Browser Automation
Automate browser interactions via Playwright MCP server.
Server Lifecycle
Start Server
# Using helper script (recommended)
bash scripts/start-server.sh
# Or manually
npx @playwright/mcp@latest --port 8808 --shared-browser-context &Stop Server
# Using helper script (closes browser first)
bash scripts/stop-server.sh
# Or manually
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_close -p '{}'
pkill -f "@playwright/mcp"When to Stop
- End of task: Stop when browser work is complete
- Long sessions: Keep running if doing multiple browser tasks
- Errors: Stop and restart if browser becomes unresponsive
Important: The --shared-browser-context flag is required to maintain browser state across multiple mcp-client.py calls. Without it, each call gets a fresh browser context.
Quick Reference
Navigation
# Go to URL
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_navigate \
-p '{"url": "https://example.com"}'
# Go back
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_navigate_back -p '{}'Get Page State
# Accessibility snapshot (returns element refs for clicking/typing)
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_snapshot -p '{}'
# Screenshot
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_take_screenshot \
-p '{"type": "png", "fullPage": true}'Interact with Elements
Use ref from snapshot output to target elements:
# Click element
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_click \
-p '{"element": "Submit button", "ref": "e42"}'
# Type text
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_type \
-p '{"element": "Search input", "ref": "e15", "text": "hello world", "submit": true}'
# Fill form (multiple fields)
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_fill_form \
-p '{"fields": [{"ref": "e10", "value": "john@example.com"}, {"ref": "e12", "value": "password123"}]}'
# Select dropdown
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_select_option \
-p '{"element": "Country dropdown", "ref": "e20", "values": ["US"]}'Wait for Conditions
# Wait for text to appear
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_wait_for \
-p '{"text": "Success"}'
# Wait for time (ms)
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_wait_for \
-p '{"time": 2000}'Execute JavaScript
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_evaluate \
-p '{"function": "return document.title"}'Multi-Step Playwright Code
For complex workflows, use browser_run_code to run multiple actions in one call:
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_run_code \
-p '{"code": "async (page) => { await page.goto(\"https://example.com\"); await page.click(\"text=Learn more\"); return await page.title(); }"}'Tip: Use browser_run_code for complex multi-step operations that should be atomic (all-or-nothing).
Workflow: Form Submission
- Navigate to page
- Get snapshot to find element refs
- Fill form fields using refs
- Click submit
- Wait for confirmation
- Screenshot result
Workflow: Data Extraction
- Navigate to page
- Get snapshot (contains text content)
- Use browser_evaluate for complex extraction
- Process results
Tool Reference
See references/playwright-tools.md for complete tool documentation.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Element not found | Run browser_snapshot first to get current refs |
| Click fails | Try browser_hover first, then click |
| Form not submitting | Use "submit": true with browser_type |
| Page not loading | Increase wait time or use browser_wait_for |