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