Browser Use MCP Server for Claude Desktop: Setup & Config

What you can do with Browser Use in Claude Desktop

A browser-use bridge with live viewing and both asynchronous and completion-wait browsing workflows.

• Let an MCP assistant navigate websites through browser-use.
• Watch an automated browsing session through VNC.

Before you start: Browser Use in Claude Desktop

• Python and uv
• Playwright and its Chromium browser dependencies
• mcp-proxy for stdio mode
• A built and globally installed browser-use-mcp-server package

The README installs mcp-proxy with uv, synchronizes dependencies, installs Chromium through Playwright, builds a wheel, and installs it globally before this launch. Its source SSE alternative uses uv run server --port 8000 and http://localhost:8000/sse. CHROME_PATH and PATIENT are optional settings.

Browser Use Claude Desktop configuration

1. Choose Claude Desktop configuration scope

   For Browser Use MCP Server, open macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Merge under mcpServers via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

2. Add Browser Use MCP Server to Claude Desktop

   Use the browser-use-mcp-server entry below in mcpServers. Keep Browser Use MCP Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Desktop entries.

3. Check Browser Use MCP Server in Claude Desktop

   Browser Use MCP Server: Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop; check developer diagnostics.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browser-use-mcp-server": {
      "command": "browser-use-mcp-server",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "server",
        "--port",
        "8000",
        "--stdio",
        "--proxy-port",
        "9000"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "<OpenAI API key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting Browser Use in Claude Desktop

• Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop for Browser Use MCP Server. If browser-use-mcp-server is missing, check the desktop process's PATH, which may differ from your terminal.
• In Claude Desktop's Browser Use MCP Server entry, check OPENAI_API_KEY. Keep secrets out of shared screenshots and repositories.
• Browser Use MCP Server uses stdio here: Claude Desktop must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: Stdio mode requires mcp-proxy and package build/install steps.
• Known limitation: Requires Playwright browser setup and an OpenAI API key.
• Known limitation: Docker's documented VNC default should be replaced for protected viewing.
• General Claude Desktop troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-desktop guide.

Frequently asked questions