blueprint-mcp
MCP server for browser automation across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari using real browser profiles
Documentation
Blueprint MCP
> Control your real browser with AI through the Model Context Protocol
What is this?
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets AI assistants control your actual browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Opera) through a browser extension. Unlike headless automation tools, this uses your real browser profile with all your logged-in sessions, cookies, and extensions intact.
Perfect for: AI agents that need to interact with sites where you're already logged in, or that need to avoid bot detection.
Why use this instead of Playwright/Puppeteer?
| Blueprint MCP | Playwright/Puppeteer |
|---|---|
| ✅ Real browser (not headless) | ❌ Headless or new browser instance |
| ✅ Stays logged in to all your sites | ❌ Must re-authenticate each session |
| ✅ Avoids bot detection (uses real fingerprint) | ⚠️ Often detected as automated browser |
| ✅ Works with your existing browser extensions | ❌ No extension support |
| ✅ Zero setup - works out of the box | ⚠️ Requires browser installation |
| ✅ Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera support | ✅ Chrome, Firefox, Safari support |
Installation
1. Install the MCP Server
npm install -g @railsblueprint/blueprint-mcp2. Install the Browser Extension
Choose your browser:
Chrome / Edge / Opera
- Chrome Web Store (works for all Chromium browsers)
- Manual: Download from Releases, then load unpacked at `chrome://extensions/` (Chrome), `edge://extensions/` (Edge), or `opera://extensions/` (Opera)
Firefox
- Firefox Add-ons
- Manual: Download from Releases, then load at `about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox`
3. Configure your MCP client
Claude Desktop (`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`):
{
"mcpServers": {
"browser": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@railsblueprint/blueprint-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}Claude Code (AI-powered CLI):
claude mcp add browser npx @railsblueprint/blueprint-mcp@latestVS Code / Cursor (`.vscode/settings.json`):
{
"mcp.servers": {
"browser": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@railsblueprint/blueprint-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}Quick Start
1. Start your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.)
2. Click the Blueprint MCP extension icon in your browser
3. The extension auto-connects to the MCP server
4. Ask your AI assistant to browse!
Example conversations:
You: "Go to GitHub and check my notifications"
AI: *navigates to github.com, clicks notifications, reads content*
You: "Fill out this form with my info"
AI: *reads form fields, fills them in, submits*
You: "Take a screenshot of this page"
AI: *captures screenshot and shows you*How it works
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ AI Assistant │
│ (Claude, GPT, etc) │
└───────────┬─────────────┘
│
│ MCP Protocol
↓
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ MCP Client │
│ (Claude Desktop, etc) │
└───────────┬─────────────┘
│
│ stdio/JSON-RPC
↓
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ blueprint-mcp │
│ (this package) │
└───────────┬─────────────┘
│
│ WebSocket (localhost:5555 or cloud relay)
↓
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ Browser Extension │
└───────────┬─────────────┘
│
│ Browser Extension APIs
↓
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ Your Browser │
│ (real profile) │
└─────────────────────────┘Free vs PRO
Free Tier (Default)
- ✅ Local WebSocket connection (port 5555)
- ✅ Single browser instance
- ✅ All browser automation features
- ✅ No account required
- ❌ Limited to same machine
PRO Tier
- ✅ Cloud relay - connect from anywhere
- ✅ Multiple browsers - control multiple browser instances
- ✅ Shared access - multiple AI clients can use same browser
- ✅ Auto-reconnect - maintains connection through network changes
- ✅ Priority support
Available Tools
The MCP server provides these tools to AI assistants:
Connection Management
- `enable` - Activate browser automation (required first step)
- `disable` - Deactivate browser automation
- `status` - Check connection status
- `auth` - Login to PRO account (for cloud relay features)
Tab Management
- `browser_tabs` - List, create, attach to, or close browser tabs
Navigation
- `browser_navigate` - Navigate to a URL
- `browser_navigate_back` - Go back in history
Content & Inspection
- `browser_snapshot` - Get accessible page content (recommended for reading pages)
- `browser_take_screenshot` - Capture visual screenshot
- `browser_console_messages` - Get browser console logs
- `browser_network_requests` - Powerful network monitoring and replay tool with multiple actions:
- List mode (default): Lightweight overview with filtering and pagination (default: 20 requests)
- Filters: `urlPattern` (substring), `method` (GET/POST), `status` (200/404), `resourceType` (xhr/fetch/script)
- Pagination: `limit` (default: 20), `offset` (default: 0)
- Example: `action='list', urlPattern='api/users', method='GET', limit=10`
- Details mode: Full request/response data for specific request including headers and bodies
- JSONPath filtering: Query large JSON responses using JSONPath syntax (e.g., `$.data.items[0]`)
- Replay mode: Re-execute captured requests with original headers and authentication
- Clear mode: Clear captured history to free memory
- Example: `action='details', requestId='12345.67', jsonPath='$.data.users[0]'`
- List mode (default): Lightweight overview with filtering and pagination (default: 20 requests)
- `browser_extract_content` - Extract page content as markdown
Interaction
- `browser_interact` - Perform multiple actions in sequence (click, type, hover, wait, etc.)
- `browser_click` - Click on elements
- `browser_type` - Type text into inputs
- `browser_hover` - Hover over elements
- `browser_select_option` - Select dropdown options
- `browser_fill_form` - Fill multiple form fields at once
- `browser_press_key` - Press keyboard keys
- `browser_drag` - Drag and drop elements
Advanced
- `browser_evaluate` - Execute JavaScript in page context
- `browser_handle_dialog` - Handle alert/confirm/prompt dialogs
- `browser_file_upload` - Upload files through file inputs
- `browser_window` - Resize, minimize, maximize browser window
- `browser_pdf_save` - Save current page as PDF
- `browser_performance_metrics` - Get performance metrics
- `browser_verify_text_visible` - Verify text is present (for testing)
- `browser_verify_element_visible` - Verify element exists (for testing)
Extension Management
- `browser_list_extensions` - List installed browser extensions
- `browser_reload_extensions` - Reload unpacked extensions (useful during development)
Development
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+
- A supported browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Opera)
- npm or yarn
Setup
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/railsblueprint/blueprint-mcp.git
cd blueprint-mcp
# Install server dependencies
cd server
npm install
cd ..
# Install Chrome extension dependencies
cd extensions/chrome
npm install
cd ../..Running in Development
Terminal 1: Start MCP server in debug mode
cd server
node cli.js --debugTerminal 2: Build Chrome extension
cd extensions/chrome
npm run build
# or for watch mode:
npm run devNote: Firefox extension doesn't require a build step - it uses vanilla JavaScript and can be loaded directly from `extensions/firefox/`
Load extension in your browser:
For Chromium browsers (Chrome, Edge, Opera):
1. Open `chrome://extensions/` (Chrome), `edge://extensions/` (Edge), or `opera://extensions/` (Opera)
2. Enable "Developer mode"
3. Click "Load unpacked"
4. Select the `extensions/chrome/dist` folder
For Firefox:
1. Open `about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox`
2. Click "Load Temporary Add-on"
3. Select any file from the `extensions/firefox` folder
Project Structure
blueprint-mcp/
├── server/ # MCP Server
│ ├── cli.js # Server entry point
│ ├── src/
│ │ ├── statefulBackend.js # Connection state management
│ │ ├── unifiedBackend.js # MCP tool implementations
│ │ ├── extensionServer.js # WebSocket server for extension
│ │ ├── mcpConnection.js # Proxy/relay connection handling
│ │ ├── transport.js # Transport abstraction layer
│ │ ├── oauth.js # OAuth2 client for PRO features
│ │ └── fileLogger.js # Debug logging
│ └── tests/ # Server test suites
├── extensions/ # Browser Extensions
│ ├── chrome/ # Chrome extension (TypeScript + Vite)
│ │ └── src/
│ │ ├── background.ts # Extension service worker
│ │ ├── content-script.ts # Page content injection
│ │ └── utils/ # Utility functions
│ ├── firefox/ # Firefox extension (Vanilla JS)
│ │ └── src/
│ │ ├── background.js # Service worker
│ │ └── content-script.js # Page injection
│ ├── shared/ # Shared code between extensions
│ └── build-*.js # Build scripts for each browser
├── docs/ # Documentation
│ ├── testing/ # Test documentation
│ ├── architecture/ # Architecture docs
│ └── stores/ # Browser store assets
└── releases/ # Built extensions for distribution
├── chrome/
├── firefox/
├── edge/
└── opera/Testing
# Run tests
npm test
# Run with coverage
npm run test:coverageDocumentation:
- Manual Test Procedures - Comprehensive manual testing guide
- Feature Specification - Complete feature documentation
- Test Progress - Current test coverage status
Configuration
The server works out-of-the-box with sensible defaults. For advanced configuration:
Environment Variables
Create a `.env` file in the project root:
# Authentication server (PRO features)
AUTH_BASE_URL=https://blueprint-mcp.railsblueprint.com
# Local WebSocket port (Free tier)
MCP_PORT=5555
# Debug mode
DEBUG=falseCommand Line Options
blueprint-mcp --debug # Enable verbose logging
blueprint-mcp --port 8080 # Use custom WebSocket port (default: 5555)
blueprint-mcp --debug --port 8080 # Combine optionsNote: If you change the port, you'll need to update your browser extension settings to match.
Troubleshooting
Extension won't connect
1. Check the extension is installed and enabled
2. Click the extension icon - it should show "Connected"
3. Check the MCP server is running (look for process on port 5555)
4. Try reloading the extension
"Port 5555 already in use"
Another instance is running. You can either:
1. Kill the existing process:
lsof -ti:5555 | xargs kill -92. Use a different port:
blueprint-mcp --port 8080Browser tools not working
1. Make sure you've called `enable` first
2. Check you've attached to a tab with `browser_tabs`
3. Verify the tab still exists (wasn't closed)
Getting help
Contributing
We welcome contributions! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
Security
This tool gives AI assistants control over your browser. Please review:
- The MCP server only accepts local connections by default (localhost:5555)
- PRO relay connections are authenticated via OAuth
- The extension requires explicit user action to connect
- All browser actions go through the browser's permission system
Found a security issue? Please email security@railsblueprint.com instead of filing a public issue.
Credits
This project was originally inspired by Microsoft's Playwright MCP implementation but has been completely rewritten to use browser extension-based automation instead of Playwright. The architecture, implementation, and approach are fundamentally different.
Key differences:
- Uses browser extensions with DevTools Protocol (not Playwright)
- Works with real browser profiles (not isolated contexts)
- WebSocket-based communication (not CDP relay)
- Cloud relay option for remote access
- Free and PRO tier model
- Multi-browser support (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera)
We're grateful to the Playwright team for pioneering browser automation via MCP.
License
Apache License 2.0 - see LICENSE
Copyright (c) 2025 Rails Blueprint
**Built with ❤️ by Rails Blueprint**
Website •
GitHub •
Frequently asked questions
What is blueprint-mcp?
blueprint-mcp is MCP server for browser automation across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari using real browser profiles
How do I install blueprint-mcp?
Open the GitHub repository and follow its README. Most MCP servers are added to your client's MCP config, then called by your agent.
Is blueprint-mcp open source?
Yes — it is hosted on GitHub at https://github.com/railsblueprint/blueprint-mcp and has 99 stars.
Related MCP tools
🔥 Official Firecrawl MCP Server - Adds powerful web scraping and search to Cursor, Claude and any other LLM clients.
Use any LLMs (Large Language Models) for Deep Research. Support SSE API and MCP server.
Enhanced MCP server for interactive user feedback and command execution in AI-assisted development, featuring dual interface support (Web UI and Desktop Application) with intelligent environment detection and cross-platform compatibility.
A powerful Zotero AI and MCP plugin with ChatGPT, Gemini 3.7, Claude Fable 5, Claude Opus 5, DeepSeek V4, Grok, OpenRouter, Kimi k3, GLM 5.3, SiliconFlow, GPT-oss, Gemma 4, Qwen 3.8
Connect your browser to AI models. Just use Dia on Chrome, Arc or Firefox.
文颜 MCP Server 可以让 AI 自动将 Markdown 文章排版后发布至微信公众号。
Run your own MCP server? See who uses it and what to fix.
Measure it with TrackMCP