Hanzi Browse
let any ai agent use the local browser
What is Hanzi Browse?
Hanzi Browse is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to let any ai agent use the local browser
let any ai agent use the local browser
This server falls under the Browser Automation category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- let any ai agent use the local browser
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx hanzi-browseConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Hanzi Browse
Hanzi Browse is a browser automation MCP server that lets AI agents control a local Chrome, Brave, Edge, Arc, or Chromium browser to perform real web tasks — navigating pages, clicking, filling forms, and taking screenshots. It works through a Chrome extension and exposes five tools to MCP clients so agents like Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex can browse the real web on behalf of the user. It is useful for automating research, form submission, web scraping, and any task that requires interacting with sites that cannot be reached via a simple HTTP API.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or later installed
- Google Chrome, Brave, Edge, Arc, or Chromium browser installed
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or Cursor
- A Hanzi Browse account (for managed/API mode) or local-only setup via npx
Run the setup command
The setup command auto-detects your installed browsers, installs the Chrome extension, detects your AI agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex), and configures the MCP server — all in one step.
npx hanzi-browse setupInstall the browser extension
Follow the prompts from the setup command to install the Hanzi Browse Chrome extension into your browser. The extension acts as the bridge between the MCP server and the browser's DOM.
Select billing mode
The setup wizard will ask whether to use local-only mode (free, runs tasks on your machine) or managed mode (uses Hanzi Browse's cloud backend with an API key for more reliable execution).
Add the MCP server to your client config
If your MCP client was not auto-configured by the setup command, add the Hanzi Browse MCP server manually to your claude_desktop_config.json or equivalent configuration file.
{
"mcpServers": {
"hanzi-browse": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["hanzi-browse"]
}
}
}Verify with a test task
Start your MCP client and ask the agent to use the browser_start tool to visit a URL and report back what it finds. This confirms the extension and MCP server are communicating correctly.
Hanzi Browse Examples
Client configuration
Configure Claude Desktop to use the Hanzi Browse MCP server for browser automation tasks.
{
"mcpServers": {
"hanzi-browse": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["hanzi-browse"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts that use the browser_start, browser_screenshot, and browser_status tools to automate real browser tasks.
- "Go to news.ycombinator.com and give me a summary of the top 5 posts"
- "Open GitHub and take a screenshot of the trending repositories page"
- "Fill out the contact form at example.com/contact with my name and email and submit it"
- "Go to my company's internal dashboard and extract the monthly revenue numbers from the table"
- "Search for 'mcp server tutorial' on YouTube and list the first 5 video titles"Troubleshooting Hanzi Browse
The browser does not respond when browser_start is called
Make sure the Hanzi Browse Chrome extension is installed and enabled in your browser. Open the browser's extension manager (chrome://extensions) and confirm the Hanzi Browse extension shows as active.
Setup command does not detect my AI agent
Run 'npx hanzi-browse setup' again from the terminal used by your AI agent. Supported agents include Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and others. If auto-detection fails, manually add the MCP configuration to your client's config file as shown in the configuration example.
browser_screenshot returns a blank or black image
The page may not have finished loading. Use browser_status to check the session state, then use browser_message to send a follow-up instruction like 'wait for the page to fully load' before calling browser_screenshot again.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hanzi Browse
What is Hanzi Browse?
Hanzi Browse is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that let any ai agent use the local browser It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Hanzi Browse?
Follow the installation instructions on the Hanzi Browse GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Hanzi Browse?
Hanzi Browse works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Hanzi Browse free to use?
Yes, Hanzi Browse is open source and available under the NOASSERTION license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Browse More Browser Automation MCP Servers
Explore all browser automation servers available in the MCPgee directory. Each server includes setup guides for Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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