mcp-server-browser-use
MCP server that gives AI assistants the power to control a web browser.
Table of Contents
- What is this?
- Installation
- Web UI
- Web Dashboard
- Configuration
- CLI Reference
- MCP Tools
- Deep Research
- Observability
- Skills System
- REST API Reference
- Architecture
- License
What is this?
This wraps browser-use as an MCP server, letting Claude (or any MCP client) automate a real browser—navigate pages, fill forms, click buttons, extract data, and more.
Why HTTP instead of stdio?
Browser automation tasks take 30-120+ seconds. The standard MCP stdio transport has timeout issues with long-running operations—connections drop mid-task. HTTP transport solves this by running as a persistent daemon that handles requests reliably regardless of duration.
Installation
Claude Code Plugin (Recommended)
Install as a Claude Code plugin for automatic setup:
# Install the plugin
/plugin install browser-use/mcp-browser-use
The plugin automatically:
- Installs Playwright browsers on first run
- Starts the HTTP daemon when Claude Code starts
- Registers the MCP server with Claude
Set your API key (the browser agent needs an LLM to decide actions):
# Set API key (environment variable - recommended)
export GEMINI_API_KEY=your-key-here
# Or use config file
mcp-server-browser-use config set -k llm.api_key -v your-key-here
That's it! Claude can now use browser automation tools.
Manual Installation
For other MCP clients or standalone use:
# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/Saik0s/mcp-browser-use.git
cd mcp-server-browser-use
uv sync
# Install browser
uv run playwright install chromium
# Start the server
uv run mcp-server-browser-use server
Add to Claude Desktop (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"browser-use": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "http://localhost:8383/mcp"
}
}
}
For MCP clients that don't support HTTP transport, use mcp-remote as a proxy:
{
"mcpServers": {
"browser-use": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["mcp-remote", "http://localhost:8383/mcp"]
}
}
}
Web UI
Access the task viewer at http://localhost:8383 when the daemon is running.
Features:
- Real-time task list with status and progress
- Task details with execution logs
- Server health status and uptime
- Running tasks monitoring
The web UI provides visibility into browser automation tasks without requiring CLI commands.
Web Dashboard
Access the full-featured dashboard at http://localhost:8383/dashboard when the daemon is running.
Features:
- Tasks Tab: Complete task history with filtering, real-time status updates, and detailed execution logs
- Skills Tab: Browse, inspect, and manage learned skills with usage statistics
- History Tab: Historical view of all completed tasks with filtering by status and time
Key Capabilities:
- Run existing skills directly from the dashboard with custom parameters
- Start learning sessions to capture new skills
- Delete outdated or invalid skills
- Monitor running tasks with live progress updates
- View full task results and error details
The dashboard provides a comprehensive web interface for managing all aspects of browser automation without CLI commands.
Configuration
Settings are stored in ~/.config/mcp-server-browser-use/config.json.
View current config:
mcp-server-browser-use config view
Change settings:
mcp-server-browser-use config set -k llm.provider -v openai
mcp-server-browser-use config set -k llm.model_name -v gpt-4o
# Note: Set API keys via environment variables (e.g., ANTHROPIC_API_KEY) for better security
# mcp-server-browser-use config set -k llm.api_key -v sk-...
mcp-server-browser-use config set -k browser.headless -v false
mcp-server-browser-use config set -k agent.max_steps -v 30