
Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)
Popular community Playwright + API testing MCP server with codegen, screenshots, and device emulation.
Add to your client
Copy the config for your MCP client and paste it into its config file.
npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-serverPaste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"playwright-mcp-executeautomation": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}Before you start
- Node.js 18+ (run via npx or a global install)
- Playwright browsers — installed automatically on first use, or manually with `npx playwright install`
- No API key or authentication required (local stdio server)
About Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)
ExecuteAutomation's Playwright MCP server is a popular community-built bridge that lets an LLM drive a real browser through Microsoft Playwright. It covers the full automation loop — navigate, click, fill, hover, select, screenshot, scrape, and run arbitrary JavaScript — plus device emulation across 143 real device presets (iPhone, iPad, Pixel, Galaxy, desktop).
Beyond UI automation it doubles as an API-testing client: dedicated tools issue HTTP GET/POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE requests so an agent can exercise REST endpoints in the same session it drives the page. It also exposes Playwright's code-generation workflow, letting you record interactions and emit runnable test code.
It is one of the most widely installed browser MCP servers (available via npm, Smithery, mcp-get, and one-click VS Code install) and runs over stdio with no authentication, making it a quick drop-in for Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, and VS Code. Note this is a community project from ExecuteAutomation, distinct from Microsoft's official @playwright/mcp.
Tools & capabilities (12)
playwright_navigateOpen a URL in a Playwright-controlled browser, with optional headless/viewport options
playwright_screenshotCapture a full-page or element screenshot of the current page
playwright_clickClick an element by selector
playwright_iframe_clickClick an element located inside an iframe
playwright_fillType text into an input field
playwright_selectSelect an option in a dropdown by value
playwright_hoverHover the mouse over an element
playwright_evaluateExecute arbitrary JavaScript in the page context
playwright_console_logsRetrieve console output (logs, warnings, errors) from the page
playwright_get / post / put / patch / deleteAPI testing: send HTTP requests against REST endpoints
playwright_closeClose the browser and free resources
playwright codegenStart/stop a recording session and generate runnable Playwright test code from the captured steps
When to use it
- Use it when you want an agent to navigate a site, fill forms, and click through a real browser flow
- Use it when you need screenshots of a page or specific element for visual verification or scraping
- Use it when you want to record interactions and auto-generate Playwright test code
- Use it when you need to emulate a specific mobile/tablet device to check responsive behavior
- Use it when you want to combine UI automation and REST API testing in one session
- Use it when an agent must scrape or extract content that requires JavaScript execution
Quick setup
- 1Ensure Node.js 18+ is installed
- 2Add the server to your MCP client config with command `npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server` (stdio)
- 3Alternatively install globally via `npm install -g @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server` or one-click VS Code install
- 4Restart the MCP client so it picks up the new server
- 5Run `npx playwright install` if browsers were not auto-installed on first use
- 6Verify by asking the agent to navigate to a URL and take a screenshot
Security notes
Can execute arbitrary JavaScript in pages and generate/run test code, so treat target URLs and any generated scripts as untrusted. The browser shares whatever profile it launches with, so avoid pointing it at sites holding sensitive logged-in sessions.
Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) FAQ
Is this the official Microsoft Playwright MCP server?
No. This is a community server maintained by ExecuteAutomation. Microsoft publishes a separate official server, @playwright/mcp, which has a different toolset (accessibility-tree driven). They are not the same project.
Does it need an API key?
No. It runs locally over stdio and requires no authentication. It controls browsers on your own machine.
Why does it fail to launch a browser on first run?
Playwright's browser binaries may not be installed. Run `npx playwright install` to download Chromium/Firefox/WebKit, then retry.
Can it test REST APIs as well as web pages?
Yes. It exposes dedicated GET/POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE tools so an agent can exercise API endpoints alongside browser automation in the same session.
Which MCP clients work with it?
Any stdio-compatible client — Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, and VS Code (with a one-click install badge). An HTTP transport mode is also available for remote/VS Code setups.
Alternatives to Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)
All-in-one web access MCP — Web Unlocker, SERP, Scraper API, and a cloud Scraping Browser.
Official Browserbase cloud-browser MCP built on Stagehand — natural-language act/extract/observe.
Selenium WebDriver MCP server — cross-browser automation for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
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