Puppeteer Real Browser MCP Server

Puppeteer Real Browser MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides AI assistants with powerful, detection-resistant browser automation capabilities using puppeteer-real-browser.

Table of Contents

1. Quick Start for Beginners
2. Introduction
3. Features
4. Prerequisites
5. Installation
6. Usage
   • With Claude Desktop
   • With Cursor IDE
   • With Other AI Assistants
7. Available Tools
8. Advanced Features
9. Configuration
10. Troubleshooting
11. Development
12. Testing
13. Contributing
14. License

Quick Start for Beginners

What is this?

This is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets AI assistants like Claude control a real web browser. Think of it as giving Claude "hands" to interact with websites - it can click buttons, fill forms, take screenshots, and much more, all while avoiding bot detection.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Install Node.js

• Go to nodejs.org
• Download and install Node.js (version 18 or higher)
• Verify installation by opening terminal/command prompt and typing: node --version

2. Set Up with Claude Desktop (No Installation Required)

The npx command will automatically download and run the latest version, so no manual installation is needed.

3. Configure Claude Desktop

For Windows:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to: %APPDATA%\Claude\
2. Open (or create) claude_desktop_config.json
3. Add this configuration:

For Mac:

1. Open Finder and press Cmd+Shift+G
2. Go to: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/
3. Open (or create) claude_desktop_config.json
4. Add the same configuration as above

For Linux:

1. Navigate to: ~/.config/Claude/
2. Open (or create) claude_desktop_config.json
3. Add the same configuration as above

4. Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop completely.

5. Test It Works

In Claude Desktop, try saying:

"Initialize a browser and navigate to google.com, then take a screenshot"

If everything is working, Claude should be able to:

• Start a browser
• Navigate to Google
• Take and show you a screenshot

What Can You Do With It?

Once set up, you can ask Claude to:

• Browse websites: "Go to amazon.com and search for laptops"
• Fill forms: "Fill out this contact form with my details"
• Take screenshots: "Show me what this page looks like"
• Extract data: "Get all the product prices from this page"
• Automate tasks: "Log into my account and download my invoice"
• Solve captchas: "Handle any captchas that appear"

Safety Notes

• Claude will show you what it's doing - you can see the browser window
• Always review what Claude does before approving sensitive actions
• Use headless mode (headless: true) if you don't want to see the browser window
• Be respectful of websites' terms of service

Introduction

The Puppeteer Real Browser MCP Server acts as a bridge between AI assistants and browser automation. It leverages puppeteer-real-browser to provide stealth browsing capabilities that can bypass common bot detection mechanisms.

This server implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing AI assistants to control a real browser, take screenshots, extract content, and more.

Features

• Stealth by default: All browser instances use anti-detection features
• Enhanced Windows support: Comprehensive Chrome detection and ECONNREFUSED error fixes (v1.3.0)
• Smart Chrome detection: Registry-based detection + 15+ installation paths (Windows)
• Connection resilience: Automatic localhost/127.0.0.1 fallback with port management
• Multiple retry strategies: 5 different connection approaches with progressive fallback
• Advanced configuration: Full support for all puppeteer-real-browser options
• Dynamic selector discovery: Intelligent element finding without hardcoded selectors
• Random scrolling: Tools for natural scrolling to avoid detection
• Comprehensive toolset: 11 tools covering all browser automation needs
• Proxy support: Built-in proxy configuration for enhanced privacy
• Captcha handling: Support for solving reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha, and Turnstile
• Robust error handling: Advanced error recovery with circuit breaker pattern
• Stack overflow protection: Comprehensive protection against infinite recursion
• Timeout controls: Automatic timeout mechanisms prevent hanging operations
• Platform optimization: Windows-specific flags and longer timeouts for better compatibility

Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 18.0.0
• npm or yarn
• Google Chrome or Chromium browser installed
• Basic understanding of TypeScript/JavaScript (for development)

Platform-Specific Requirements

Windows:

• Google Chrome installation (automatic detection in v1.3.0+ includes):
  • Standard installations: C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
  • 32-bit installations: C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
  • User installations: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
  • Chrome Canary: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome SxS\Application\chrome.exe
  • Portable installations and Registry-detected paths
  • Manual path specification: Use CHROME_PATH environment variable

macOS:

• Google Chrome or Chromium must be installed in /Applications/

Linux:

• Install Chrome/Chromium: sudo apt-get install -y google-chrome-stable or sudo apt-get install -y chromium-browser
• Install xvfb for headless operation: sudo apt-get install -y xvfb

Installation

From npm

From source

Usage

With Claude Desktop

Add to Claude Desktop config:

With Cursor IDE

Cursor IDE has different MCP configuration requirements. Here are the setup methods for 2025:

Method 1: One-Click Installation (Recommended for 2025)

1. Open Cursor IDE
2. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
3. Search for "Cursor Settings" and select it
4. Click on "MCP" in the sidebar
5. Browse curated MCP servers and install browser automation tools with one-click
6. OAuth authentication will be handled automatically

Method 2: Manual Configuration

Configuration File Location:

• Project-specific: Create .cursor/mcp.json in your project directory
• Global: Create ~/.cursor/mcp.json in your home directory

Basic Configuration:

Windows-Specific Configuration (if experiencing Chrome path issues):

Advanced Configuration with Proxy and Custom Options:

Platform-Specific Chrome Paths for Cursor IDE

Windows:

Alternative paths to try:

• "C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Chrome/Application/chrome.exe"
• "%LOCALAPPDATA%/Google/Chrome/Application/chrome.exe"

macOS:

Linux:

Alternative paths: /usr/bin/chromium-browser, /snap/bin/chromium

Cursor IDE vs Claude Desktop Configuration Differences

Testing Cursor IDE Setup

After configuration:

1. Restart Cursor IDE completely
2. Open a new chat
3. Test with: "Initialize a browser and navigate to google.com, then take a screenshot"

If successful, you should see:

• Browser window opening
• Navigation to Google
• Screenshot displayed in the chat

Cursor IDE Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

1. "MCP server not found"
   • Verify config file location and JSON syntax
   • Use jsonlint.com to validate JSON
   • Ensure Node.js 18+ is installed
2. "Browser failed to launch" on Windows
   • Add explicit Chrome path in executablePath
   • Try running Cursor IDE as Administrator
   • Check Windows Defender isn't blocking Chrome
3. "Permission denied"
   • Use sudo npm install -g puppeteer-real-browser-mcp-server on Linux/Mac
   • Run Command Prompt as Administrator on Windows
4. Configuration not loading
   • Ensure file is named exactly mcp.json (not mcp.json.txt)
   • Check file is in correct directory
   • Restart Cursor IDE after changes

With Other AI Assistants

Start the server:

Or if installed from source:

The server communicates via stdin/stdout using the MCP protocol.

Example Interactions

Basic Web Browsing

Form Automation

Data Extraction

Working with Proxies

Available Tools

Core Browser Tools

Interaction Tools

Behavior Tools

Element Discovery Tools

Anti-Detection Tools

Advanced Features

Dynamic Selector Discovery

The server includes intelligent element discovery capabilities through the find_selector tool:

• Text-based element finding: Automatically locates elements containing specific text
• Smart CSS selector generation: Creates unique, robust CSS selectors similar to Chrome DevTools
• Element type filtering: Optionally restrict search to specific HTML elements (e.g., buttons, links)
• Exact or partial text matching: Choose between precise text matching or substring searches
• Universal compatibility: Works across any website without hardcoded selectors

Example Usage:

This approach eliminates the need for manually crafted selectors and makes automation more reliable across different websites.

Natural Interactions

The server includes tools designed for natural browsing behavior:

• Random scrolling: Performs scrolling with natural timing and variable distances

This feature helps avoid detection by sophisticated bot-detection systems that analyze user behavior patterns.

Captcha Handling

The server includes basic support for solving common captcha types:

• reCAPTCHA
• hCaptcha
• Cloudflare Turnstile

Note that captcha solving capabilities depend on the underlying puppeteer-real-browser implementation.

Configuration

Automatic Chrome Path Detection (Enhanced in v1.3.0)

The server automatically detects Chrome installation paths across different operating systems with significantly improved Windows support:

• Windows (v1.3.0+):
  • Registry-based detection for installed Chrome versions
  • Searches 15+ common installation directories including Program Files, user-specific locations, and portable installations
  • Support for Chrome Canary fallback
  • Environment variable detection (CHROME_PATH, PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH)
  • Detailed troubleshooting guidance when Chrome is not found
• macOS: Looks for Chrome in /Applications/Google Chrome.app/ and Chrome Canary locations
• Linux: Checks multiple locations including /usr/bin/google-chrome, /usr/bin/chromium-browser, and snap installations

Windows Registry Detection (NEW in v1.3.0): The server now queries Windows Registry to find Chrome installations, making detection more reliable across different installation types.

If Chrome is not found automatically, you can specify a custom path using:

1. Environment variable: set CHROME_PATH="C:\Your\Chrome\Path\chrome.exe"
2. Browser init option: customConfig.chromePath when initializing the browser

Configuring Custom Options (like headless mode)

Custom options like headless mode are not configured in the MCP config file. Instead, they're passed when initializing the browser using the browser_init tool:

When you ask Claude to initialize a browser, you can specify options like:

Claude will then use the browser_init tool with appropriate parameters:

Available Browser Options

When initializing with browser_init, you can configure:

• headless: true/false (Set to true for headless operation)
• disableXvfb: true/false (Disable X Virtual Framebuffer)
• ignoreAllFlags: true/false (Ignore all Chrome flags)
• proxy: "https://proxy:8080" (Proxy server URL)
• plugins: ["plugin1", "plugin2"] (Array of plugins to load)
• connectOption: Additional connection options like:
  • slowMo: 250 (Slow down operations by milliseconds)
  • timeout: 60,000 (Connection timeout)

The MCP config file only tells Claude where to find the server - all browser-specific options are configured through your conversations with Claude.

Browser Options Example

When initializing the browser with browser_init, you can configure:

Advanced Configuration Examples

Specifying Custom Chrome Path

Using a Proxy

Stealth Mode with Custom Options

Server Configuration

For advanced users, you can modify the server behavior by editing the source code:

• Change default viewport size in the initializeBrowser function
• Adjust timeout values for various operations
• Enable debug logging

Troubleshooting

Major Windows Connection Issues (Fixed in v1.3.0)

🔧 ECONNREFUSED Error Solutions

Version 1.3.0 includes comprehensive fixes for the connect ECONNREFUSED 127.0.0.1:60725 error commonly experienced on Windows systems:

Enhanced Chrome Path Detection:

• Added Windows Registry-based Chrome detection
• Expanded search to 15+ Windows installation locations including portable installations
• Added support for Chrome Canary fallback
• Environment variable support (CHROME_PATH, PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH)

Windows-Specific Launch Optimizations:

• 20+ Windows-specific Chrome flags for better compatibility
• Multiple fallback strategies (5 different connection approaches)
• Progressive retry logic with exponential backoff
• Enhanced timeout handling (120s for Windows vs 90s for other platforms)

Connection Resilience Features:

• Localhost vs 127.0.0.1 fallback handling (fixes known Puppeteer issue)
• Port availability checking and automatic port assignment
• Network connectivity testing before browser launch
• Enhanced error categorization and automatic fallback strategies

If you're still experiencing ECONNREFUSED errors:

1. Environment Variables (Recommended):
   set CHROME_PATH="C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe"
2. Manual Chrome Path Configuration:
   Ask Claude: "Initialize browser with custom Chrome path at C:\\Program Files\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe"
3. Network Troubleshooting:
   # Test localhost resolution ping localhost # Should resolve to 127.0.0.1 # Check Windows hosts file notepad C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts # Ensure: 127.0.0.1 localhost
4. Chrome Process Management:
   # Kill existing Chrome processes taskkill /f /im chrome.exe

Common Issues

1. "Maximum call stack size exceeded" errors
   • This was fixed in version 1.2.0 with comprehensive stack overflow protection
   • The server now includes circuit breaker patterns and recursion depth tracking
   • Timeout controls prevent hanging operations that could lead to stack overflow
   • If you encounter this error, ensure you're using the latest version: npx puppeteer-real-browser-mcp-server@latest
2. "command not found" or "syntax error" when using npx
   • This was fixed in version 1.0.3 with the addition of a proper shebang line
   • Make sure you're using the latest version: npx puppeteer-real-browser-mcp-server@latest
   • For global installation: npm install -g puppeteer-real-browser-mcp-server@latest
   • If still having issues, install globally: npm install -g puppeteer-real-browser-mcp-server
   • Check your PATH includes npm global binaries: npm config get prefix
3. Browser won't start
   • Check if Chrome/Chromium is installed in standard locations
   • Windows specific troubleshooting:Step 1: Verify Chrome Installation Paths Check these locations in order:
     • C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
     • C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
     • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
     • %PROGRAMFILES%\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe

     Step 2: Manual Path Configuration If Chrome is in a different location, specify it manually:

     Ask Claude: "Initialize browser with custom Chrome path at C:\Your\Chrome\Path\chrome.exe"

     Step 3: Windows Launch Arguments For Windows compatibility, use these launch arguments:

     Ask Claude: "Initialize browser with args --disable-gpu --no-sandbox --disable-setuid-sandbox"

     Step 4: Windows-Specific Solutions

     • Run as Administrator: Try running your IDE/terminal as Administrator
     • Windows Defender: Add Chrome and Node.js to Windows Defender exclusions
     • Antivirus Software: Temporarily disable antivirus to test if it's blocking Chrome
     • User Account Control: Lower UAC settings temporarily for testing
     • Chrome Processes: Kill any existing Chrome processes in Task Manager

     Step 5: Alternative Chrome Installation If Chrome detection still fails:

     • Download Chrome directly from google.com/chrome
     • Install to default location (C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\)
     • Restart your IDE after installation

     Step 6: PowerShell vs Command Prompt Try switching between PowerShell and Command Prompt:

     • Test with cmd.exe instead of PowerShell
     • Test with PowerShell instead of Command Prompt

     Step 7: Node.js and npm Configuration

     • Ensure Node.js is added to PATH: node --version
     • Clear npm cache: npm cache clean --force
     • Reinstall global packages: npm install -g puppeteer-real-browser-mcp-server@latest
   • Linux: Install dependencies: sudo apt-get install -y google-chrome-stable
   • macOS: Ensure Chrome is in /Applications/
   • Try with headless: true first
   • Check console output for Chrome path detection messages
4. Claude doesn't see the MCP server
   • Verify claude_desktop_config.json is in the correct location
   • Check JSON syntax is valid (use jsonlint.com)
   • Restart Claude Desktop completely
   • Check for any error messages in Claude Desktop

4a. Cursor IDE doesn't see the MCP server

• Config File Location Issues:
  • Verify mcp.json is in the correct location:
    • Global: ~/.cursor/mcp.json (%USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json on Windows)
    • Project: .cursor/mcp.json in your project root
  • Ensure filename is exactly mcp.json (not mcp.json.txt)
  • Check file permissions allow reading
• JSON Syntax Validation:
  • Use jsonlint.com to validate JSON syntax
  • Common issues: missing commas, incorrect quotes, trailing commas
  • Ensure proper escaping of Windows paths: "C:/Program Files/Google/Chrome/Application/chrome.exe"
• Cursor IDE Restart Process:
  • Close Cursor IDE completely (check Task Manager on Windows)
  • Wait 5 seconds
  • Restart Cursor IDE
  • Open Command Palette and check MCP servers are listed
• Environment Variables:
  • Verify Node.js is accessible: node --version
  • Check PATH includes npm: npm --version
  • Clear any conflicting environment variables
• Cursor IDE Version Compatibility:
  • Ensure Cursor IDE version supports MCP (latest versions)
  • Update Cursor IDE if using an older version
  • Check Cursor IDE documentation for MCP requirements

5. Permission denied errors
   • On Linux/Mac: Try sudo npm install -g puppeteer-real-browser-mcp-server
   • Or use nvm to manage Node.js without sudo
   • On Windows: Run command prompt as Administrator
6. Detection issues
   • Use appropriate delays between actions for better reliability
   • Add random delays with random_scroll
   • Use proxy if needed: proxy: "http://proxy.example.com:8080"
7. Memory leaks
   • Always close browser instances with browser_close when done
   • Don't initialize multiple browsers without closing previous ones
   • Check for uncaught exceptions that might prevent cleanup
8. Timeout errors
   • Increase timeout values: { "timeout": 60000 }
   • Use wait tool before interacting with elements
   • Check network connectivity and website response times

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does this work with headless browsers? A: Yes, set headless: true in browser_init options.

Q: Can I use multiple browsers at once? A: Currently supports one browser instance. Close the current one before starting a new one.

Q: What captchas can it solve? A: Supports reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha, and Cloudflare Turnstile through puppeteer-real-browser.

Q: Is this detectable by websites? A: puppeteer-real-browser includes anti-detection features, but no solution is 100% undetectable.

Q: Can I use custom Chrome extensions? A: Yes, through the plugins option in browser_init.

Q: Does it work on all operating systems? A: Yes, tested on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The server automatically detects Chrome installations on all platforms.

Q: What if Chrome is installed in a non-standard location? A: Version 1.3.0 dramatically improves Chrome detection. The server now searches 15+ locations including portable installations and uses Windows Registry detection. If Chrome is still not found automatically, you can:

1. Set environment variable: set CHROME_PATH="C:\Your\Chrome\Path\chrome.exe"
2. Use the customConfig.chromePath option: {"customConfig": {"chromePath": "C:\\Custom\\Chrome\\chrome.exe"}}

Q: Why am I getting "Chrome not found" or ECONNREFUSED errors on Windows? A: Version 1.3.0 includes comprehensive fixes for Windows Chrome detection and connection issues. The server now automatically searches these locations and more:

• C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
• %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
• %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
• Chrome Canary installations
• Portable Chrome installations
• Registry-detected installations

The server also implements multiple connection strategies with automatic fallback between localhost and 127.0.0.1, plus enhanced Windows-specific Chrome flags for better compatibility.

Q: I'm still getting ECONNREFUSED errors after upgrading to v1.3.0. What should I do? A: Try these steps in order:

1. Set the CHROME_PATH environment variable to your Chrome location
2. Kill all existing Chrome processes: taskkill /f /im chrome.exe
3. Check your Windows hosts file contains: 127.0.0.1 localhost
4. Try running your IDE as Administrator
5. Add Chrome to Windows Defender exclusions
6. If using a VPN/proxy, try disabling it temporarily

Debug Mode

To enable debug logging:

Or when running from source:

Getting Help

If you're still having issues:

1. Check the GitHub Issues
2. Create a new issue with:
   • Your operating system
   • Node.js version (node --version)
   • npm version (npm --version)
   • Full error message
   • Steps to reproduce the problem

Development

Project Structure

Building from Source

Adding New Tools

To add a new tool:

1. Add the tool definition to the TOOLS array in src/index.ts
2. Implement the tool handler in the CallToolRequestSchema handler
3. Test the new tool functionality

Testing

This project includes a comprehensive testing suite with multiple categories optimized for different purposes:

Quick Tests (CI/CD) - ~30 seconds

Comprehensive Tests - ~5-10 minutes

Performance Testing - ~2-3 minutes

Performance tests measure:

• Browser initialization timing (5 trials)
• Navigation performance across different site types
• Screenshot generation speed (viewport vs full page)
• Concurrent operation handling
• Session longevity testing (30+ operations over 30 seconds)

Debug Tools - ~10 seconds

Debug tools provide:

• Environment validation (Node.js version, platform, memory)
• Chrome installation detection with specific paths
• Quick server health check with startup timing
• Network connectivity validation
• Build status verification

All Tests - ~7-13 minutes

The test dashboard provides:

• Unified execution of multiple test categories
• Real-time progress reporting
• Performance metrics and timing
• Overall test status summary
• Recommendations for failed tests
• JSON results saved to test-results/ directory

Integration Testing

For detailed testing information, see TESTING.md.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.