# Parallel Browser MCP

Runs concurrent browser sessions indexed by numeric IDs across Playwright, Browserbase, Anchor, and Cloudflare. Useful when an agent needs to automate multiple sites simultaneously.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 43
- Author: etairl
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/etairl/parallel-browser-mcp
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/parallel-browser-mcp

## What it does

The server assigns a numeric identifier to each active session. An MCP client initializes an instance via `start_session`, then attaches that numeric ID to subsequent actions like `browser_navigate`, form entry, screenshots, element drag-and-drop, or DOM inspection. Sessions remain isolated and can be terminated individually or collectively via `close_all_sessions`.

Four browser backends are supported under a single interface: local Playwright, plus cloud runtimes from Browserbase, Anchor Browser, and Cloudflare. You define backend settings globally through `BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG` or environment flags rather than passing options into separate tool calls.

Local Playwright requires no credentials, but stealth browsing with CloakBrowser demands installing the optional `cloakbrowser` npm package. That stealth Chromium binary pulls around 200MB on its initial launch.

## Requirements
- Needs: Node.js (commands run via npx)
- Environment variables: `BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG`, `BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG_PATH`, `BROWSERBASE_API_KEY`, `BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID`, `ANCHOR_API_KEY`, `CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN`, `CLOUDFLARE_ACCOUNT_ID`, `PLAYWRIGHT_USE_CLOAKBROWSER` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add --env BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG=<BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG> --env BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG_PATH=<BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG_PATH> --env BROWSERBASE_API_KEY=<BROWSERBASE_API_KEY> --env BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID=<BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID> --env ANCHOR_API_KEY=<ANCHOR_API_KEY> --transport stdio parallel-browser-mcp -- npx -y parallel-browser-mcp
```
Replace <…> with your own values. 3 more environment variables are in the server README

### Codex

**Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add parallel-browser-mcp --env BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG=<BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG> --env BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG_PATH=<BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG_PATH> --env BROWSERBASE_API_KEY=<BROWSERBASE_API_KEY> --env BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID=<BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID> --env ANCHOR_API_KEY=<ANCHOR_API_KEY> -- npx -y parallel-browser-mcp
```
Replace <…> with your own values. 3 more environment variables are in the server README

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "parallel-browser-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "parallel-browser-mcp"
            ],
            "env": {
                "BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG": "<BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG>",
                "BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG_PATH": "<BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG_PATH>",
                "BROWSERBASE_API_KEY": "<BROWSERBASE_API_KEY>",
                "BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID": "<BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID>",
                "ANCHOR_API_KEY": "<ANCHOR_API_KEY>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values. 3 more environment variables are in the server README

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "parallel-browser-mcp": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "parallel-browser-mcp"
            ],
            "env": {
                "BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG": "<BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG>",
                "BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG_PATH": "<BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG_PATH>",
                "BROWSERBASE_API_KEY": "<BROWSERBASE_API_KEY>",
                "BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID": "<BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID>",
                "ANCHOR_API_KEY": "<ANCHOR_API_KEY>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values. 3 more environment variables are in the server README

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG=<BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG> -e BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG_PATH=<BROWSER_MCP_CONFIG_PATH> -e BROWSERBASE_API_KEY=<BROWSERBASE_API_KEY> -e BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID=<BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID> -e ANCHOR_API_KEY=<ANCHOR_API_KEY> parallel-browser-mcp npx -y parallel-browser-mcp
```
Replace <…> with your own values. 3 more environment variables are in the server README

## When to use it
- spin up and orchestrate multiple browser sessions in parallel
- capture screenshots and extract DOM hierarchy from active tabs
- automate form entry, file uploads, and mouse interactions
- evade bot detection routines via an optional stealth Chromium binary

## Example prompts
- Start a new Playwright session and open `https://example.com`
- Capture a page screenshot in session 1 using `browser_screenshot`
- Terminate all active browser instances with `close_all_sessions`

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