CDPilot
Zero-dependency browser automation CLI with 40+ commands. Navigate, click, fill forms, take screenshots, capture network traffic, and more — all via Chrome DevTools Protocol. Built-in accessibility tree snapshots for AI agents (500x fewer tokens than
What is CDPilot?
CDPilot is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to zero-dependency browser automation cli with 40+ commands. navigate, click, fill forms, take screenshots, capture network traffic, and more — all via chrome devtools protocol. built-in accessibility tr...
Zero-dependency browser automation CLI with 40+ commands. Navigate, click, fill forms, take screenshots, capture network traffic, and more — all via Chrome DevTools Protocol. Built-in accessibility tree snapshots for AI agents (500x fewer tokens than
This server falls under the Browser Automation category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Zero-dependency browser automation CLI with 40+ commands. Na
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx cdpilotConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use CDPilot
CDPilot is a zero-dependency browser automation CLI with 70+ commands that drives Brave, Chrome, or Chromium via the Chrome DevTools Protocol, designed specifically for AI agents. It provides an accessibility-tree snapshot mode that represents browser state in 500x fewer tokens than a full DOM dump, making it practical for LLMs to reason about page state. Developers and QA engineers use it for web scraping, form automation, screenshot capture, network traffic analysis, and end-to-end testing — all accessible through MCP so Claude and other AI agents can operate a real browser.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or later installed
- Brave Browser, Google Chrome, or Chromium installed
- npx available on your PATH
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
- Chrome DevTools Protocol debugging port 9222 available (or configured via CDP_PORT)
Install CDPilot
Run CDPilot directly via npx, or install it globally for repeated use.
# Direct use (no install):
npx cdpilot --version
# Or install globally:
npm i -g cdpilotRun the setup wizard
The setup command auto-detects your installed browser and creates an isolated browser profile in ~/.cdpilot/.
npx cdpilot setupLaunch the browser with CDP enabled
Start the browser in remote debugging mode so CDPilot can connect to it.
npx cdpilot launchVerify the connection
Check that CDPilot can see and connect to the running browser.
npx cdpilot statusConfigure Claude Desktop to use CDPilot as an MCP server
Add CDPilot in MCP mode to your Claude Desktop configuration file.
{
"mcpServers": {
"cdpilot": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["cdpilot", "mcp"]
}
}
}Tune optional environment variables
Adjust CDP port, stealth mode, pool size, or other settings via environment variables in your shell or MCP config env block.
CDP_PORT=9222 # DevTools debug port
CDPILOT_MODE=stealth # regular | stealth | undetected
CDPILOT_POOL_SIZE=2 # parallel browser processes
CHROME_BIN=/usr/bin/brave # override browser pathCDPilot Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration to run CDPilot in MCP server mode.
{
"mcpServers": {
"cdpilot": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["cdpilot", "mcp"],
"env": {
"CDP_PORT": "9222",
"CDPILOT_MODE": "regular"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for browser automation tasks through the MCP interface.
- "Navigate to https://example.com and take a screenshot"
- "Go to the GitHub login page, fill in my username and password, and click Sign in"
- "Open https://news.ycombinator.com, get the accessibility tree, and list the top 10 story titles"
- "Navigate to https://example.com/form, fill out all fields, submit, and capture any network requests made"Troubleshooting CDPilot
CDPilot cannot connect to Chrome — 'connection refused' on port 9222
Run 'npx cdpilot launch' first to start the browser with debugging enabled. If port 9222 is already in use by another Chrome instance, set CDP_PORT to a different value (e.g. 9223) in both the launch and MCP env config.
Browser binary not found during setup
Set the CHROME_BIN environment variable to the full path of your browser binary. For example: CHROME_BIN=/Applications/Brave\ Browser.app/Contents/MacOS/Brave\ Browser npx cdpilot setup
Target site detects automation and blocks the browser
Switch to stealth or undetected mode by setting CDPILOT_MODE=stealth or CDPILOT_MODE=undetected. CDPilot includes a stealth friction ladder and captcha-check/captcha-wait commands for sites with bot protection.
Frequently Asked Questions about CDPilot
What is CDPilot?
CDPilot is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that zero-dependency browser automation cli with 40+ commands. navigate, click, fill forms, take screenshots, capture network traffic, and more — all via chrome devtools protocol. built-in accessibility tree snapshots for ai agents (500x fewer tokens than It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install CDPilot?
Follow the installation instructions on the CDPilot GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with CDPilot?
CDPilot works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is CDPilot free to use?
Yes, CDPilot is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
CDPilot Alternatives — Similar Browser Automation Servers
Looking for alternatives to CDPilot? Here are other popular browser automation servers you can use with Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
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Playwright
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LAMDA
★ 7.8kThe most powerful Android RPA agent framework, next generation mobile automation.
Browse More Browser Automation MCP Servers
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Set Up CDPilot in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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