Glance
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<img src=".github/assets/glance-logo.png" alt="Glance" width="80" />
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<h1 align="center">Glance</h1>
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<strong>AI-powered browser automation for Claude Code</strong><br/>
<em>by <a href="https://debugbase.io">DebugBase</a></em>
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<a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/glance-mcp"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/glance-mcp?color=blue&label=npm" alt="npm" /></a>
<a href="https://github.com/DebugBase/glance/blob/main/LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/license/DebugBase/glance" alt="License" /></a>
<a href="https://github.com/DebugBase/glance/stargazers"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/DebugBase/glance?style=social" alt="Stars" /></a>
<a href="https://discord.gg/RyGk6HP7Uy"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Discord-Join-5865F2?logo=discord&logoColor=white" alt="Discord" /></a>
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<p align="center">
Navigate, click, screenshot, test — all from your terminal.
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---
## What is Glance?
Glance is an [MCP server](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) that gives Claude Code a real browser. Instead of guessing what your web app looks like, Claude can actually **see** it, **interact** with it, and **test** it.
```
You: "Test the login flow on localhost:3000"
Claude: *opens browser* *navigates* *fills form* *clicks submit*
*takes screenshot* *verifies redirect* *checks for errors*
"Login flow works. Found 1 console warning about..."
```
## Features
- **30 MCP tools** for complete browser control
- **Inline screenshots** — Claude sees what the browser sees
- **Accessibility snapshots** — full page structure as text
- **Test scenario runner** — define multi-step tests in JSON
- **12 assertion types** — exists, textContains, urlEquals, and more
- **Session recording** — record and replay browser sessions
- **Visual regression** — pixel-level screenshot comparison
- **Network & console monitoring** — catch errors and failed requests
- **Security controls** — URL allowlist/denylist, rate limiting, JS execution policies
- **Headed mode** — watch the browser in real-time
## Quick Start
### 1. Install
```bash
npm install -g glance-mcp
```
Or add directly to Claude Code:
```bash
claude mcp add glance -- npx glance-mcp
```
### 2. Configure
Add to your `.mcp.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"glance": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["glance-mcp"],
"env": {
"BROWSER_HEADLESS": "false"
}
}
}
}
```
### 3. Use
Just ask Claude to interact with your web app:
```
"Open localhost:3000 and take a screenshot"
"Test the signup flow with invalid email"
"Check if the pricing page has all three tiers"
"Run a visual regression test on the dashboard"
```
## Tools Reference
### Browser Control (19 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `browser_navigate` | Navigate to a URL |
| `browser_click` | Click an element (CSS selector or text) |
| `browser_type` | Type into an input field |
| `browser_hover` | Hover over an element |
| `browser_drag` | Drag and drop between elements |
| `browser_select_option` | Select from a dropdown |
| `browser_press_key` | Press a keyboard key |
| `browser_scroll` | Scroll the page or to an element |
| `browser_screenshot` | Capture a screenshot (returned inline to Claude) |
| `browser_snapshot` | Get the accessibility tree as text |
| `browser_evaluate` | Execute JavaScript in the page |
| `browser_console_messages` | Read console logs and errors |
| `browser_network_requests` | Monitor network activity |
| `browser_go_back` | Navigate back |
| `browser_go_forward` | Navigate forward |
| `browser_tab_new` | Open a new tab |
| `browser_tab_list` | List all open tabs |
| `browser_tab_select` | Switch to a tab |
| `browser_close` | Close the browser |
### Test Automation (7 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `test_scenario_run` | Run a multi-step test scenario |
| `test_scenario_status` | Check running scenario status |
| `test_assert` | Run a single assertion |
| `test_fill_form` | Auto-fill a form |
| `test_auth_flow` | Test a login/signup flow |
| `test_watch_events` | Watch for DOM/network events |
| `test_stop_watch` | Stop watching events |
### Session & Visual (4 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `session_start` | Start recording a session |
| `session_end` | End and save a session |
| `session_list` | List recorded sessions |
| `visual_baseline` | Save a visual baseline |
| `visual_compare` | Compare against baseline |
## Test Scenarios
Define multi-step test scenarios in JSON:
```json
{
"name": "Login Flow",
"steps": [
{ "name": "Go to login", "action": "navigate", "url": "http://localhost:3000/login" },
{ "name": "Enter email", "action": "type", "selector": "input[type='email']", "value": "user@test.com" },
{ "name": "Enter password", "action": "type", "selector": "input[type='password']", "value": "password123" },
{ "name": "Click submit", "action": "click", "selector": "button[type='submit']" },
{ "name": "Wait for redirect", "action": "sleep", "ms": 2000 },
{ "name": "Verify dashboard", "action": "assert", "type": "urlContains", "expected": "/dashboard" },
{ "name": "Screenshot result", "action": "screenshot", "screenshotName": "post-login" }
]
}
```
### Assertion Types
| Type | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `exists` | Element exists in DOM |
| `notExists` | Element does not exist |
| `textContains` | Element text contains value |
| `textEquals` | Element text equals value |
| `hasAttribute` | Element has attribute with value |
| `hasClass` | Element has CSS class |
| `isVisible` | Element is visible |
| `isEnabled` | Element is enabled |
| `urlContains` | Current URL contains value |
| `urlEquals` | Current URL equals value |
| `countEquals` | Number of matching elements |
| `consoleNoErrors` | No console errors |
## Configuration
All configuration is via environment variables:
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `BROWSER_HEADLESS` | `true` | Run browser in headed mode |
| `BROWSER_SESSIONS_DIR` | `.browser-sessions` | Directory for screenshots and sessions |
| `BROWSER_SECURITY_PROFILE` | `local-dev` | Security profile (`local-dev`, `restricted`, `open`) |
| `BROWSER_VIEWPORT_WIDTH` | `1280` | Browser viewport width |
| `BROWSER_VIEWPORT_HEIGHT` | `720` | Browser viewport height |
| `BROWSER_TIMEOUT` | `30000` | Default timeout in ms |
| `BROWSER_CHANNEL` | — | Browser channel (e.g., `chrome`, `msedge`) |
### Security Profiles
| Profile | URL Access | JS Execution | Rate Limit |
|---------|-----------|--------------|------------|
| `local-dev` | All HTTP/HTTPS | Always | 60/min |
| `restricted` | localhost only | Disabled | 30/min |
| `open` | Everything | Always | 120/min |
## How It Works
```mermaid
graph LR
A["Claude Code<br/>(Agent)"] -- "MCP stdio<br/>tools & results" --> B["Glance<br/>(MCP Server)"]
B -- "Playwright<br/>automation API" --> C["Browser<br/>(Chromium)"]
C -- "screenshots<br/>DOM snapshots" --> B
B -- "inline images<br/>a11y trees" --> A
```
1. Claude Code connects to Glance via MCP (stdio transport)
2. Claude calls tools like `browser_navigate`, `browser_screenshot`
3. Glance translates these into Playwright commands
4. Screenshots are returned as base64 images — Claude literally sees the page
5. Accessibility snapshots give Claude the full DOM structure as text
## Real-World Usage
Glance has been battle-tested on production apps:
- **DebugBase** (debugbase.io) — 12 scenarios, 104 test steps, 97% pass rate
- **GitScribe AI** — 16 scenarios, 196 test steps, 96% pass rate
## Requirements
- Node.js 18+
- Playwright-compatible browser (auto-installed)
## Development
```bash
git clone https://github.com/DebugBase/glance.git
cd glance
npm install
npx playwright install chromium
npm run build
npm start
```
## Claude Code Integration
### Agent: `e2e-tester`
Glance ships with a Claude Code agent definition for comprehensive browser testing. The agent knows all 30 tools and follows a structured test workflow: navigate, screenshot, assert, report.
```
You: "Test the entire login flow on localhost:3000"
Agent: Opens browser → navigates → fills forms → clicks → screenshots → asserts → reports
```
### Skill: `/glance-test`
Quick E2E test runner. Just provide a URL:
```
/glance-test https://myapp.com
```
The skill will:
1. Navigate to the URL
2. Screenshot and snapshot the page
3. Discover all navigation links
4. Test each page with assertions
5. Check console for JS errors
6. Generate a pass/fail report
## Contributing
We welcome contributions! Please see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines.
## License
[MIT](LICENSE) — built by [DebugBase](https://debugbase.io)
TDQS
Scored across 32 tools
Tool names are mostly distinct, with browser_* and test_* prefixes clearly separating categories. However, some potential overlap exists between browser_screenshot and browser_snapshot, and test_fill_form could be confused with browser_type. Overall, the names are specific enough for an agent to differentiate.
All tools follow a consistent pattern of prefix_object_action (e.g., browser_navigate, test_scenario_run, session_start). This uniformity makes the set predictable and easy to navigate.
With 32 tools, the count is high but appropriate for a comprehensive browser automation and testing server. Each tool seems justified given the domain (browser control, testing, sessions, visual checks), though a slight reduction could improve simplicity.
The tool surface covers major browser interactions, testing scenarios, session management, and visual comparisons. Missing elements like network mocking or cookie management are notable, but core workflows appear well-supported.