Skip to main content
Playwriter is a Chrome extension and CLI tool that lets AI agents control your running browser instead of spawning a fresh Chrome instance. This means your existing logins, extensions, and session state are immediately available — no setup required.
Playwriter video recording is 100x more efficient than Playwright video recording, which sends base64 images for every frame.

​
Why Playwriter?

Other browser automation tools spawn a fresh Chrome instance for each session. This creates friction:
  • No login state (you’re logged out of everything)
  • No extensions (ad blockers, password managers, etc.)
  • Bot detection immediately flags the session
  • Double the memory usage
Playwriter connects to your existing Chrome instead. One browser extension, full Playwright API, everything you’re already logged into.

Quickstart

Get up and running in 2 minutes

Installation

Install the extension and CLI

CLI usage

Learn the command-line interface

MCP setup

Connect to MCP clients

​
Key features

​
Uses your existing Chrome

No separate browser window. Click the extension icon on any tab to enable automation on that tab. Your logins, cookies, and extensions work instantly.

​
Full Playwright API

Run any Playwright code via CLI or MCP. Not limited to a fixed set of tools — if Playwright can do it, Playwriter can do it.

​
Session isolation

Each session has isolated state. Browser tabs are shared, but state objects are sandboxed per session. Multiple agents can work simultaneously without interference.

​
Visual labels for AI agents

Vimium-style labels overlay on interactive elements. AI agents can identify buttons, inputs, and links by reference: 
await screenshotWithAccessibilityLabels({ page })
await page.locator('aria-ref=e5').click()

​
Raw CDP access

Full Chrome DevTools Protocol access for advanced use cases:
  • Set breakpoints and debug live code
  • Live-edit page scripts and CSS
  • Intercept network requests
  • Inspect computed styles

​
Efficient video recording

Native tab capture at 30-60fps using chrome.tabCapture. Recording survives page navigation and includes automated cursor overlay.

​
Comparison with other tools

​
vs Playwright MCP

FeaturePlaywright MCPPlaywriter
BrowserSpawns new ChromeUses your Chrome
Login stateFreshAlready logged in
ExtensionsNoneYour existing ones
Bot detectionAlways detectedCan bypass (disconnect extension)
CollaborationSeparate windowSame browser as user
Video recordingFile-based tracingNative tab capture (30–60fps)
Raw CDP accessNoYes

​
vs BrowserMCP

FeatureBrowserMCPPlaywriter
Tools12+ dedicated tools1 execute tool
APILimited actionsFull Playwright
Context usageHigh (tool schemas)Low
LLM knowledgeMust learn toolsAlready knows Playwright

​
vs Antigravity (Jetski)

FeatureJetskiPlaywriter
Tools17+ tools1 tool
SubagentSpawns for each taskDirect execution
LatencyHigh (agent overhead)Low

​
vs Claude Browser Extension

FeatureClaude ExtensionPlaywriter
Agent supportClaude onlyAny MCP client
Windows WSLNoYes
Context methodScreenshots (100KB+)A11y snapshots (5-20KB)
Playwright APINoFull
Debugger/breakpointsNoYes
Live code editingNoYes
Network interceptionLimitedFull
Raw CDP accessNoYes

​
How it works

+---------------------+     +-------------------+     +-----------------+
|   BROWSER           |     |   LOCALHOST       |     |   MCP CLIENT    |
|                     |     |                   |     |                 |
|  +---------------+  |     | WebSocket Server  |     |  +-----------+  |
|  |   Extension   |<--------->  :19988         |     |  | AI Agent  |  |
|  +-------+-------+  | WS  |                   |     |  +-----------+  |
|          |          |     |  /extension       |     |        |        |
|    chrome.debugger  |     |       |           |     |        v        |
|          v          |     |       v           |     |  +-----------+  |
|  +---------------+  |     |  /cdp/:id <--------------> |  execute  |  |
|  | Tab 1 (green) |  |     +-------------------+  WS |  +-----------+  |
|  | Tab 2 (green) |  |                               |        |        |
|  | Tab 3 (gray)  |  |     Tab 3 not controlled      |  Playwright API |
+---------------------+     (no extension click)      +-----------------+

​
Security

  • Local only: WebSocket server on localhost:19988
  • Origin validation: Only Playwriter extension IDs allowed
  • Explicit consent: Only tabs where you clicked the extension icon
  • Visible automation: Chrome shows automation banner on controlled tabs
  • No remote access: Malicious websites cannot connect

​
Next steps

Install Playwriter

Install the extension and CLI tools

Quick start

Run your first automation in 2 minutes

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us