Real Browser MCP

What ofershap/real-browser-mcp MCP server does

The ofershap/real-browser-mcp MCP server lets an AI agent operate the Chrome browser that is already open on the user's machine. It is designed for situations where the browser contains useful state that a new automation profile would not have, such as logged-in sessions, SSO access, cookies, an authenticated staging site, or a page used to reproduce a bug.

The project has two parts: a local MCP server that communicates with the AI client, and a Chrome extension that performs browser actions. The browser remains on the user's machine, and the project does not use a hosted browser or a newly created headless profile.

How it works

The MCP server and Chrome extension communicate through a localhost WebSocket. An MCP-compatible client sends tool calls to the local server, while the extension executes those calls in the connected Chrome instance. The extension can be installed from the Chrome Web Store or loaded from the repository source.

The repository describes 18 browser tools grouped around observing and interacting with pages. Observation includes accessibility snapshots with element references, screenshots, page or element text extraction, and element queries using CSS selectors. Interaction includes clicking by an element reference or CSS selector and clicking visible text, including text rendered through React portals.

A snapshot-first workflow is recommended by the project’s optional agent configuration. The setup command can add Cursor rules and a chat command, or an AGENTS.md file for Claude Code, to help an agent decide when to snapshot, interact, and verify.

Setup and configuration

Install the ofershap/real-browser-mcp MCP server in an MCP client with the following configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "real-browser": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "real-browser-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

The README documents setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Windsurf, and other MCP-compatible clients. After starting the server, install the Chrome extension from the Web Store, or clone the repository and load its extension/ directory as an unpacked extension from chrome://extensions. Developer mode must be enabled for an unpacked installation. The extension icon indicates whether it is connected to the local server.

Optional agent guidance can be installed with npx real-browser-mcp --setup cursor or npx real-browser-mcp --setup claude. The Cursor option adds a rule file and a /check-browser command; the Claude Code option adds an AGENTS.md file to the project root.

Tools and capabilities

The ofershap/real-browser-mcp MCP server provides browser observation and interaction through its extension-based tool set. Documented capabilities include:

• Inspecting an accessibility tree and receiving references for interactive elements.
• Capturing the current screen as a screenshot.
• Extracting raw text from a page or a specific element.
• Finding elements with CSS selectors.
• Clicking by reference, CSS selector, or visible text.

These capabilities suit live verification after a code change, checking a locally accessible staging page, and interacting with an already authenticated web application.

Limitations and notes

The ofershap/real-browser-mcp MCP server is intended for an interactive local Chrome workflow. It is not positioned as a replacement for Playwright in CI, where clean and repeatable browser runs are preferred. It also does not provide a hosted browser or a separate remote session.

The browser connection depends on the Chrome extension being installed and connected. The project specifically distinguishes its extension approach from attaching to a default Chrome profile through remote debugging, noting that Chrome 136 and later restrict that path. Browser sessions and cookies stay on the user’s machine rather than moving to a control plane.