How to add Browser Control MCP to Claude Desktop

MCP server paired with a Firefox extension for tab management, history search, and reading webpage content. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 294★ · stdio · apikey

Claude Desktop config for Browser Control MCP

npm install && npm run build

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browser-control-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/repo/mcp-server/dist/server.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "EXTENSION_SECRET": "<secret_on_firefox_extension_options_page>",
        "EXTENSION_PORT": "8089"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the Browser Control MCP config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
5Open a chat and confirm Browser Control MCP's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

Firefox browser with the Browser Control MCP extension installed (from addons.mozilla.org or as a temporary add-on)
Node.js (to run the MCP server) or Docker
The EXTENSION_SECRET shown on the extension's preferences page in Firefox
An MCP client such as Claude Desktop

What Browser Control MCP can do in Claude Desktop

Open or close tabs

Open new browser tabs or close existing ones.

Get the list of opened tabs

Retrieve the list of currently opened tabs in the browser.

Create tab groups

Create tab groups with a specified name and color.

Reorder opened tabs

Rearrange the order of opened tabs in the browser.

Read and search browser history

Read and search the browser's browsing history.

Read a webpage's text content and links

Read the text content and links of a webpage. Requires explicit user consent per domain.

Find and highlight text in a tab

Find and highlight text within a browser tab. Requires explicit user consent.

Security

Uses a local-only connection with a shared secret (EXTENSION_SECRET) between the MCP server and the Firefox extension. Reading webpage content requires explicit user consent per domain, enforced at the extension's manifest level. The extension does not support page modification, interactions, or arbitrary scripting, performs no remote data collection or tracking, provides an extension-side audit log for tool calls and per-tool enable/disable configuration, and has no runtime third-party dependencies. The project is still experimental; authorize and monitor tool calls carefully.

Browser Control MCP + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the Browser Control MCP config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Browser Control MCP safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Which browser is supported?

Firefox. The companion extension is available on addons.mozilla.org and can also be installed as a temporary add-on from a pre-built .xpi file.

How is it more secure than web automation MCP servers?

It does not support page modification, page interactions, or arbitrary scripting. Reading webpage content requires explicit per-domain user consent enforced at the extension's manifest level, it uses a local-only connection with a shared secret, performs no remote data collection, provides an audit log of tool calls, and has no runtime third-party dependencies.

How do I install it with Claude Desktop?

Install the Firefox extension, then download the Claude Desktop DXT file (linked from the extension's 'Manage extension' page or the GitHub releases) and open it or drag it into Claude Desktop's settings. Enable the DXT extension after installing. Alternatively, build the MCP server from source and add the mcpServers configuration manually.

View repo Full Browser Control MCP page