Steel
Enables LLMs like Claude to navigate the web through Puppeteer-based tools and Steel. Based on the Web Voyager framework, it provides tools for all the standard web actions click clicking/scrolling/typing/etc and taking screenshots.
What is Steel?
Steel is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to enables llms like claude to navigate the web through puppeteer-based tools and steel. based on the web voyager framework, it provides tools for all the standard web actions click clicking/scrolling/ty...
Enables LLMs like Claude to navigate the web through Puppeteer-based tools and Steel. Based on the Web Voyager framework, it provides tools for all the standard web actions click clicking/scrolling/typing/etc and taking screenshots.
This server falls under the Browser Automation category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Enables LLMs like Claude to navigate the web through Puppete
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx steel-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Steel
Steel MCP Server enables AI assistants like Claude to navigate the web in real time using a Puppeteer-based browser controlled through the Steel platform. Built on the Web Voyager framework, it exposes a set of browser action tools — navigate, click, type, scroll, screenshot, and search — so the AI can interact with live websites as a human would. Developers and power users use it to automate research, fill out forms, scrape dynamic pages, track prices, or complete multi-step web tasks hands-free.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+ installed (for local mode) or a Steel cloud account at steel.dev
- A STEEL_API_KEY from steel.dev if using cloud mode (not required for local Puppeteer mode)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
- npm or npx available on your PATH
Obtain a Steel API key (cloud mode)
If you want to use Steel's managed cloud browser instead of a local Puppeteer instance, sign up at steel.dev and copy your API key from the dashboard. For purely local use, skip this step.
Install via Smithery (recommended)
The easiest way to add Steel MCP Server to Claude Desktop is through the Smithery CLI, which handles installation and config automatically.
npx -y @smithery/cli install @steel-dev/steel-mcp-server --client claudeOr clone and build manually
If you prefer a manual setup, clone the repository, install dependencies, and build the TypeScript source.
git clone https://github.com/steel-dev/steel-mcp-server.git
cd steel-mcp-server
npm install && npm run buildConfigure your MCP client
Add the Steel server to your claude_desktop_config.json. Set STEEL_LOCAL=true to use a local Puppeteer browser, or provide STEEL_API_KEY for the cloud service.
{
"mcpServers": {
"steel": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/steel-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"STEEL_LOCAL": "false",
"STEEL_API_KEY": "your-steel-api-key"
}
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop
Quit and relaunch Claude Desktop so it picks up the new MCP server configuration. Steel's browser tools should now appear in Claude's tool list.
Test with a simple navigation task
Ask Claude to navigate to a URL to confirm the integration is working. Claude will use the 'navigate' tool and optionally take a screenshot.
Steel Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration using Steel cloud mode with an API key.
{
"mcpServers": {
"steel": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/steel-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"STEEL_LOCAL": "false",
"STEEL_API_KEY": "sk-steel-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
"GLOBAL_WAIT_SECONDS": "2"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for web automation tasks using Steel's browser tools.
- "Go to news.ycombinator.com and tell me the top 5 stories right now."
- "Search Google for 'best mechanical keyboards 2025' and summarize the top results."
- "Navigate to github.com/steel-dev/steel-mcp-server and take a screenshot of the README."
- "Go to a flight comparison site and find round-trip flights from NYC to London next month."
- "Visit my company's status page and check if all services are operational."Troubleshooting Steel
Browser actions time out or pages don't finish loading
Increase GLOBAL_WAIT_SECONDS in your env config (e.g., set to 3 or 5). Some JavaScript-heavy sites need extra time after navigation before elements are interactive.
STEEL_API_KEY errors or authentication failures in cloud mode
Verify the key is copied correctly from your steel.dev dashboard with no extra whitespace. Alternatively, switch to local mode by setting STEEL_LOCAL=true, which uses a local Puppeteer browser and requires no API key.
Smithery install succeeds but tools don't appear in Claude
Restart Claude Desktop completely after Smithery finishes. Also check that the dist/index.js path in your config points to the actual built file — run 'npm run build' again if the dist folder is missing.
Frequently Asked Questions about Steel
What is Steel?
Steel is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables llms like claude to navigate the web through puppeteer-based tools and steel. based on the web voyager framework, it provides tools for all the standard web actions click clicking/scrolling/typing/etc and taking screenshots. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Steel?
Follow the installation instructions on the Steel GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Steel?
Steel works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Steel free to use?
Yes, Steel is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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