browser-automation

Browserbase

browserbase

by browserbase

Unlock browser automation studio with Browserbase MCP Server. Enhance Selenium software testing and AI-driven workflows

Unlock powerful cloud browser automation with Browserbase MCP Server, bridging AI models to web interaction. It enables LLMs to control browsers, capture screenshots, extract structured data, monitor console logs, and perform web navigation effortlessly. Featuring atomic instructions for precise actions and supporting multiple AI models, this server fosters flexible, modular AI workflows. With vision capabilities for annotated screenshots and an open-source approach, it invites collaboration and innovation in AI-driven browser automation. Perfect for building AI-enhanced applications that need seamless web context and dynamic data interaction.

github stars

3.2K

0 commentsdiscussion

Both formats append explainx.ai attribution and the canonical URL for this MCP server listing.

Cloud-based — no local browser setup required20-40% faster performance with Stagehand v3Vision capabilities for annotated screenshots

best for

  • / AI agents that need to interact with web applications
  • / Automated web scraping and data extraction workflows
  • / Building AI-powered browser testing tools
  • / Creating chatbots that can browse and analyze websites

capabilities

  • / Control browsers remotely through cloud infrastructure
  • / Take screenshots and capture visual data from web pages
  • / Extract structured information from websites
  • / Perform automated web navigation and interactions
  • / Monitor console logs and debug information
  • / Execute precise atomic browser actions

what it does

Provides cloud browser automation capabilities that let AI models control web browsers, take screenshots, extract data, and perform automated web actions through Browserbase.

about

Browserbase is an official MCP server published by browserbase that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Unlock browser automation studio with Browserbase MCP Server. Enhance Selenium software testing and AI-driven workflows It is categorized under browser automation.

how to install

You can install Browserbase in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.

license

Apache-2.0

Browserbase is released under the Apache-2.0 license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.

readme

Browserbase MCP Server

smithery badge

cover

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that enables seamless integration between LLM applications and external data sources and tools. Whether you're building an AI-powered IDE, enhancing a chat interface, or creating custom AI workflows, MCP provides a standardized way to connect LLMs with the context they need.

This server provides cloud browser automation capabilities using Browserbase and Stagehand. It enables LLMs to interact with web pages, take screenshots, extract information, and perform automated actions with atomic precision.

What's New in Stagehand v3

Powered by Stagehand v3.0, this MCP server now includes:

  • 20-40% Faster Performance: Speed improvements across all core operations (act, extract, observe) through automatic caching
  • Enhanced Extraction: Targeted extraction and observation across iframes and shadow roots
  • Improved Schemas: Streamlined extract schemas for more intuitive data extraction
  • Advanced Selector Support: CSS selector support with improved element targeting
  • Multi-Browser Support: Compatible with Playwright, Puppeteer, and Patchright
  • New Primitives: Built-in page, locator, frameLocator, and deepLocator for simplified automation
  • Experimental Features: Enable cutting-edge capabilities with the --experimental flag

For more details, visit the Stagehand v3 documentation.

Features

FeatureDescription
Browser AutomationControl and orchestrate cloud browsers via Browserbase
Data ExtractionExtract structured data from any webpage
Web InteractionNavigate, click, and fill forms with ease
ScreenshotsCapture full-page and element screenshots
Model FlexibilitySupports multiple models (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, and more)
Vision SupportUse annotated screenshots for complex DOMs
Session ManagementCreate, manage, and close browser sessions
High Performance20-40% faster operations with automatic caching (v3)
Advanced SelectorsEnhanced CSS selector support for precise element targeting

How to Setup

Quickstarts:

Add to Cursor

Copy and Paste this link in your Browser:

cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=browserbase&config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjoibnB4IEBicm93c2VyYmFzZWhxL21jcCIsImVudiI6eyJCUk9XU0VSQkFTRV9BUElfS0VZIjoiIiwiQlJPV1NFUkJBU0VfUFJPSkVDVF9JRCI6IiIsIkdFTUlOSV9BUElfS0VZIjoiIn19

We currently support 2 transports for our MCP server, STDIO and SHTTP. We recommend you use SHTTP with our remote hosted url to take advantage of the server at full capacity.

SHTTP:

To use the Browserbase MCP Server through our remote hosted URL, add the following to your configuration.

Go to smithery.ai and enter your API keys and configuration to get a remote hosted URL. When using our remote hosted server, we provide the LLM costs for Gemini, the best performing model in Stagehand.

Smithery Image

If your client supports SHTTP:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browserbase": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "your-smithery-url.com"
    }
  }
}

If your client doesn't support SHTTP:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browserbase": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-remote", "your-smithery-url.com"]
    }
  }
}

STDIO:

You can either use our Server hosted on NPM or run it completely locally by cloning this repo.

❗️ Important: If you want to use a different model you have to add --modelName to the args and provide that respective key as an arg. More info below.

To run on NPM (Recommended)

Go into your MCP Config JSON and add the Browserbase Server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browserbase": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@browserbasehq/mcp-server-browserbase"],
      "env": {
        "BROWSERBASE_API_KEY": "",
        "BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID": "",
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": ""
      }
    }
  }
}

That's it! Reload your MCP client and Claude will be able to use Browserbase.

To run 100% local:

Option 1: Direct installation

# Clone the Repo
git clone https://github.com/browserbase/mcp-server-browserbase.git
cd mcp-server-browserbase

# Install the dependencies and build the project
npm install && npm run build

Option 2: Docker

# Clone the Repo
git clone https://github.com/browserbase/mcp-server-browserbase.git
cd mcp-server-browserbase

# Build the Docker image
docker build -t mcp-browserbase .

Then in your MCP Config JSON run the server. To run locally we can use STDIO or self-host SHTTP.

STDIO:

Using Direct Installation

To your MCP Config JSON file add the following:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browserbase": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/mcp-server-browserbase/cli.js"],
      "env": {
        "BROWSERBASE_API_KEY": "",
        "BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID": "",
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": ""
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Docker

To your MCP Config JSON file add the following:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browserbase": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e",
        "BROWSERBASE_API_KEY",
        "-e",
        "BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID",
        "-e",
        "GEMINI_API_KEY",
        "mcp-browserbase"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BROWSERBASE_API_KEY": "",
        "BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID": "",
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": ""
      }
    }
  }
}

Then reload your MCP client and you should be good to go!

Configuration

The Browserbase MCP server accepts the following command-line flags:

FlagDescription
--proxiesEnable Browserbase proxies for the session
--advancedStealthEnable Browserbase Advanced Stealth (Only for Scale Plan Users)
--keepAliveEnable Browserbase Keep Alive Session
--contextId <contextId>Specify a Browserbase Context ID to use
--persistWhether to persist the Browserbase context (default: true)
--port <port>Port to listen on for HTTP/SHTTP transport
--host <host>Host to bind server to (default: localhost, use 0.0.0.0 for all interfaces)
--browserWidth <width>Browser viewport width (default: 1024)
--browserHeight <height>Browser viewport height (default: 768)
--modelName <model>The model to use for Stagehand (default: gemini-2.0-flash)
--modelApiKey <key>API key for the custom model provider (required when using custom models)
--experimentalEnable experimental features (default: false)

These flags can be passed directly to the CLI or configured in your MCP configuration file.

NOTE:

Currently, these flags can only be used with the local server (npx @browserbasehq/mcp-server-browserbase or Docker).

Using Configuration Flags with Docker

When using Docker, you can pass configuration flags as additional arguments after the image name. Here's an example with the --proxies flag:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browserbase": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e",
        "BROWSERBASE_API_KEY",
        "-e",
        "BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID",
        "-e",
        "GEMINI_API_KEY",
        "mcp-browserbase",
        "--proxies"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BROWSERBASE_API_KEY": "",
        "BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID": "",
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": ""
      }
    }
  }
}

You can also run the Docker container directly from the command line:

docker run --rm -i \
  -e BROWSERBASE_API_KEY=your_api_key \
  -e BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID=your_project_id \
  -e GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_key \
  mcp-browserbase --proxies

Configuration Examples

Proxies

Here are our docs on Proxies.

To use proxies, set the --proxies flag in your MCP Config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browserbase": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@browserbasehq/mcp-server-browserbase", "--proxies"],
      "env": {
        "BROWSERBASE_API_KEY": "",
        "BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID": "",
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": ""
      }
    }
  }
}

Advanced Stealth

Here are our docs on Advanced Stealth.

To use advanced stealth, set the --advancedStealth flag in your MCP Config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browserbase": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@browserbasehq/mcp-server-browserbase", "--advancedStealth"],
      "env": {
        "BROWSERBASE_API_KEY": "",
        "BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID": "",
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": ""
      }

---

FAQ

What is the Browserbase MCP server?
Browserbase is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server profile on explainx.ai. MCP lets AI hosts (e.g. Claude Desktop, Cursor) call tools and resources through a standard interface; this page summarizes categories, install hints, and community ratings.
How do MCP servers relate to agent skills?
Skills are reusable instruction packages (often SKILL.md); MCP servers expose live capabilities. Teams frequently combine both—skills for workflows, MCP for APIs and data. See explainx.ai/skills and explainx.ai/mcp-servers for parallel directories.
How are reviews shown for Browserbase?
This profile displays 74 aggregated ratings (sample rows for discoverability plus signed-in user reviews). Average score is about 4.7 out of 5—verify behavior in your own environment before production use.

Use Cases

Web Research & Information Gathering

Fetch and extract information from websites automatically

Example

Research competitor pricing, scrape product reviews, monitor news mentions

Automate 5-10 hours/week of manual web research

Content Monitoring & Alerts

Track website changes, new content, price updates

Example

Monitor competitor blog for new posts, track stock availability, watch for pricing changes

Stay informed without manual checking, never miss important updates

Data Extraction & Aggregation

Extract structured data from multiple websites

Example

Compile product listings from 10 e-commerce sites, aggregate job postings, collect real estate data

Build datasets 100x faster than manual copying

API-less Integration

Interact with services that don't offer APIs

Example

Check form submissions, validate website functionality, test user flows

Automate interactions with any website, even without API

Implementation Guide

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop or Cursor with MCP support
  • Understanding of web scraping ethics and robots.txt
  • Rate limiting awareness to avoid overwhelming target sites
  • Knowledge of legal restrictions on data collection

Time Estimate

20-40 minutes including configuration and testing

Installation Steps

  1. 1.Install web automation MCP server via npm or pip
  2. 2.Configure allowed domains and rate limits in MCP config
  3. 3.Test with simple fetch: 'Get content from example.com'
  4. 4.Progress to extraction: 'Extract all product prices from this page'
  5. 5.Set up monitoring: 'Check this URL daily for changes'
  6. 6.Parse structured data: 'Create CSV from this table'
  7. 7.Respect robots.txt and rate limits always

Troubleshooting

  • 403 Forbidden: Website blocks bots—respect their wishes, use official API instead
  • Rate limit errors: Slow down requests, add delays between fetches
  • Stale data: Target site changed HTML structure—update selectors
  • Timeout errors: Site is slow or blocking—increase timeout, try different user agent
  • JavaScript-rendered content: Use headless browser MCP servers for dynamic sites

Best Practices

✓ Do

  • +Check robots.txt and respect crawl rules
  • +Rate limit requests: 1-2 requests/second maximum
  • +Use official APIs when available instead of scraping
  • +Identify your bot with descriptive user agent
  • +Cache results to minimize repeated requests
  • +Handle errors gracefully with retries and fallbacks
  • +Validate extracted data for accuracy

✗ Don't

  • Don't scrape sites that explicitly forbid it (robots.txt, ToS)
  • Don't overwhelm servers with rapid requests—use rate limiting
  • Don't scrape personal data without consent and legal basis
  • Don't ignore copyright on extracted content
  • Don't assume HTML structure is stable—handle changes
  • Don't use scraped data for commercial purposes without permission

💡 Pro Tips

  • Use CSS selectors or XPath for robust data extraction
  • Set up monitoring alerts for extraction failures (structure changed)
  • Implement exponential backoff for retries on failures
  • Store raw HTML for reprocessing if extraction logic changes
  • Combine with data analysis tools for insights from extracted data
  • Consider using official APIs or RSS feeds as more stable alternatives

Technical Details

Architecture

MCP server handles HTTP requests, HTML parsing, JavaScript rendering (if headless browser), and returns structured data to Claude.

Protocols

  • HTTP/HTTPS
  • WebSocket (for real-time sites)
  • Puppeteer/Playwright (for JavaScript sites)

Compatibility

  • Static HTML sites
  • JavaScript-rendered SPAs (with headless browser)
  • REST APIs
  • GraphQL endpoints

When to Use This

✓ Use When

Use for research automation, content monitoring, data aggregation from multiple sources, and when official APIs don't exist. Best for read-only information gathering.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid for sites with APIs (use API instead), sites that explicitly forbid scraping, when data is copyrighted, or for login-required content without proper authorization.

Integration

  • Scheduled monitoring with change detection
  • Multi-source data aggregation pipelines
  • Fallback to web scraping when API rate limits hit
  • Headless browser for JavaScript-heavy sites

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
  • No comments yet — start the thread.

List & Promote Your MCP Server

Share your MCP server with the developer community

GET_STARTED →
MCP server reviews

Ratings

4.774 reviews
  • Omar Abbas· Dec 24, 2024

    We wired Browserbase into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.

  • Isabella Iyer· Dec 24, 2024

    We evaluated Browserbase against two servers with overlapping tools; this profile had the clearer scope statement.

  • Mateo Martin· Dec 8, 2024

    Browserbase reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.

  • Kwame Rahman· Dec 4, 2024

    Browserbase is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory — install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.

  • Harper Ghosh· Dec 4, 2024

    We wired Browserbase into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.

  • Omar Mensah· Nov 27, 2024

    I recommend Browserbase for teams standardizing on MCP; the explainx.ai page compares cleanly with sibling servers.

  • Ira Li· Nov 23, 2024

    Browserbase is among the better-indexed MCP projects we tried; the explainx.ai summary tracks the official description.

  • Sophia Bansal· Nov 23, 2024

    We evaluated Browserbase against two servers with overlapping tools; this profile had the clearer scope statement.

  • Ishan Kapoor· Nov 19, 2024

    Browserbase has been reliable for tool-calling workflows; the MCP profile page is a good permalink for internal docs.

  • Harper Singh· Nov 19, 2024

    According to our notes, Browserbase benefits from clear Model Context Protocol framing — fewer ambiguous “AI plugin” claims.

showing 1-10 of 74

1 / 8