Electron MCP Server

A powerful Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides comprehensive Electron application automation, debugging, and observability capabilities. Supercharge your Electron development workflow with AI-powered automation through Chrome DevTools Protocol integration.

Demo

See the Electron MCP Server in action:

🎬 Watch Full Demo on Vimeo

Watch how easy it is to automate Electron applications with AI-powered MCP commands.

🎯 What Makes This Special

Transform your Electron development experience with AI-powered automation:

🔄 Real-time UI Automation: Click buttons, fill forms, and interact with any Electron app programmatically
📸 Visual Debugging: Take screenshots and capture application state without interrupting development
🔍 Deep Inspection: Extract DOM elements, application data, and performance metrics in real-time
⚡ DevTools Protocol Integration: Universal compatibility with any Electron app - no modifications required
🚀 Development Observability: Monitor logs, system info, and application behavior seamlessly

🔒 Security & Configuration

Configurable security levels to balance safety with functionality:

Security Levels

🔒 STRICT: Maximum security for production environments
⚖️ BALANCED: Default security with safe UI interactions (recommended)
🔓 PERMISSIVE: More functionality for trusted environments
🛠️ DEVELOPMENT: Minimal restrictions for development/testing

Environment Configuration

Configure the security level and other settings through your MCP client configuration:

VS Code MCP Settings:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "electron": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "electron-mcp-server"],
        "env": {
          "SECURITY_LEVEL": "balanced",
          "SCREENSHOT_ENCRYPTION_KEY":"your-32-byte-hex-string"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop Configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "electron": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "electron-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "SECURITY_LEVEL": "balanced",
        "SCREENSHOT_ENCRYPTION_KEY":"your-32-byte-hex-string"
      }
    }
  }
}

Alternative: Local .env file (for development):

# Create .env file in your project directory
SECURITY_LEVEL=balanced
SCREENSHOT_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-32-byte-hex-string

Security Level Behaviors:

Level	UI Interactions	DOM Queries	Property Access	Assignments	Function Calls	Risk Threshold
`strict`	❌ Blocked	❌ Blocked	✅ Allowed	❌ Blocked	❌ None allowed	Low
`balanced`	✅ Allowed	✅ Allowed	✅ Allowed	❌ Blocked	✅ Safe UI functions	Medium
`permissive`	✅ Allowed	✅ Allowed	✅ Allowed	✅ Allowed	✅ Extended UI functions	High
`development`	✅ Allowed	✅ Allowed	✅ Allowed	✅ Allowed	✅ All functions	Critical

Environment Setup:

Copy .env.example to .env
Set SECURITY_LEVEL to your desired level
Configure other security settings as needed

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and set SECURITY_LEVEL=balanced

Secure UI Interaction Commands

Instead of raw JavaScript eval, use these secure commands:

// ✅ Secure button clicking
{
  "command": "click_by_text",
  "args": { "text": "Create New Encyclopedia" }
}

// ✅ Secure element selection
{
  "command": "click_by_selector",
  "args": { "selector": "button[title='Create']" }
}

// ✅ Secure keyboard shortcuts
{
  "command": "send_keyboard_shortcut",
  "args": { "text": "Ctrl+N" }
}

// ✅ Secure navigation
{
  "command": "navigate_to_hash",
  "args": { "text": "create" }
}

See SECURITY_CONFIG.md for detailed security documentation.

🎯 Proper MCP Usage Guide

⚠️ Critical: Argument Structure

The most common mistake when using this MCP server is incorrect argument structure for the send_command_to_electron tool.

❌ Wrong (causes "selector is empty" errors):

{
  "command": "click_by_selector",
  "args": "button.submit-btn"  // ❌ Raw string - WRONG!
}

✅ Correct:

{
  "command": "click_by_selector",
  "args": {
    "selector": "button.submit-btn"  // ✅ Object with selector property
  }
}

📋 Command Argument Reference

Command	Required Args	Example
`click_by_selector`	`{"selector": "css-selector"}`	`{"selector": "button.primary"}`
`click_by_text`	`{"text": "button text"}`	`{"text": "Submit"}`
`fill_input`	`{"value": "text", "selector": "..."}` or `{"value": "text", "placeholder": "..."}`	`{"placeholder": "Enter name", "value": "John"}`
`send_keyboard_shortcut`	`{"text": "key combination"}`	`{"text": "Ctrl+N"}`
`eval`	`{"code": "javascript"}`	`{"code": "document.title"}`
`get_title`, `get_url`, `get_body_text`	No args needed	`{}` or omit args

🔄 Recommended Workflow

Inspect: Start with get_page_structure or debug_elements
Target: Use specific selectors or text-based targeting
Interact: Use the appropriate command with correct argument structure
Verify: Take screenshots or check page state

// Step 1: Understand the page
{
  "command": "get_page_structure"
}

// Step 2: Click button using text (most reliable)
{
  "command": "click_by_text",
  "args": {
    "text": "Create New Encyclopedia"
  }
}

// Step 3: Fill form field
{
  "command": "fill_input",
  "args": {
    "placeholder": "Enter encyclopedia name",
    "value": "AI and Machine Learning"
  }
}

// Step 4: Submit with selector
{
  "command": "click_by_selector",
  "args": {
    "selector": "button[type='submit']"
  }
}

🐛 Troubleshooting Common Issues

Error	Cause	Solution
"The provided selector is empty"	Passing string instead of object	Use `{"selector": "..."}`
"Element not found"	Wrong selector	Use `get_page_structure` first
"Command blocked"	Security restriction	Check security level settings
"Click prevented - too soon"	Rapid consecutive clicks	Wait before retrying

🛠️ Security Features

Enterprise-grade security built for safe AI-powered automation:

🔒 Sandboxed Execution: All code runs in isolated environments with strict resource limits
🔍 Input Validation: Advanced static analysis detects and blocks dangerous code patterns
📝 Comprehensive Auditing: Encrypted logs track all operations with full traceability
🖼️ Secure Screenshots: Encrypted screenshot data with clear user notifications
⚠️ Risk Assessment: Automatic threat detection with configurable security thresholds
🚫 Zero Trust: Dangerous functions like eval, file system access, and network requests are blocked by default

Safety First: Every command is analyzed, validated, and executed in a secure sandbox before reaching your application.

�🚀 Key Features

🎮 Application Control & Automation

Launch & Manage: Start, stop, and monitor Electron applications with full lifecycle control
Interactive Automation: Execute JavaScript code directly in running applications via WebSocket
UI Testing: Automate button clicks, form interactions, and user workflows
Process Management: Track PIDs, monitor resource usage, and handle graceful shutdowns

📊 Advanced Observability

Screenshot Capture: Non-intrusive visual snapshots using Playwright and Chrome DevTools Protocol
Real-time Logs: Stream application logs (main process, renderer, console) with filtering
Window Information: Get detailed window metadata, titles, URLs, and target information
System Monitoring: Track memory usage, uptime, and performance metrics

🛠️ Development Productivity

Universal Compatibility: Works with any Electron app without requiring code modifications
DevTools Integration: Leverage Chrome DevTools Protocol for powerful debugging capabilities
Build Automation: Cross-platform building for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Environment Management: Clean environment handling and debugging port configuration

📦 Installation

VS Code Integration (Recommended)

Add to your VS Code MCP settings:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "electron": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "electron-mcp-server"],
        "env": {
          "SECURITY_LEVEL": "balanced",
          "SCREENSHOT_ENCRYPTION_KEY": "your-32-byte-hex-string-here"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop Integration

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "electron": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "electron-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "SECURITY_LEVEL": "balanced",
        "SCREENSHOT_ENCRYPTION_KEY": "your-32-byte-hex-string-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Global Installation

npm install -g electron-mcp-server

🔧 Available Tools

`launch_electron_app`

Launch an Electron application with debugging capabilities.

{
  "appPath": "/path/to/electron-app",
  "devMode": true,  // Enables Chrome DevTools Protocol on port 9222
  "args": ["--enable-logging", "--dev"]
}

Returns: Process ID and launch confirmation

`get_electron_window_info`

Get comprehensive window and target information via Chrome DevTools Protocol.

{
  "includeChildren": true  // Include child windows and DevTools instances
}

Returns:

Window IDs, titles, URLs, and types
DevTools Protocol target information
Platform details and process information

`take_screenshot`

Capture high-quality screenshots using Playwright and Chrome DevTools Protocol.

{
  "outputPath": "/path/to/screenshot.png",  // Optional: defaults to temp directory
  "windowTitle": "My App"  // Optional: target specific window
}

Features:

Non-intrusive capture (doesn't bring window to front)
Works with any Electron app
Fallback to platform-specific tools if needed

`send_command_to_electron`

Execute JavaScript commands in the running Electron application via WebSocket.

{
  "command": "eval",  // Built-in commands: eval, get_title, get_url, click_button, console_log
  "args": {
    "code": "document.querySelector('button').click(); 'Button clicked!'"
  }
}

Enhanced UI Interaction Commands:

find_elements: Analyze all interactive UI elements with their properties and positions
click_by_text: Click elements by their visible text, aria-label, or title (more reliable than selectors)
fill_input: Fill input fields by selector, placeholder text, or associated label text
select_option: Select dropdown options by value or visible text
get_page_structure: Get organized overview of all page elements (buttons, inputs, selects, links)
get_title: Get document title
get_url: Get current URL
get_body_text: Extract visible text content
click_button: Click buttons by CSS selector (basic method)
console_log: Send console messages
eval: Execute custom JavaScript code

Recommended workflow: Use get_page_structure first to understand available elements, then use specific interaction commands like click_by_text or fill_input.

`read_electron_logs`

Stream application logs from main process, renderer, and console.

{
  "logType": "all",  // Options: "all", "main", "renderer", "console"
  "lines": 50,       // Number of recent lines
  "follow": false    // Stream live logs
}

`close_electron_app`

Gracefully close the Electron application.

{
  "force": false  // Force kill if unresponsive
}

`build_electron_app`

Build Electron applications for distribution.

{
  "projectPath": "/path/to/project",
  "platform": "darwin",  // win32, darwin, linux
  "arch": "x64",         // x64, arm64, ia32
  "debug": false
}

💡 Usage Examples

Smart UI Interaction Workflow

// 1. First, understand the page structure
await send_command_to_electron({
  command: 'get_page_structure',
});

// 2. Click a button by its text (much more reliable than selectors)
await send_command_to_electron({
  command: 'click_by_text',
  args: {
    text: 'Login', // Finds buttons containing "Login" in text, aria-label, or title
  },
});

// 3. Fill inputs by their label or placeholder text
await send_command_to_electron({
  command: 'fill_input',
  args: {
    text: 'username', // Finds input with label "Username" or placeholder "Enter username"
    value: 'john.doe@example.com',
  },
});

await send_command_to_electron({
  command: 'fill_input',
  args: {
    text: 'password',
    value: 'secretpassword',
  },
});

// 4. Select dropdown options by visible text
await send_command_to_electron({
  command: 'select_option',
  args: {
    text: 'country', // Finds select with label containing "country"
    value: 'United States', // Selects option with this text
  },
});

// 5. Take a screenshot to verify the result
await take_screenshot();

Advanced Element Detection

// Find all interactive elements with detailed information
await send_command_to_electron({
  command: 'find_elements',
});

// This returns detailed info about every clickable element and input:
// {
//   "type": "clickable",
//   "text": "Submit Form",
//   "id": "submit-btn",
//   "className": "btn btn-primary",
//   "ariaLabel": "Submit the registration form",
//   "position": { "x": 100, "y": 200, "width": 120, "height": 40 },
//   "visible": true
// }

Automated UI Testing

// Launch app in development mode
await launch_electron_app({
  appPath: '/path/to/app',
  devMode: true,
});

// Take a screenshot
await take_screenshot();

// Click a button programmatically
await send_command_to_electron({
  command: 'eval',
  args: {
    code: "document.querySelector('#submit-btn').click()",
  },
});

// Verify the result
await send_command_to_electron({
  command: 'get_title',
});

Development Debugging

// Get window information
const windowInfo = await get_electron_window_info();

// Extract application data
await send_command_to_electron({
  command: 'eval',
  args: {
    code: 'JSON.stringify(window.appState, null, 2)',
  },
});

// Monitor logs
await read_electron_logs({
  logType: 'all',
  lines: 100,
});

Performance Monitoring

// Get system information
await send_command_to_electron({
  command: 'eval',
  args: {
    code: '({memory: performance.memory, timing: performance.timing})',
  },
});

// Take periodic screenshots for visual regression testing
await take_screenshot({
  outputPath: '/tests/screenshots/current.png',
});

🏗️ Architecture

Chrome DevTools Protocol Integration

Universal Compatibility: Works with any Electron app that has remote debugging enabled
Real-time Communication: WebSocket-based command execution with the renderer process
No App Modifications: Zero changes required to target applications

Process Management

Clean Environment: Handles ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE and other environment variables
Resource Tracking: Monitors PIDs, memory usage, and application lifecycle
Graceful Shutdown: Proper cleanup and process termination

Cross-Platform Support

macOS: Uses Playwright CDP with screencapture fallback
Windows: PowerShell-based window detection and capture
Linux: X11 window management (planned)

🧪 Development

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+
TypeScript 4.5+

Electron - Required for running and testing Electron applications

# Install Electron globally (recommended)
npm install -g electron

# Or install locally in your project
npm install electron --save-dev

Target Application Setup

For the MCP server to work with your Electron application, you need to enable remote debugging. Add this code to your Electron app's main process:

const { app } = require('electron');
const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development' || process.argv.includes('--dev');

// Enable remote debugging in development mode
if (isDev) {
  app.commandLine.appendSwitch('remote-debugging-port', '9222');
}

Alternative approaches:

# Launch your app with debugging enabled
electron . --remote-debugging-port=9222

# Or via npm script
npm run dev -- --remote-debugging-port=9222

Note: The MCP server automatically scans ports 9222-9225 to detect running Electron applications with remote debugging enabled.

Setup

git clone https://github.com/halilural/electron-mcp-server.git
cd electron-mcp-server

npm install
npm run build

# Run tests
npm test

# Development mode with auto-rebuild
npm run dev

Testing

The project includes comprehensive test files for React compatibility:

# Run React compatibility tests
cd tests/integration/react-compatibility
electron test-react-electron.js

See tests/integration/react-compatibility/README.md for detailed testing instructions and scenarios.

React Compatibility

This MCP server has been thoroughly tested with React applications and handles common React patterns correctly:

✅ React Event Handling: Properly handles preventDefault() in click handlers
✅ Form Input Detection: Advanced scoring algorithm works with React-rendered inputs
✅ Component Interaction: Compatible with React components, hooks, and state management

Project Structure

src/
├── handlers.ts      # MCP tool handlers
├── index.ts         # Server entry point
├── tools.ts         # Tool definitions
├── screenshot.ts    # Screenshot functionality
├── utils/
│   ├── process.ts   # Process management & DevTools Protocol
│   ├── logs.ts      # Log management
│   └── project.ts   # Project scaffolding
└── schemas/         # JSON schemas for validation

🔐 Security & Best Practices

Sandboxed Execution: All JavaScript execution is contained within the target Electron app
Path Validation: Only operates on explicitly provided application paths
Process Isolation: Each launched app runs in its own process space
No Persistent Access: No permanent modifications to target applications

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guide for details.

Before reporting issues: Please use the standardized ISSUE_TEMPLATE.md for proper bug reporting format. For React compatibility problems or similar technical issues, also review REACT_COMPATIBILITY_ISSUES.md for detailed debugging examples, including proper command examples, error outputs, and reproduction steps.

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/awesome-feature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add awesome feature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/awesome-feature)
Open a Pull Request

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

☕ Support

If this project helped you, consider buying me a coffee! ☕

Your support helps me maintain and improve this project. Thank you! 🙏

🙏 Acknowledgments

Model Context Protocol - Standardized AI-application interface
Chrome DevTools Protocol - Universal debugging interface
Playwright - Reliable browser automation
Electron - Cross-platform desktop applications

🔗 Links

GitHub Repository
NPM Package
Model Context Protocol
Chrome DevTools Protocol Docs
Issue Template - Standardized bug reporting format
React Compatibility Issues Documentation - Technical debugging guide for React applications

Ready to supercharge your Electron development with AI-powered automation? Install the MCP server and start building smarter workflows today! 🚀