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Playwright MCP
Starter Kit

Your complete guide to AI-powered browser automation. Set up in 30 seconds and start running impressive automations immediately.

Section 1

Quick Setup Guide

For Claude Code

Easiest — 30 seconds

The One Command:

Terminal
$ claude mcp add playwright npx '@playwright/mcp@latest'

How to Verify:

  1. 1. Type /mcp in Claude Code
  2. 2. You should see "playwright" in the list of connected servers
  3. 3. Ready to go!

For Claude Desktop

Step 1: Find Your Config File

Mac:

Finder
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows:

Explorer
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Step 2: Paste This Config

If your file is empty or only has {}, replace everything with:

claude_desktop_config.json 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@playwright/mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

If you already have other MCP servers configured, just add the playwright section inside your existing mcpServers object.

Step 3: Fully Quit and Relaunch

  • Mac: Cmd+Q to fully quit (don't just close the window!)
  • Windows: File → Exit
  • Then reopen Claude Desktop

Verify: Click the MCP icon (hammer and wrench). You should see "playwright" connected.

For VS Code / Cursor

Step 1: Create the Config File

Create a file at .vscode/mcp.json in your project root (or workspace settings).

Step 2: Paste This Config

.vscode/mcp.json 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@playwright/mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Reload Window

  • Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P
  • Type "Reload Window"
  • Press Enter

Section 2

10 Copy-Paste Automation Prompts

Just copy these prompts and paste them into Claude after setup. Watch the magic happen!

01

Web Research Assistant

Use Playwright to research the top 3 results for "best project management tools 2026" on Google. For each result, navigate to the page and extract: - The main headline - Key features mentioned - Pricing information (if visible) - Any user testimonials Create a comparison table with your findings.

Use Case: Market research, competitive analysis, content research

02

Competitor Social Media Monitor

Use Playwright to visit [competitor's website] and check their social media presence. Navigate to their homepage and: - Find links to their social media profiles - Visit their LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and Instagram (if available) - For each platform, take a screenshot of their most recent post - Summarize their posting frequency and content style Save all screenshots to a folder called "competitor_social_audit".

Use Case: Social media strategy, competitive intelligence

03

Automated Form Filling

Use Playwright to fill out the demo request form at [target website URL]. Use these details: - Name: [Your Name] - Email: [Your Email] - Company: [Company Name] - Company Size: 50-100 - Message: "Interested in learning more about your enterprise features" Take a screenshot before submitting so I can review, but DON'T submit yet.

Use Case: Lead generation, testing signup flows, speed testing

04

Product Hunt Daily Scout

Use Playwright to visit Product Hunt and analyze today's top 5 products. For each product: - Get the product name and tagline - Count the number of upvotes - Read the first 3 comments to understand user sentiment - Take a screenshot of the product card Summarize which products are getting the most excited responses and why.

Use Case: Trend spotting, product inspiration, market validation

05

Smart Price Comparison

Use Playwright to compare prices for [product name] across these three websites: 1. [Website 1 URL] 2. [Website 2 URL] 3. [Website 3 URL] For each site: - Search for the product - Find the top result - Extract the current price - Note any discounts or special offers - Check shipping costs (if visible) Create a price comparison table and recommend the best deal.

Use Case: Shopping research, price monitoring, cost optimization

06

Website Health Check

Use Playwright to test my website [your website URL] and check: - Page load time (how long until the page is interactive) - Whether all main navigation links work (test each one) - Mobile responsiveness (resize the window to 375px wide and take a screenshot) - Whether the contact form loads properly - Any console errors that appear Give me a health report with screenshots and specific issues to fix.

Use Case: Website QA, pre-launch testing, monitoring

07

Design Inspiration Scraper

Use Playwright to visit [design gallery website like Dribbble/Behance] and collect inspiration for [project type]. Search for [search term] and: - Capture screenshots of the top 10 results - For each, note the designer's name and the number of likes - Save all screenshots to a folder called "design_inspiration_[date]" - Identify 3 common design patterns you notice This will be my mood board for an upcoming project.

Use Case: Creative research, mood boards, design trends

08

Job Board Automation

Use Playwright to search for [job title] positions on LinkedIn Jobs in [location/remote]. For the first 10 listings: - Get the job title and company name - Extract the key requirements (look for bullet points or listed qualifications) - Note the salary range (if posted) - Check if it says "Remote" or requires relocation - Get the application link Create a spreadsheet-formatted table I can review for my job search.

Use Case: Job hunting, hiring research, salary research

09

Visual Documentation Generator

Use Playwright to create a visual step-by-step guide for [process on a website]. Navigate to [starting URL] and: 1. Take a screenshot of the initial state 2. [Specific action, e.g., "Click the 'Get Started' button"] 3. Take a screenshot 4. [Next action] 5. Take a screenshot (Continue for 5-7 steps) Save all screenshots with descriptive names like "step1_homepage.png", "step2_signup_form.png", etc. This will become a tutorial.

Use Case: Creating tutorials, documentation, training materials

10

Multi-Step Lead Research Workflow

The "Wow" Prompt

Use Playwright to build a complete profile on [Company Name]: Step 1: Google Search - Search for "[Company Name] about" - Visit their official website - Extract their mission statement and key services Step 2: Social Presence - Find their LinkedIn company page - Note their follower count and recent post topics - Check if they have a Twitter/X account Step 3: Tech Stack (if visible) - Visit their careers page or product pages - Look for mentions of technologies they use (React, Python, AWS, etc.) Step 4: Recent News - Google "[Company Name] news" - Summarize the top 3 most recent articles or press releases Step 5: Visual Documentation - Take screenshots of their homepage, about page, and one product/service page Compile everything into a detailed company research brief I can use for outreach.

Use Case: Sales prospecting, partnership research, comprehensive due diligence

Section 3

Pro Tips

1. Be Specific With Selectors

Instead of: "Click the button" Try: "Click the blue 'Sign Up' button in the top right corner" Claude can see the page better when you describe elements clearly.

2. Use Wait Commands for Dynamic Sites

Add phrases like "wait for the page to fully load" or "wait for the results to appear" when dealing with sites that load content dynamically.

3. Take Screenshots Liberally

Screenshots are your proof of work and help you review results before taking irreversible actions (like submitting forms or making purchases).

4. Start Simple, Then Iterate

Test a single action first (like "navigate to the homepage and take a screenshot"), then build up to multi-step workflows once you see it working.

5. Save Your Best Prompts

Create a personal prompt library of automations that work well for you. Tweak and reuse them for different sites or purposes.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Browser is not installed" Error

The first time Playwright runs, it needs to download browser binaries. This is normal! Let it complete (takes 1-2 minutes). If it fails:

Terminal
$ npx playwright install

"Connection refused" or MCP Not Showing Up

Make sure you fully quit and restarted Claude (not just closed the window). On Mac, use Cmd+Q. On Windows, use File > Exit.

Playwright Works But Pages Won't Load

Some sites block automation. Try:

  • Adding "wait for 3 seconds after loading" to your prompt
  • Using a different browser (add "use Firefox" or "use WebKit" to your prompt)
  • Checking if the site requires login (some content is behind authentication)

Things Are Running Slowly

  • Playwright needs to launch a browser, which takes a few seconds
  • Complex sites with lots of JavaScript can take time to load
  • This is normal! The first run is always slowest

Claude Says It Can't Do Something

Rephrase your request to be more explicit about using Playwright:

  • Start with "Use Playwright to..."
  • Break complex tasks into smaller steps
  • Ask Claude to narrate what it's doing step-by-step

Section 4

Quick Reference Card

browser_navigate

Goes to any website URL you specify

"Visit Google.com"

browser_click

Clicks on buttons, links, or any clickable element

"Click the 'Learn More' button"

browser_fill_form

Types text into input fields (search bars, forms, etc.)

"Type 'Claude AI' into the search box"

browser_take_screenshot

Captures an image of the current page or specific elements

"Screenshot the entire homepage"

browser_evaluate

Reads content from the page (text, prices, headlines, etc.)

"Get the headline from this article"

browser_wait_for

Pauses until something appears or loads

"Wait for the search results to load"

browser_hover

Moves the mouse over an element (useful for dropdown menus)

"Hover over the Products menu"

browser_press_key

Presses keyboard keys (Enter, Tab, Escape, etc.)

"Press Enter to submit"

browser_snapshot

Gets a complete text description of everything on the page

"Tell me everything visible on this page"

browser_resize

Changes browser window size (for testing mobile views)

"Resize to iPhone size"

browser_tabs

Opens and manages multiple browser tabs

"Open three competitor sites in separate tabs"

browser_console_messages

Shows JavaScript errors and console logs (for debugging)

"Check if there are any errors on this page"

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