To use the Playwright MCP Browser Extension, install it in Chrome or Edge, then configure your MCP client to start @playwright/mcp with the --extension argument. The extension connects Playwright to tabs already open in that browser profile, so the agent can work with the profile’s existing cookies, signed-in sessions, and installed extensions. You still need a supported browser, Node.js 20 or newer, an MCP client, and an initial server setup.
What the extension does—and what it does not do
Playwright MCP is a server that lets an MCP-capable client use Playwright browser automation tools. In extension mode, the server connects to the Playwright Extension in a running Chrome or Edge browser. This differs from starting a separate browser for automation: the agent can work through tabs you already have open and the selected profile’s browser state.
Playwright documentation describes the extension as connecting to existing tabs and reusing logged-in sessions, cookies, and installed extensions. That can be useful when a site requires your SSO login or two-factor authentication, when a page depends on a browser extension, or when you want the agent to use a tab you have already opened. It does not mean every page will be accessible: the selected profile must have the access and state the page requires, and the extension and MCP server must be configured.
This is browser automation, not a way to bypass a site’s access controls. Keep the client and browser profile under your control, and review what actions an AI agent is allowed to take in authenticated tabs.
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Requirements before setup
- Browser: Chrome, Edge, or Chromium is listed by the extension README. The documented extension workflow is for Chrome or Edge; do not assume other browser choices described for Playwright MCP’s non-extension modes work with the extension.
- Node.js: Playwright’s getting-started guide lists Node.js 20 or newer.
- MCP client: Use a client that supports registering an MCP server. The exact settings screen and configuration-file location depend on that client.
- Extension: Install the Playwright Extension in the browser profile you intend to use. The README describes installation from the Chrome Web Store; country-specific availability and current store details are not established here.
The steps below show the documented MCP server configuration shape. They are not a claim that one particular client’s UI or configuration path has been tested.
Install the extension and connect your MCP client
- Choose the browser profile. Open Chrome or Edge using the profile that has the tabs, logins, cookies, and extensions the agent should use. If you have more than one profile, decide which one is intended before installing or configuring the connection.
- Install the Playwright Extension. Add it to that Chrome or Edge profile using the extension’s official listing. Browser-store availability and labels can change, so follow the current listing’s installation flow.
- Register the MCP server in your client. Add a server entry named
playwrightwith the commandnpxand these arguments:
{
"mcpServers": {
"playwright": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest", "--extension"]
}
}
}@playwright/mcp@latest tells npx to run the current published package when the client starts the server. The --extension argument selects the extension connection path rather than the default browser launch path. If your client uses a different configuration format, translate the command and arguments into its MCP server settings rather than pasting the JSON into an unrelated field.
- Set the profile token if requested. The extension README documents a
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXTENSION_TOKENvalue shown in the extension UI. Configure the value for the browser profile you chose. The token is unique to that profile; do not substitute a token from another profile. Current UI labels may differ from the names in older documentation. - Restart or reconnect the MCP server. Use your client’s controls to start the configured server or reconnect to it. Confirm that its Playwright tools become available, then try a low-risk action on a tab open in the intended profile.
The server configuration syntax is documented by Playwright; the exact client-side labels, storage locations, and restart controls vary by MCP client.
Make the browser profile explicit when you have several
If the extension is installed in multiple Chrome profiles, the extension README says the connection goes to the profile used last. That can make a setup appear unreliable when the client is connecting successfully but the agent sees the wrong tabs or is not signed in to the expected site. Set the profile explicitly when you need a predictable choice.
Find the profile directory name
- In the intended Chrome profile, open
chrome://version. - Find the Profile Path value.
- Use the last component of that path as the profile directory name. For example, if the path ends in
Profile 2, the directory name isProfile 2.
Pass that name with --profile-dir-name. The documented example for Profile 2 is:
{
"mcpServers": {
"playwright": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"@playwright/mcp@latest",
"--extension",
"--profile-dir-name=Profile 2"
]
}
}
}Alternatively, the README documents the environment variable PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PROFILE_DIR_NAME. Set it to the intended directory name in the environment inherited by the MCP server. Use one selection method that fits your client’s configuration rather than assuming every client exposes environment variables in the same way.
Check that the connection is using the right tab and session
After the MCP server connects, verify the result before asking an agent to do consequential work:
- Confirm the browser profile is the one you selected and the extension is installed there.
- Open the page in that profile yourself and check that it is signed in and fully loaded. A login in a different profile does not establish access in the selected one.
- Ask the MCP client to inspect or interact with a harmless page element, then check that the action occurred in the expected tab.
- If the wrong tabs appear, revisit the profile directory selection and the profile-specific extension token rather than assuming the website’s cookies were transferred between profiles.
Extension mode uses the selected browser profile’s existing state; it does not copy credentials into a new Playwright browser. Treat a browser profile with access to private or administrative sites as sensitive, especially when an AI client can issue browser actions.
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Choose the connection mode that fits your browser
Extension mode is one of several ways to connect Playwright MCP to a browser. The choice is mainly about where the browser is running and whether you need its existing profile state.
| Connection route | What it connects to | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
Extension: --extension |
Existing tabs through a Chrome or Edge profile with the Playwright Extension installed | You need existing tabs, logged-in browser state, or an installed browser extension. |
Browser channel: --cdp-endpoint=chrome, for example |
A running Chrome or Edge channel after remote debugging is enabled | You can enable remote debugging and want to attach to that running browser. |
| CDP endpoint | A Chromium-based browser exposed through a Chrome DevTools Protocol endpoint | You have a known local or service endpoint, such as a browser started with a remote-debugging port. |
Playwright endpoint: --endpoint |
A browser running behind a Playwright server | Your deployment already provides a Playwright server endpoint. |
Use extension mode when its profile and open tabs are central to the task. A channel or CDP route may better fit a running browser that has remote debugging enabled; a Playwright endpoint fits a deployment that already exposes that server. Playwright’s main MCP documentation describes other browser choices for non-extension operation, but that does not establish that those browser choices support extension mode.
Common setup problems and fixes
The client does not start the server
Check that Node.js 20 or newer is installed and that the client can run npx in its server environment. Confirm that the command is npx, the package argument is @playwright/mcp@latest, and --extension is a separate argument. If the client expects a particular JSON structure or environment configuration, follow its MCP server instructions; the example above shows the documented server entry, not every client’s settings UI.
The extension connects to the wrong profile
When the extension is in multiple profiles, the README describes the last-used profile as the default connection. Read the final component of the intended profile’s Profile Path at chrome://version and set it with --profile-dir-name or PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PROFILE_DIR_NAME. Also ensure the extension token belongs to that same profile.
The agent cannot see the expected login or page
Check which browser profile is connected, whether the page is open in that profile, and whether that profile can access the site when you use it directly. The extension can reuse the selected profile’s sessions and cookies; it does not make a user’s session in another profile available.
The extension is installed, but the MCP tools are unavailable
Confirm that the MCP client has started the configured server and that its command includes --extension. Then check that the extension is installed in the selected browser profile and that the profile-specific token is configured if the server setup requires it. Restart or reconnect the server after changing its configuration.
The setup steps do not match the browser or client you use
The documented extension requirements name Chrome, Edge, or Chromium, while the extension connection mode is described for Chrome and Edge. If your workflow uses another browser or a remote browser service, consider the channel, CDP, or Playwright endpoint route that matches that deployment rather than assuming extension support.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the extension mode work with Firefox?
The documented extension connection is for Chrome and Edge. Playwright MCP may describe other browser choices for non-extension operation, but that does not establish Firefox support for this extension workflow.
Does using the extension make the agent a member of the website account?
No. The agent acts through the selected browser profile and whatever access that profile already has; the extension does not create or grant a separate website account.
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