Full Chrome DevTools MCP parity, rebuilt for Brave.
brave-mcp gives Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, and other MCP clients direct access to Brave for browser automation, network and console debugging, performance analysis, screenshots, accessibility inspection, and memory profiling. A standalone brave-devtools CLI is included too.
claude mcp add brave-devtools --scope user -- npx -y brave-mcp@latest
cursor --add-mcp '{"name":"brave-devtools","command":"npx","args":["-y","brave-mcp@latest"]}'
codex mcp add brave-devtools -- npx -y brave-mcp@latest
opencode mcp add brave-devtools -- npx -y brave-mcp@latest
Restart your client, then try this prompt:
Open my app in Brave. Find console errors and failed network requests, inspect the accessibility tree, run Lighthouse, and explain the highest-impact issue.
| Capability | brave-mcp | chrome-devtools-mcp |
|---|---|---|
| Browser launched and discovered natively | Brave Release, Beta, and Nightly | Chrome Stable, Beta, Dev, and Canary |
| Attach to an existing browser | Brave profiles, HTTP, or WebSocket | Chrome profiles, HTTP, or WebSocket |
| Upstream DevTools features | Full parity; currently 0 commits behind | Source implementation |
| Usage telemetry | Disabled by default | Enabled by default |
| Standalone CLI | brave-devtools | chrome-devtools |
Use Chrome DevTools MCP when your target browser is Chrome. Use brave-mcp when your target browser is Brave and you want Brave-native discovery, profiles, channels, naming, and privacy defaults without giving up upstream features.
brave-mcp exposes content of the browser instance to the MCP clients
allowing them to inspect, debug, and modify any data in the browser or DevTools.
Avoid sharing sensitive or personal information that you don't want to share with
MCP clients.
brave-mcp officially supports the current Brave release. Beta and Nightly channels can be selected explicitly.
Performance tools may send trace URLs to the Google CrUX API to fetch real-user
experience data. This helps provide a holistic performance picture by
presenting field data alongside lab data. This data is collected by the Chrome
User Experience Report (CrUX). To disable
this, run with the --no-performance-crux flag.
Usage statistics collection is disabled by default in this fork. It can be enabled explicitly with --usage-statistics, which uses the upstream Google Clearcut implementation:
"args": ["-y", "brave-mcp@latest", "--usage-statistics"]
When enabled, Google handles this data in accordance with the Google Privacy Policy. Collection remains disabled if BRAVE_DEVTOOLS_MCP_NO_USAGE_STATISTICS or CI is set.
By default, the server periodically checks the npm registry for updates and logs a notification when a newer version is available.
You can disable these update checks by setting BRAVE_DEVTOOLS_MCP_NO_UPDATE_CHECKS.
Add the following config to your MCP client:
{
"mcpServers": {
"brave-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "brave-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}
[!NOTE] Using
brave-mcp@latestensures that your MCP client will always use the latest version of the Brave DevTools MCP server.
If you are interested in doing only basic browser tasks, use the --slim mode:
{
"mcpServers": {
"brave-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "brave-mcp@latest", "--slim", "--headless"]
}
}
}
See Slim tool reference.
amp mcp add brave-devtools -- npx brave-mcp@latest
To use the Brave DevTools MCP server follow the instructions from Antigravity's docs to install a custom MCP server. Add the following config to the MCP servers config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"brave-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"brave-mcp@latest",
"--browser-url=http://127.0.0.1:9222"
]
}
}
}
This will make the Brave DevTools MCP server automatically connect to the browser that Antigravity is using. If you are not using port 9222, make sure to adjust accordingly.
Brave DevTools MCP will not start the browser instance automatically using this approach because the Brave DevTools MCP server connects to Antigravity's built-in browser. If the browser is not already running, you have to start it first by clicking the Chrome icon at the top right corner.
Follow the IBM Bob MCP guide and add the Brave DevTools MCP server to your Bob MCP configuration. Use the global config (~/.bob/mcp.json) to apply it across all workspaces, or a project config (.bob/mcp.json) to scope it to one project:
{
"mcpServers": {
"brave-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "brave-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}
You can edit these files from Bob panel → Settings → MCP → Edit Global MCP (or Edit Project MCP). Bob hot-reloads on save. Once the server appears in the MCP tab, switch to the 🌎 Browser Dev mode to get guided browser debugging directly in Bob.
Install via CLI (MCP only)
Use the Claude Code CLI to add the Brave DevTools MCP server (guide):
claude mcp add brave-devtools --scope user npx brave-mcp@latest
Install as a Plugin (MCP + Skills)
[!NOTE] If you already had Brave DevTools MCP installed previously for Claude Code, make sure to remove it first from your installation and configuration files.
To install Brave DevTools MCP with skills, add the marketplace registry in Claude Code:
/plugin marketplace add triuzzi/brave-devtools-mcp
Then, install the plugin:
/plugin install brave-devtools-mcp@brave-devtools-plugins
Restart Claude Code to have the MCP server and skills load (check with /skills).
[!TIP] If the plugin installation fails with a
Failed to clone repositoryerror (e.g., HTTPS connectivity issues behind a corporate firewall), see the troubleshooting guide for workarounds, or use the CLI installation method above instead.
codex mcp add brave-devtools -- npx brave-mcp@latest
On Windows 11
Configure the Brave install location and increase the startup timeout by updating .codex/config.toml and adding the following env and startup_timeout_ms parameters:
[mcp_servers.brave-devtools]
command = "cmd"
args = [
"/c",
"npx",
"-y",
"brave-mcp@latest",
]
env = { SystemRoot="C:\\Windows", PROGRAMFILES="C:\\Program Files" }
startup_timeout_ms = 20_000
Use the Command Code CLI to add the Brave DevTools MCP server (MCP guide):
cmd mcp add brave-devtools --scope user npx brave-mcp@latest
Start Copilot CLI:
copilot
Start the dialog to add a new MCP server by running:
/mcp add
Configure the following fields and press CTRL+S to save the configuration:
brave-devtools[1] Localnpx -y brave-mcp@latestInstall as a Plugin (Recommended)
The easiest way to get up and running is to install brave-mcp as an agent plugin.
This bundles the MCP server and all skills together, so your agent gets both the tools
and the expert guidance it needs to use them effectively.
Cmd+Shift+P on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux).triuzzi/brave-devtools-mcp.That's it! Your agent is now supercharged with Brave DevTools capabilities.
Install as an MCP Server (MCP only)
Click the button to install:
Or install manually:
Follow the VS Code MCP configuration guide using the standard config from above, or use the CLI:
For macOS and Linux:
code --add-mcp '{"name":"io.github.triuzzi/brave-devtools-mcp","command":"npx","args":["-y","brave-mcp"],"env":{}}'
For Windows (PowerShell):
code --add-mcp '{"""name""":"""io.github.triuzzi/brave-devtools-mcp""","""command""":"""npx""","""args""":["""-y""","""brave-mcp"""]}'
Click the button to install:
Or install manually:
Go to Cursor Settings -> MCP -> New MCP Server. Use the config provided above.
Install via CLI (MCP only)
Use the Devin CLI to add the Brave DevTools MCP server (guide):
devin mcp add brave-devtools -- npx brave-mcp@latest
droid mcp add brave-devtools "npx -y brave-mcp@latest"
Project wide:
# Either MCP only:
gemini mcp add brave-devtools npx brave-mcp@latest
# Or as a Gemini extension (MCP+Skills):
gemini extensions install --auto-update https://github.com/triuzzi/brave-devtools-mcp
Globally:
gemini mcp add -s user brave-devtools npx brave-mcp@latest
Alternatively, follow the MCP guide and use the standard config from above.
Go to Settings | Tools | AI Assistant | Model Context Protocol (MCP) -> Add. Use the config provided above.
The same way brave-mcp can be configured for JetBrains Junie in Settings | Tools | Junie | MCP Settings -> Add. Use the config provided above.
In Kiro Settings, go to Configure MCP > Open Workspace or User MCP Config > Use the configuration snippet provided above.
Or, from the IDE Activity Bar > Kiro > MCP Servers > Click Open MCP Config. Use the configuration snippet provided above.
The Brave DevTools MCP server can be used with Katalon StudioAssist via an MCP proxy.
Step 1: Install the MCP proxy by following the MCP proxy setup guide.
Step 2: Start the Brave DevTools MCP server with the proxy:
mcp-proxy --transport streamablehttp --port 8080 -- npx -y brave-mcp@latest
Note: You may need to pick another port if 8080 is already in use.
Step 3: In Katalon Studio, add the server to StudioAssist with the following settings:
http://127.0.0.1:8080/mcpHTTPOnce connected, the Brave DevTools MCP tools will be available in StudioAssist.
Add in ~/.vibe/config.toml:
[[mcp_servers]]
name = "brave-devtools"
transport = "stdio"
command = "npx"
args = ["brave-mcp@latest"]
Add the following configuration to your opencode.json file. If you don't have one, create it at ~/.config/opencode/opencode.json (guide):
{
"$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
"mcp": {
"brave-devtools": {
"type": "local",
"command": ["npx", "-y", "brave-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}
In Qoder Settings, go to MCP Server > + Add > Use the configuration snippet provided above.
Alternatively, follow the MCP guide and use the standard config from above.
Install the Brave DevTools MCP server using the Qoder CLI (guide):
Project wide:
qodercli mcp add brave-devtools -- npx brave-mcp@latest
Globally:
qodercli mcp add -s user brave-devtools -- npx brave-mcp@latest
Click the button to install:
Go to Settings | AI | Manage MCP Servers -> + Add to add an MCP Server. Use the config provided above.
Enter the following prompt in your MCP Client to check if everything is working:
Check the performance of https://developers.chrome.com
Your MCP client should open the browser and record a performance trace.
[!NOTE] The MCP server will start the browser automatically once the MCP client uses a tool that requires a running browser instance. Connecting to the Brave DevTools MCP server on its own will not automatically start the browser.
If you run into any issues, checkout our troubleshooting guide.
take_heapsnapshotclose_heapsnapshotcompare_heapsnapshotsget_heapsnapshot_class_nodesget_heapsnapshot_detailsget_heapsnapshot_dominatorsget_heapsnapshot_duplicate_stringsget_heapsnapshot_edgesget_heapsnapshot_object_detailsget_heapsnapshot_retainersget_heapsnapshot_retaining_pathsget_heapsnapshot_summaryThe Brave DevTools MCP server supports the following configuration option:
--autoConnect/ --auto-connect
If specified, automatically connects to a Brave instance running locally from the user data directory identified by the channel parameter (default channel is release). Requires remote debugging to be enabled via brave://inspect/#remote-debugging.
false--browserUrl/ --browser-url, -u
Connect to a running, debuggable Brave instance (e.g. http://127.0.0.1:9222). For more details see: https://github.com/triuzzi/brave-devtools-mcp#connecting-to-a-running-brave-instance.
false--wsEndpoint/ --ws-endpoint, -w
WebSocket endpoint to connect to a running Brave instance (e.g., ws://127.0.0.1:9222/devtools/browser/). Alternative to --browserUrl.
false--wsHeaders/ --ws-headers
Custom headers for WebSocket connection in JSON format (e.g., '{"Authorization":"Bearer token"}'). Only works with --wsEndpoint.
false--headless
Whether to run in headless (no UI) mode.
false--executablePath/ --executable-path, -e
Path to a custom Brave executable. Can also be set via BRAVE_PATH.
false--isolated
If specified, creates a temporary user-data-dir that is automatically cleaned up after the browser is closed. Defaults to false.
false--userDataDir/ --user-data-dir
Path to the user data directory for Brave. Default is $HOME/.cache/brave-devtools-mcp/brave-profile$CHANNEL_SUFFIX_IF_NON_RELEASE
false--channel
Specify a different Brave channel. The default is the release channel.
release, beta, nightlyfalse--logFile/ --log-file
Path to a file to write debug logs to. Set the env variable DEBUG to * to enable verbose logs. Useful for submitting bug reports.
false--viewport
Initial viewport size for Brave instances started by the server. For example, 1280x720. In headless mode, max size is 3840x2160px.
false--proxyServer/ --proxy-server
Proxy server configuration for Brave passed as --proxy-server when launching the browser. See https://www.chromium.org/developers/design-documents/network-settings/ for details.
false--acceptInsecureCerts/ --accept-insecure-certs
If enabled, ignores errors relative to self-signed and expired certificates. Use with caution.
false--experimentalPageIdRouting/ --experimental-page-id-routing
Whether to expose pageId on page-scoped tools and route requests by page ID (useful for concurrent agent sessions).
false--experimentalDevtools/ --experimental-devtools
Whether to enable automation over DevTools targets
false--experimentalVision/ --experimental-vision
Whether to enable coordinate-based tools such as click_at(x,y). Usually requires a computer-use model able to produce accurate coordinates by looking at screenshots.
false--memoryDebugging/ --memory-debugging, -experimentalMemory
Whether to enable memory debugging tools.
false--experimentalStructuredContent/ --experimental-structured-content
Whether to output structured formatted content.
false--experimentalIncludeAllPages/ --experimental-include-all-pages
Whether to include all kinds of pages such as webviews or background pages as pages.
false--experimentalScreencast/ --experimental-screencast
Exposes experimental screencast tools (requires ffmpeg). Install ffmpeg https://www.ffmpeg.org/download.html and ensure it is available in the MCP server PATH.
false--experimentalFfmpegPath/ --experimental-ffmpeg-path
Path to ffmpeg executable for screencast recording.
false--categoryExperimentalWebmcp/ --category-experimental-webmcp
Set to true to enable debugging WebMCP tools. Requires a recent Brave version with the following flags: --enable-features=WebMCP,DevToolsWebMCPSupport
false--braveArg/ --brave-arg
Additional arguments for Brave. Only applies when Brave is launched by brave-devtools-mcp.
false--blockedUrlPattern/ --blocked-url-pattern
Restricts browser's network access by blocking specified URL patterns (uses https://urlpattern.spec.whatwg.org/). Silently detaches from targets with blocked URLs upon connection, and blocks runtime requests (including navigations and subresources). Accepts an array of patterns.
false--allowedUrlPattern/ --allowed-url-pattern
Restricts browser's network access by allowing only specified URL patterns (uses https://urlpattern.spec.whatwg.org/). Requires a recent Brave version. Silently detaches from targets with unallowed URLs upon connection, and blocks runtime requests (including navigations and subresources). Accepts an array of patterns.
false--ignoreDefaultBraveArg/ --ignore-default-brave-arg
Explicitly disable default arguments for Brave. Only applies when Brave is launched by brave-devtools-mcp.
false--categoryEmulation/ --category-emulation
Set to false to exclude tools related to emulation.
true--categoryPerformance/ --category-performance
Set to false to exclude tools related to performance.
true--categoryNetwork/ --category-network
Set to false to exclude tools related to network.
true--categoryExtensions/ --category-extensions
Set to true to include tools related to extensions. This feature is only supported with a pipe connection; autoConnect, browserUrl, and wsEndpoint are not supported.
false--categoryExperimentalThirdParty/ --category-experimental-third-party
Set to true to enable third-party developer tools exposed by the inspected page itself
false--categoryPwa/ --category-pwa
Set to true to include tools for automating Progressive Web Apps (install, launch, uninstall, and OS state). This feature is only supported with a pipe connection; autoConnect, browserUrl, and wsEndpoint are not supported.
false--performanceCrux/ --performance-crux
Set to false to disable sending URLs from performance traces to CrUX API to get field performance data.
true--usageStatistics/ --usage-statistics
Usage statistics collection is disabled by default in this fork.
false--screenshotFormat/ --screenshot-format
Override the default output format used by take_screenshot when the caller does not specify one. JPEG and WebP are ~3-5x smaller than PNG, which helps reduce context size in AI conversations. Unset preserves the existing default ("png").
jpeg, png, webpfalse--screenshotQuality/ --screenshot-quality
Override the default compression quality (0-100) used by take_screenshot for JPEG and WebP when the caller does not specify one. Lower values mean smaller files. Ignored for PNG. Unset preserves the Puppeteer default.
false--screenshotMaxWidth/ --screenshot-max-width
Maximum width in pixels for screenshots. If the captured image is wider, it is downscaled (preserving aspect ratio) before being returned. Reduces context size in AI conversations. Unset means no resize.
false--screenshotMaxHeight/ --screenshot-max-height
Maximum height in pixels for screenshots. If the captured image is taller, it is downscaled (preserving aspect ratio) before being returned. Can be combined with --screenshot-max-width; the smaller scale factor wins. Unset means no resize.
false--slim
Exposes a "slim" set of 3 tools covering navigation, script execution and screenshots only. Useful for basic browser tasks.
false--redactNetworkHeaders/ --redact-network-headers
If true, redacts some of the network headers considered sensitive before returning to the client.
false--allowUnrestrictedPaths/ --allow-unrestricted-paths
If set, disables the default path restriction that applies when the MCP client does not negotiate the roots capability. By default, file-writing tools are restricted to the OS temp directory when no roots are configured. Use this only when connecting a trusted local client that does not implement MCP roots and requires access to paths outside the temp directory.
falsePass them via the args property in the JSON configuration. For example:
{
"mcpServers": {
"brave-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"brave-mcp@latest",
"--channel=nightly",
"--headless=true",
"--isolated=true"
]
}
}
}
You can connect directly to a Brave WebSocket endpoint and include custom headers (e.g., for authentication):
{
"mcpServers": {
"brave-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"brave-mcp@latest",
"--wsEndpoint=ws://127.0.0.1:9222/devtools/browser/<id>",
"--wsHeaders={\"Authorization\":\"Bearer YOUR_TOKEN\"}"
]
}
}
}
To get the WebSocket endpoint from a running Brave instance, visit http://127.0.0.1:9222/json/version and look for the webSocketDebuggerUrl field.
You can also run npx brave-mcp@latest --help to see all available configuration options.
Most MCP clients start one Brave DevTools MCP server per conversation. If your
client shares a single server instance across concurrent agents or subagents,
start the server with --experimentalPageIdRouting. This exposes pageId on
page-scoped tools so each agent can route tool calls to the tab it is working
with.
{
"mcpServers": {
"brave-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "brave-mcp@latest", "--experimentalPageIdRouting"]
}
}
}
If you run multiple independent MCP client sessions and want each session to
launch its own temporary Brave profile, also pass --isolated. This avoids
sharing the default Brave DevTools MCP user data directory between those
server instances.
By default, brave-mcp starts the Brave release channel using the following user
data directory:
$HOME/.cache/brave-devtools-mcp/brave-profile%USERPROFILE%\.cache\brave-devtools-mcp\brave-profileFor non-release channels, the channel name is appended to the directory name, for example
brave-profile-nightly.
The user data directory is not cleared between runs and is reused for subsequent
runs with the same channel. Only one browser can use it at a time. Set the isolated
option to true to use a temporary user data directory instead which will be cleared
automatically after the browser is closed.
By default, the Brave DevTools MCP server will start a new Brave instance with a dedicated profile. This might not be ideal in all situations:
In these cases, start Brave first and let the Brave DevTools MCP server connect to it. There are two ways to do so:
Step 1: Set up remote debugging in Brave
In Brave, do the following to set up remote debugging:
brave://inspect/#remote-debugging to enable remote debugging.Step 2: Configure Brave DevTools MCP server to automatically connect to a running Brave instance
To connect the brave-mcp server to the running Brave instance, use
--autoConnect command line argument for the MCP server.
The following code snippet is an example configuration for gemini-cli:
{
"mcpServers": {
"brave-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["brave-mcp@latest", "--autoConnect"]
}
}
}
Step 3: Test your setup
Make sure your browser is running. Open gemini-cli and run the following prompt:
Check the performance of https://developers.chrome.com
[!NOTE] The
autoConnectoption requires the user to start Brave. If the user has multiple active profiles, the MCP server connects to Brave's default profile and can access all open windows for that profile.
The Brave DevTools MCP server will try to connect to your running Brave instance. It shows a dialog asking for user permission.
Clicking Allow results in the Brave DevTools MCP server opening developers.chrome.com and taking a performance trace.
You can connect to a running Brave instance by using the --browser-url option. This is useful if you are running the MCP server in a sandboxed environment that does not allow starting a new Brave instance.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to connect to a running Brave instance:
Step 1: Configure the MCP client
Add the --browser-url option to your MCP client configuration. The value of this option should be the URL of the running Brave instance. http://127.0.0.1:9222 is a common default.
{
"mcpServers": {
"brave-devtools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["brave-mcp@latest", "--browser-url=http://127.0.0.1:9222"]
}
}
}
Step 2: Start the Brave browser
[!WARNING] Enabling the remote debugging port opens up a debugging port on the running browser instance. Any application on your machine can connect to this port and control the browser. Make sure that you are not browsing any sensitive websites while the debugging port is open.
Start the Brave browser with the remote debugging port enabled. Make sure to close any running Brave instances before starting a new one with the debugging port enabled. The port number you choose must be the same as the one you specified in the --browser-url option in your MCP client configuration.
Use a dedicated user data directory when enabling the remote debugging port so your regular browsing profile and data are not exposed to the debugging session.
macOS
/Applications/Brave\ Browser.app/Contents/MacOS/Brave\ Browser --remote-debugging-port=9222 --user-data-dir=/tmp/brave-profile-release
Linux
/usr/bin/brave-browser --remote-debugging-port=9222 --user-data-dir=/tmp/brave-profile-release
Windows
"C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe" --remote-debugging-port=9222 --user-data-dir="%TEMP%\brave-profile-release"
Step 3: Test your setup
After configuring the MCP client and starting the Brave browser, you can test your setup by running a simple prompt in your MCP client:
Check the performance of https://developers.chrome.com
Your MCP client should connect to the running Brave instance and receive a performance report.
If you hit VM-to-host port forwarding issues, see the “Remote debugging between virtual machine (VM) and host fails” section in docs/troubleshooting.md.
For more details on remote debugging, see the Chromium DevTools documentation.
Please consult these instructions.
See Troubleshooting.
If you are developing agentic tooling and want to provide an integrated browser subagent as part of your product, we recommend building on top of Brave DevTools for agents.
For a reference implementation, see the Gemini CLI browser agent documentation.
FAQs
MCP server and CLI for Brave DevTools
The npm package brave-mcp receives a total of 553 weekly downloads. As such, brave-mcp popularity was classified as not popular.
We found that brave-mcp demonstrated a healthy version release cadence and project activity because the last version was released less than a year ago. It has 1 open source maintainer collaborating on the project.
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