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 Verification Run: python3 scripts/verify.py Expected: ✓ Playwright MCP server running If Verification Fails Run diagnostic: pgrep -f "@playwright/mcp" Check: Server process running on port 8808 Try: bash scripts/start-server.sh Stop and report if still failing - do not proceed with downstream steps 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 Server not responding Stop and restart: bash scripts/stop-server.sh && bash scripts/start-server.sh