browser-use
Browser automation using Playwright MCP. Navigate websites, fill forms, click elements, take screenshots, and extract data. Use when tasks require web browsing, form submission, web scraping, UI testing, or any browser interaction.
When & Why to Use This Skill
This Claude skill enables advanced browser automation through the Playwright MCP server, allowing AI agents to interact with the live web in real-time. It provides comprehensive capabilities for navigating websites, interacting with UI elements, executing custom JavaScript, and capturing visual data, effectively bridging the gap between LLMs and dynamic web environments.
Use Cases
- Automated Web Scraping: Extracting structured data from modern, JavaScript-heavy websites that require complex navigation and interaction.
- UI/UX Testing and QA: Automating end-to-end testing workflows by simulating user behavior, verifying element states, and capturing screenshots for visual regression.
- Web-based Task Automation: Streamlining repetitive administrative tasks such as filling out multi-step forms, navigating internal portals, and managing SaaS dashboards.
- Real-time Research and Monitoring: Enabling agents to browse the live internet to gather up-to-date information, monitor website changes, or perform accessibility audits.
| name | browser-use |
|---|---|
| description | Browser automation using Playwright MCP. Navigate websites, fill forms, click elements, take screenshots, and extract data. Use when tasks require web browsing, form submission, web scraping, UI testing, or any browser interaction. |
Browser Automation
Automate browser interactions via Playwright MCP server.
Server Lifecycle
Start Server
# Using helper script (recommended)
bash scripts/start-server.sh
# Or manually
npx @playwright/mcp@latest --port 8808 --shared-browser-context &
Stop Server
# Using helper script (closes browser first)
bash scripts/stop-server.sh
# Or manually
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_close -p '{}'
pkill -f "@playwright/mcp"
When to Stop
- End of task: Stop when browser work is complete
- Long sessions: Keep running if doing multiple browser tasks
- Errors: Stop and restart if browser becomes unresponsive
Important: The --shared-browser-context flag is required to maintain browser state across multiple mcp-client.py calls. Without it, each call gets a fresh browser context.
Quick Reference
Navigation
# Go to URL
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_navigate \
-p '{"url": "https://example.com"}'
# Go back
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_navigate_back -p '{}'
Get Page State
# Accessibility snapshot (returns element refs for clicking/typing)
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_snapshot -p '{}'
# Screenshot
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_take_screenshot \
-p '{"type": "png", "fullPage": true}'
Interact with Elements
Use ref from snapshot output to target elements:
# Click element
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_click \
-p '{"element": "Submit button", "ref": "e42"}'
# Type text
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_type \
-p '{"element": "Search input", "ref": "e15", "text": "hello world", "submit": true}'
# Fill form (multiple fields)
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_fill_form \
-p '{"fields": [{"ref": "e10", "value": "john@example.com"}, {"ref": "e12", "value": "password123"}]}'
# Select dropdown
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_select_option \
-p '{"element": "Country dropdown", "ref": "e20", "values": ["US"]}'
Wait for Conditions
# Wait for text to appear
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_wait_for \
-p '{"text": "Success"}'
# Wait for time (ms)
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_wait_for \
-p '{"time": 2000}'
Execute JavaScript
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_evaluate \
-p '{"function": "return document.title"}'
Multi-Step Playwright Code
For complex workflows, use browser_run_code to run multiple actions in one call:
python3 scripts/mcp-client.py call -u http://localhost:8808 -t browser_run_code \
-p '{"code": "async (page) => { await page.goto(\"https://example.com\"); await page.click(\"text=Learn more\"); return await page.title(); }"}'
Tip: Use browser_run_code for complex multi-step operations that should be atomic (all-or-nothing).
Workflow: Form Submission
- Navigate to page
- Get snapshot to find element refs
- Fill form fields using refs
- Click submit
- Wait for confirmation
- Screenshot result
Workflow: Data Extraction
- Navigate to page
- Get snapshot (contains text content)
- Use browser_evaluate for complex extraction
- Process results
Tool Reference
See references/playwright-tools.md for complete tool documentation.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Element not found | Run browser_snapshot first to get current refs |
| Click fails | Try browser_hover first, then click |
| Form not submitting | Use "submit": true with browser_type |
| Page not loading | Increase wait time or use browser_wait_for |