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Connect Chrome DevTools MCP to Codex with one command:
codex mcp add chrome-devtools -- npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latestThis registers a server named chrome-devtools and lets Codex discover Chrome browser and DevTools tools. You need the Codex CLI and Node.js’ npx command. The setup below covers the default fresh browser, connecting an existing Chrome session, security boundaries, configuration files and a smoke test.
What this connection does
Chrome DevTools for agents is a suite for AI coding workflows that includes a command-line interface, agent skills and an MCP server. MCP (Model Context Protocol) lets a client such as Codex discover tools and invoke them with structured input. The Chrome server can open pages, inspect live content, debug and modify the browser through DevTools capabilities. See the Chrome for Developers getting-started guide for the product overview and supported workflow.
By default, the server starts a new Chrome instance. That keeps your personal tabs and logged-in accounts separate. Connecting an existing session is possible, but it changes the security scope: the agent may be able to see that browser’s pages, cookies and account state.
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Prerequisites
- Codex CLI installed and available as
codexin your shell. - Node.js with
npxavailable on the same machine where Codex runs. - A desktop environment if you want to observe the browser window or approve Chrome’s connection prompt.
- Permission to install and run the
chrome-devtools-mcpnpm package.
No physical device or accessory is required. MCP is software configuration; the server and browser run in your development environment.
Install the Chrome MCP server in Codex
- Open a terminal in the environment where Codex is installed.
- Run the documented Codex command:
codex mcp add chrome-devtools -- npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest - Start or restart Codex so it loads the newly registered server, if your current session does not refresh its MCP inventory automatically.
- Ask Codex to use Chrome DevTools. A useful first request is: “Check the performance of https://developers.chrome.com.”
The documented working check should open a browser window and record a performance trace. That is a smoke test for the connection, not a performance result for the site. The same URL and expected behavior are described in Chrome’s official setup documentation.
Choose how Codex connects to Chrome
There are three practical modes. The fresh-instance mode is the default; automatic and manual modes attach to an existing browser.
| Mode | Session sharing | Requirement | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh instance | None; a new Chrome is started | Basic installation only | General testing and safer isolation |
| Automatic connection | Existing Chrome session | Chrome 144 or newer, remote debugging enabled, permission approved | Working with the browser you already have open |
| Manual connection | Chrome launched with a debugging endpoint | Remote debugging, a dedicated profile and matching URL/port | Repeatable development or scripted environments |
Chrome documents both existing-session paths in its configuration guide. Version 144+ is specifically the requirement for automatic connection; it is not a general minimum version for the fresh-instance setup.
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No additional flags are needed. The command registered in Codex is sufficient. Use this mode when the task does not require your personal tabs, saved cookies or corporate accounts. It is also the simplest way to troubleshoot an installation because fewer moving parts are involved.
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Automatic connection to an existing Chrome (Chrome 144+)
- Open
chrome://inspect/#remote-debuggingin Chrome. - Enable remote debugging using the control shown there.
- Add the
--autoConnectargument to the MCP server configuration. - When Chrome displays its permission prompt, approve the connection only if you trust the Codex process and the task.
For a Codex TOML entry, the documented executable and arguments can be represented as:
[mcp_servers.chrome-devtools]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "chrome-devtools-mcp@latest", "--autoConnect"]This is an adaptation of Chrome’s documented server arguments to Codex configuration. Check the current Codex configuration format if your installed release uses a different section name or syntax. Codex CLI and the Codex IDE extension share their configuration according to OpenAI’s configuration documentation.
Manual connection through a debugging URL
Manual mode gives you an explicit endpoint. Start Chrome with remote debugging enabled, a custom user-data directory and the port you intend to use. Chrome’s configuration guide provides launch examples for macOS, Windows and Linux; use its current platform-specific command rather than reusing a command for another operating system.
Then configure the server with the same endpoint:
[mcp_servers.chrome-devtools]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "chrome-devtools-mcp@latest", "--browser-url=http://127.0.0.1:9222"]The port in --browser-url must match the port used when Chrome was launched. A custom profile is important: it prevents the debugging-enabled process from sharing your everyday profile’s data and makes it easy to close the entire test session when finished.
Where Codex stores the configuration
Codex can manage MCP servers through the CLI, as shown by the one-line install command, or through ~/.codex/config.toml. The CLI and IDE extension use that shared configuration. If you edit TOML manually, preserve the exact command and argument boundaries: npx is the executable, while -y, the package name and connection flag are separate arguments.
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The ChromeDevTools project also publishes a client-configuration reference, including a Windows-specific note. Use it when your shell, path handling or client integration differs from the generic examples.
Verify the installation
- Run the install command and start Codex.
- Ask Codex:
Check the performance of https://developers.chrome.com. - Confirm that Chrome opens (or that the selected existing session is used).
- Confirm that a performance trace is recorded and returned to Codex.
If the browser opens but the request does not complete, ask Codex to list the available Chrome DevTools tools. An empty or missing tool list usually indicates that Codex did not load the server configuration; a browser that never launches points instead to Node, package or display-environment issues.
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Existing sessions are high-trust connections
Chrome warns that an agent connected to an authenticated browser can act on your behalf. The configuration guidance states that an existing session can expose logged-in accounts, cookies and other data. Treat the connection as access to the entire browser session, not merely to the public page you asked it to inspect.
- Prefer the fresh-instance mode for public-site checks.
- Use a separate Chrome profile for manual debugging.
- Close the debugging-enabled browser when the task ends.
- Do not approve an unexpected permission prompt.
- Avoid opening banking, administrative or production-control tabs in a connected profile.
Protect the manual debugging endpoint
Remote debugging creates an endpoint that applications on the machine can connect to while it is open. The project’s advanced-usage warning is why a dedicated profile, a local-only URL such as 127.0.0.1, and a short session are safer than exposing a debugging port broadly. Do not forward the port or bind it to an address reachable by untrusted machines.
Troubleshooting
codex: command not found
Codex CLI is not installed or is not on your PATH. Install or expose the CLI first, then rerun the MCP command in the same environment.
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npx: command not found
Node.js is missing from the Codex environment, or its installation directory is not on PATH. Install Node.js, open a new shell, verify npx --version, and rerun the registration command.
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Codex cannot see the server
Restart Codex after changing the server entry. If you edited TOML, check that the file is ~/.codex/config.toml, the section name matches your Codex version, and the package name is exactly chrome-devtools-mcp@latest. The CLI registration route avoids most TOML formatting errors.
Automatic connection never appears
Automatic connection requires Chrome 144 or newer. Verify the browser version, enable remote debugging at chrome://inspect/#remote-debugging, include --autoConnect, and approve the prompt. If any one of those steps is missing, use the fresh instance or manual mode.
Manual mode reports an unreachable browser
Check that Chrome is still running with remote debugging enabled, that the port is really 9222 (or change the URL to the port you chose), and that the address is http://127.0.0.1:9222. A stale process or a different profile can leave no usable endpoint; close it and relaunch with the documented platform command.
The browser launches, then the task fails
Some pages require a visible desktop, authentication, permissions or network access. Reproduce the task manually in the same profile, then retry with a simpler public URL. Do not solve a permissions problem by attaching Codex to your personal authenticated profile unless that exposure is intentional.
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Operational guidance
Performance
Each request may involve browser startup, navigation, page scripts and DevTools tracing. Reusing a deliberately prepared manual session can avoid startup overhead, while the fresh instance offers cleaner isolation. For repeatable measurements, keep the browser version, profile state, network conditions and requested URL consistent.
Reliability
Use the documented smoke test after installation or configuration changes. Keep the MCP package invocation explicit, avoid leaving a debugging browser running indefinitely, and record whether a task used a fresh, automatic or manual session so later results are comparable.
Cost
The Chrome MCP setup itself is a local software configuration. The documentation reviewed does not state a separate Chrome DevTools MCP service fee or usage quota. Any infrastructure, browser or AI-service costs depend on your environment and account.
Or skip the browser setup
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open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
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Further documentation
- Chrome DevTools for agents: get started
- Chrome DevTools for agents: configuration
- OpenAI Docs MCP and shared Codex configuration
- OpenAI MCP server concepts
- ChromeDevTools client configurations
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Chrome MCP with Codex IDE as well as the CLI?
Yes. OpenAI’s documentation says the Codex CLI and IDE extension share the Codex configuration, so a server registered in the shared configuration can be available to both clients.
Does automatic connection work with every Chrome release?
No. The documented automatic existing-session flow requires Chrome 144 or newer. Older versions should use a fresh instance or the manual debugging-URL method.
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Do I need to be logged in to Chrome?
No. Login is not required for a fresh browser or public pages. Logging in matters only when you intentionally connect an existing authenticated session, which exposes that session’s data and capabilities to the agent.
Quick Recap
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