real-browser — Claude Code MCP server: what it does, how to install
A local MCP server plus a Chrome extension: the agent sends tool calls and your already-open tab carries them out, cookies and SSO login intact.
claude mcp add real-browser -- npx -y real-browser-mcpWhat real-browser does
real-browser has two halves. One is a server on your machine, the other is a Chrome extension. Your agent talks MCP; the browser window you are working in does the actual clicking.
Transport is a WebSocket on localhost. Start the server with npx -y real-browser-mcp inside your client, then add the extension from the Chrome Web Store or load the extension/ folder unpacked through chrome://extensions. Green dot on the toolbar icon means the channel is up. Grey means the server has not started yet.
This is the wrong tool for parallel CI runs on a clean profile; Playwright covers that case. Chrome 136+ refuses --remote-debugging-port against the default profile, which is why the bridge is an MV3 extension instead of a CDP attach. Without the extension connected the server does nothing.
What it helps with
- verify a fix on the staging page you are already signed into
- walk a form past SSO without logging in again
- read the console and DOM of the tab where the bug reproduced
- drive your own Chrome profile rather than a fresh Chromium
- hand the agent the tab that already shows the broken state
Example prompts for the agent
- Open the staging tab and check that the form submits without errors.
- Grab the console output on the page where the bug reproduced for me.
- Follow that link in the Chrome tab I already have open and show me what appears after login.
How to install real-browser
Platform CLI
claude mcp add real-browser -- npx -y real-browser-mcpPlatform CLI
codex mcp add real-browser -- npx -y real-browser-mcpConfig file
{
"mcpServers": {
"real-browser": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"real-browser-mcp"
]
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"real-browser": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"real-browser-mcp"
]
}
}
}Platform CLI
gemini mcp add real-browser npx -y real-browser-mcpStep by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about real-browser
How do I install real-browser in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add real-browser -- npx -y real-browser-mcp. Then connect the Chrome extension, since the server has nothing to drive without it.
What does real-browser do?
It lets the agent reach the Chrome window you have open, so it sees your current tabs and works inside them with your existing session instead of launching a separate browser.
How is real-browser different from Playwright MCP?
Playwright starts a new browser, so SSO cookies and your open tabs are gone. Here the agent stays in your own Chrome, at the cost of no clean parallel runs in CI.
