Chrome Live MCP

Connect any local stdio MCP agent to the Chrome you already use—including its signed-in sessions, cookies, tabs, and extensions environment—without launching a second browser.

Chrome Live MCP is an independent implementation. It does not install, import, launch, or wrap chrome-devtools-mcp.

Requirements

• Google Chrome 144 or newer

• Node.js 20 or newer

• A desktop agent that supports local MCP servers over stdio

Related MCP server: chrome-mcp

One-time Chrome setup

1. Update Chrome to version 144 or newer.

2. Open chrome://inspect/#remote-debugging in Chrome.

3. Enable remote debugging and leave Chrome running.

Chrome remains in control of authorization. If Chrome asks whether to allow a connection, review the prompt and choose Allow.

Selecting an automation target is background-only: connecting or calling browser_select_tab does not activate that tab or steal focus from your current Chrome work.

ZCode

Open Settings → MCP Servers → New MCP Server, then enter:

• Scope: User

• Type: stdio

• Name: chrome-live

• Command: npx

• Arguments: -y chrome-live-mcp@latest

Enable the entry and start a new ZCode task. See ZCODE_TESTING.md for the exact smoke test.

Kimi Code CLI

kimi mcp add --transport stdio chrome-live -- npx -y chrome-live-mcp@latest
kimi mcp test chrome-live

For any other MCP client, use this standard configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chrome-live": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "chrome-live-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Local development

npm install
npm test
npm run typecheck
npm run bundle --workspace chrome-live-mcp
node packages/cli/dist/main.js doctor

To test a local checkout in an MCP client, replace the npx configuration with:

{
  "command": "node",
  "args": ["/absolute/path/to/chrome-live-mcp/packages/cli/dist/main.js", "serve"]
}

Tools and safety

The server provides connection, tab, semantic snapshot, screenshot, pointer, keyboard, form selection, page and referenced-container scrolling, navigation, and waiting tools. browser_scroll_to can move an internal list or panel directly to its top or bottom. It intentionally does not expose arbitrary JavaScript evaluation, raw CDP, cookies, storage, passwords, or authorization headers.

Only one Chrome Live MCP process controls Chrome at a time. All protocol traffic uses stdin/stdout; the server opens no listening network port. Page content is untrusted, and consequential actions should remain subject to the invoking agent's approval policy.

Status

The initial compatibility targets are ZCode Desktop, ZCode CLI, Kimi Code CLI, Claude Code, Cursor, and other conforming local stdio MCP clients. Compatibility means the client can launch a local command and implement standard MCP initialize, tools/list, and tools/call; cloud-only clients are outside this scope.

License

MIT