Chrome Bookmarks MCP

Release License: MIT

Manage Chrome's synced bookmarks from Claude Code — list, search, add, move, rename, deduplicate, and reorganize whole folder trees. Every edit goes through Chrome's official chrome.bookmarks API, so changes are written into Chrome's own model and sync durably across devices (unlike direct edits to the bookmark file, which the sync engine discards on launch).

How it works

Two coupled components talk over a localhost WebSocket:

Claude Code ──stdio──▶ MCP server ──ws://127.0.0.1:8765──▶ Chrome extension ──▶ chrome.bookmarks
              (this plugin)          (localhost bridge)      (load unpacked)      (synced store)

MCP server (dist/bundle.cjs) — a stdio MCP server exposing 17 bookmark tools. It starts a localhost WebSocket bridge on port 8765.
Chrome extension (extension/) — dials into that bridge and runs each operation inside the browser's chrome.bookmarks context.

The MCP server can only act while Chrome is open with the extension loaded; the bookmarks_status tool reports whether the bridge is connected.

Requirements

Node.js 18+ (the MCP host runs the bundled server)
Google Chrome (or a Chromium browser supporting unpacked MV3 extensions)

Install

1. The plugin (MCP server)

From the RedJay marketplace:

/plugin marketplace add JoshuaRamirez/claude-code-plugins
/plugin install chrome-bookmarks-mcp@RedJay

The server is pre-bundled (dist/bundle.cjs) — no npm install needed at plugin-load time.

2. The Chrome extension (one time)

The extension lives in this plugin's extension/ directory. After install, find the plugin root (typically ~/.claude/plugins/cache/RedJay/chrome-bookmarks-mcp/<version>/), then:

Open chrome://extensions
Turn on Developer mode (top-right)
Click Load unpacked and select the plugin's extension/ folder
The full bookmark manager opens on first load; re-open any time from the toolbar icon

Not sure which folder to pick? Ask Claude to run bookmarks_status — while disconnected it prints the exact absolute path to load (its extension_dir field). Once loaded and Chrome is running, run it again to confirm the bridge is connected.

Tools

Tool	Purpose
`bookmarks_status`	Is the extension bridge connected?
`stats`	Count of folders and URLs
`list_folders`	Every folder with id, depth, and full path
`list_bookmarks`	Flat list of bookmarks (`{id,title,url,folder}`), optionally scoped to a folder path
`search_bookmarks`	Live filter across all bookmarks
`add_bookmark`	Create a bookmark, targeting any folder or path
`create_folder`	Create a folder under any parent or path
`ensure_folder_path`	Idempotently create a nested folder path
`update_bookmark`	Rename and/or change a bookmark's URL
`move_bookmark`	Relocate a bookmark or folder
`remove_bookmark`	Delete a bookmark or folder (optionally recursive)
`find_duplicates`	Group bookmarks sharing a URL
`remove_duplicates`	Keep one of each URL, remove the rest
`remove_empty_folders`	Prune folders with no descendants (supports `dry_run`)
`apply_moves`	Batch-move bookmarks from a plan TSV (supports `dry_run`)
`export_json`	Export the whole tree as portable JSON
`import_json`	Recreate an exported JSON tree under a target folder (backup restore)

See examples/USAGE.md for a step-by-step walkthrough — first-run check, adding to a folder, safe deduplication, and batch reorganization. tools/classify.py writes a starter plan TSV for apply_moves; it moves nothing.

remove_duplicates, remove_empty_folders, and apply_moves accept a dry_run flag; remove_bookmark does not. Export first for a backup.

Configuration

Env var	Default	Purpose
`BOOKMARK_BRIDGE_PORT`	`8765`	WebSocket port the server listens on / the extension dials
`BOOKMARK_PLAN_FILE`	`~/.chrome-bookmarks-mcp/proposed-moves.tsv`	Default plan file for `apply_moves`

If you change the port, update the extension's bridge.js to match.

Troubleshooting

Run bookmarks_status first — when the bridge is disconnected it returns the exact steps to fix it. Common cases:

Symptom	Cause	Fix
Tools error with "Chrome bridge not connected"	Extension not loaded, or Chrome is closed	Open Chrome; load the extension unpacked (see step 2 above)
`bookmarks_status` reports EADDRINUSE / `listening: false`	Another process (usually a second server) is holding `BOOKMARK_BRIDGE_PORT`	Free the port, or set `BOOKMARK_BRIDGE_PORT` to a free port and match `BRIDGE_URL` in `extension/bridge.js`
Was working, now times out	Chrome was quit, or the MV3 service worker went idle	Re-open Chrome / click the toolbar icon once to wake the worker; the extension re-dials automatically within a few seconds
Still disconnected after loading	Port mismatch	The extension dials `ws://127.0.0.1:8765`; if you set `BOOKMARK_BRIDGE_PORT`, edit `BRIDGE_URL` in `extension/bridge.js` to match
`apply_moves` can't find its plan	No plan file at the default path	Pass `file_path`, or set `BOOKMARK_PLAN_FILE`

The extension auto-reconnects (3s retry) if the MCP server restarts, so you rarely need to reload it — just make sure Chrome is running.

Build from source

npm install
npm run build      # esbuild → dist/bundle.cjs
npm test           # smoke + port-conflict + bookmarkstore + apply-moves (no browser needed)
npm run probe      # optional: live connectivity probe (needs the extension)

Contributing? See CONTRIBUTING.md — note that dist/bundle.cjs is committed, so any src/ change must be rebuilt and committed (CI enforces this).

Privacy

No network access beyond the localhost bridge. Bookmarks never leave your machine; the extension talks only to 127.0.0.1.