How to add Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) to Claude Desktop
Official Browserbase cloud-browser MCP built on Stagehand — natural-language act/extract/observe. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.
Last updated June 15, 2026 · 3.0k★ · stdio · apikey · official
Claude Desktop config for Browserbase MCP (Stagehand)
npx -y @browserbasehq/mcp{
"mcpServers": {
"browserbase-mcp-stagehand": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@browserbasehq/mcp"
],
"env": {
"GEMINI_API_KEY": "<your-gemini-api-key>",
"BROWSERBASE_API_KEY": "<your-browserbase-api-key>",
"BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID": "<your-browserbase-project-id>"
}
}
}
}Setup steps
- 1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
- 2Paste the Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) 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 Browserbase MCP (Stagehand)'s tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.
Before you start
- Node.js 18+ (run via npx) — or use the hosted endpoint with no local runtime
- A Browserbase API key and Project ID from your Browserbase dashboard (browserbase.com)
- A model API key for Stagehand — defaults to Google Gemini (GEMINI_API_KEY); custom models (Claude, GPT-4o) need the matching key via --modelApiKey
What Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) can do in Claude Desktop
startCreate or reuse a Browserbase cloud session
navigateNavigate the session's browser to a URL
actPerform an action on the page described in natural language (Stagehand)
observeIdentify actionable elements on the page using a natural-language query
extractExtract structured data from the current page, with optional instructions/schema
endClose the current Browserbase session
multi_browserbase_stagehand_session_createCreate an additional independent session for parallel/multi-session automation
screenshotCapture a screenshot of the cloud browser page
Security
Requires a Browserbase API key, project ID, and an LLM API key, all of which are billable cloud credentials — keep them in env, not in shared config. Natural-language actions run against live cloud sessions, so scope automation carefully when it touches authenticated or payment flows.
Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) + 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 Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.
Is Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) safe to use with Claude Desktop?
Requires a Browserbase API key, project ID, and an LLM API key, all of which are billable cloud credentials — keep them in env, not in shared config. Natural-language actions run against live cloud sessions, so scope automation carefully when it touches authenticated or payment flows.
Is this the official Browserbase server?
Yes. It is maintained by Browserbase, Inc. and built on their Stagehand framework, licensed Apache-2.0.
What credentials do I need?
A Browserbase API key and Project ID (from your dashboard), plus a model API key for Stagehand — Gemini by default, or your own key for Claude/GPT models.
Do I have to self-host it?
No. Browserbase runs a hosted endpoint at https://mcp.browserbase.com/mcp where they cover the default Gemini model costs; self-hosting via `npx @browserbasehq/mcp` is the alternative.