Connecting to a running Chrome instance
You can connect to a running Chrome instance by using the --browser-url option. This is useful if you want to use your existing Chrome profile or if you are running the MCP server in a sandboxed environment that does not allow starting a new Chrome instance.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to connect to a running Chrome Stable instance:
Step 1: Configure the MCP client
Add the --browser-url option to your MCP client configuration. The value of this option should be the URL of the running Chrome instance. http://127.0.0.1:9222 is a common default.
{
"mcpServers": {
"chrome-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"chrome-devtools-mcp@latest",
"--browser-url=http://127.0.0.1:9222"
]
}
}
}
Step 2: Start the Chrome browser
[!WARNING]
Enabling the remote debugging port opens up a debugging port on the running browser instance. Any application on your machine can connect to this port and control the browser. Make sure that you are not browsing any sensitive websites while the debugging port is open.
Start the Chrome browser with the remote debugging port enabled. Make sure to close any running Chrome instances before starting a new one with the debugging port enabled. The port number you choose must be the same as the one you specified in the --browser-url option in your MCP client configuration.
For security reasons, Chrome requires you to use a non-default user data directory when enabling the remote debugging port. You can specify a custom directory using the --user-data-dir flag. This ensures that your regular browsing profile and data are not exposed to the debugging session.
macOS
/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome --remote-debugging-port=9222 --user-data-dir=/tmp/chrome-profile-stable
Linux
/usr/bin/google-chrome --remote-debugging-port=9222 --user-data-dir=/tmp/chrome-profile-stable
Windows
"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --remote-debugging-port=9222 --user-data-dir="%TEMP%\chrome-profile-stable"
Step 3: Test your setup
After configuring the MCP client and starting the Chrome browser, you can test your setup by running a simple prompt in your MCP client:
Check the performance of https://developers.chrome.com
Your MCP client should connect to the running Chrome instance and receive a performance report.
If you hit VM-to-host port forwarding issues, see the “Remote debugging between virtual machine (VM) and host fails” section in docs/troubleshooting.md.
For more details on remote debugging, see the Chrome DevTools documentation.
Known limitations
Operating system sandboxes
Some MCP clients allow sandboxing the MCP server using macOS Seatbelt or Linux
containers. If sandboxes are enabled, chrome-devtools-mcp is not able to start
Chrome that requires permissions to create its own sandboxes. As a workaround,
either disable sandboxing for chrome-devtools-mcp in your MCP client or use
--browser-url to connect to a Chrome instance that you start manually outside
of the MCP client sandbox.