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Playwright MCP: AI-Powered Browser
Automation in 2025

Imagine this:

You’ve got an AI assistant that can log into websites, fill out forms, scrape job listings, and run browser-based tests, all without screenshots, flaky selectors, or brittle scripts.

This is not a dream. This is Playwright MCP.

Microsoft dropped this beast in March 2025, and it’s redefining how devs and QA engineers build smart automations. Think: ChatGPT or Claude controlling an actual browser.
If you’ve ever said “I wish I could just tell the test what to do,” now you can.

So let’s break it all down, step by step — the why, the how, the gotchas — and get you started today.

What Is Playwright MCP?

Playwright MCP stands for Model Context Protocol — a special server that lets large language models (LLMs) like Claude, Copilot, or ChatGPT control a real browser using Microsoft Playwright (https://playwright.dev)

But here’s the twist:
Instead of relying on images or fragile selectors, it reads the accessibility tree of a webpage — a structured representation of what’s actually there.

Think of it like giving your AI x-ray vision to “see” buttons, labels, inputs, and more — just like a human would.

That means:

Faster automation
More reliable interactions
No screenshot hacks
Zero pixel-matching nonsense

You say:

> “Click the Login button.”

MCP says:

> “Done.”

Key Features (That Actually Matter)

Snapshot Mode (Default)

Lightning-fast
Reads page structure from accessibility tree
Ideal for form filling, navigation, and scraping

Vision Mode (Fallback)

Only for visual elements not captured in accessibility
Slower and less reliable, but a backup when needed

Cross-Browser Compatibility

Supports Chromium, Firefox, WebKit
Run your automation across all major browsers

Seamless AI Integrations

Works with:

Claude Desktop
Cursor IDE
GitHub Copilot inside VS Code

Stealth + Real Automation

Executes JS
Logs browser console
Supports headless/headful modes
Can evade basic anti-bot detection

Why Is Everyone Talking About It?

1. No fragile selectors or pixel-clicking logic
2. Your AI acts like a junior QA engineer
3. You write less code and move faster
4. Tests are more robust, more human-like
5. Perfect match for scraping, form bots, API + UI validations

Full Setup Guide: Step-by-Step

Let’s not skip anything.

Here’s how to get Playwright MCP up and running with Claude or Copilot — from zero to working server.

Step 1: Prerequisites

You’ll need:

Node.js (LTS version) → Install here
npm (comes with Node)
Basic terminal access (Mac/Linux/Windows)
VS Code or Claude Desktop installed

Step 2: Install Playwright MCP

You have two options:

Option A: Install globally

npm install -g @playwright/mcp

Option B: Temporary install

npx @playwright/mcp@latest

Step 3: Install Browsers

Playwright supports all major browsers. Install them in one shot:

npx playwright install chromium firefox webkit

Step 4: Run the MCP Server

This makes your local machine ready to accept AI commands.

npx @playwright/mcp@latest --port 8931 --host 0.0.0.0

Add -- headless to run browser invisibly (for CI pipelines

Step 5: Connect Claude Desktop (Optional)

Edit your Claude config:

nano ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Add this:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest", "--headless"]
    }
  }
}

Save the file and restart Claude Desktop.

Step 6: Connect GitHub Copilot in VS Code

Run this terminal command:

code --add-mcp '{"name":"playwright","command":"npx","args":["@playwright/mcp@latest"]}'

Then in VS Code:

Open Command Palette (`Ctrl+Shift+P`)
Search for “MCP” to verify connection

Let's Run a Real Test (Claude + Login Page)

Open Claude Desktop or Cursor IDE and say:

1. Go to https://the-internet.herokuapp.com/login  
2. Enter username "tomsmith"  
3. Enter password "SuperSecretPassword!"  
4. Click Login  
5. Confirm success message says "You logged into a secure area!"

Claude will generate:

const { test, expect } = require('@playwright/test');

test('Login Test', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('https://the-internet.herokuapp.com/login');
  await page.fill('#username', 'tomsmith');
  await page.fill('#password', 'SuperSecretPassword!');
  await page.click('button[type="submit"]');
  const msg = await page.locator('.flash.success');
  await expect(msg).toContainText('You logged into a secure area!');
});

Run it:

npx playwright test login.test.js

✅ You just ran a fully automated login test. With AI.

What Can You Build With This?

End-to-End Testing
Scraping real websites
Form-fill bots (like job applications or HR portals)
Combined API + UI testing
Security testing for XSS and injection flaws

Why You’ll Love It?

Speed: Snapshot Mode is blazing fast
Intelligence: Understands web pages like humans do
Stability: Less flaky than Puppeteer or Selenium
Low-code: Describe the task, and AI writes the test
Cross-browser: From Chrome to Safari, no extra work

What You Should Know:

1. Setup Can Be Tricky
You need Node.js, config changes, and CLI usage
→ Use npx for lighter installs

2. Vision Mode Is Slower
Fallback for visual tasks
→ Prefer Snapshot for 90% of use cases

3. Still Growing
New tech (March 2025)
→ Fewer StackOverflow answers, more GitHub activity

4. Headful Mode = Heavy
Visual browser = high memory
→ Use headless mode for speed and scaling

Want to Master This With a Mentor?

If you're serious about becoming a QA Automation Engineer with future-proof skills — we’ve got you covered.

At Codemify, we now teach Playwright with AI tools like MCP, Claude, and Copilot, with real-world labs, projects, and mentor support from someone who's been in test automation for 10+ years (yours truly).

The future of QA is already here. Let's build it together.

Should You Learn It?

If you're building, testing, scraping, or just curious — yes.

Playwright MCP is like giving your LLM the brain of a junior QA and the speed of a pro.
It's clean, fast, scalable, and lets AI speak browser natively.

✅ Faster testing
✅ Fewer bugs
✅ More confidence
✅ Less code

This is what modern automation looks like.
And you're early.

Apply to the Codemify Bootcamp — and start building your future now.
Let’s make tech simple — and profitable — for you.

See you in class,
— Sergii
Founder of Codemify
Follow us on YouTube | Join the Bootcamp

ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATION

Schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation with Sergii to discuss your testing career and job opportunities.
Limited slots are available!

We help ambitious people to get into Tech with no prior experience.

Playwright MCP: AI-Powered Browser Automation in 2025

Playwright MCP: AI-Powered Browser
Automation in 2025