Core Concepts

Browser lifecycle: Browser starts automatically on first tool call using a persistent Chrome profile. Configure via CLI args in the MCP server configuration: npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest --help.

Page selection: Tools operate on the currently selected page. Use list_pages to see available pages, then select_page to switch context.

Element interaction: Use take_snapshot to get page structure with element uids. Each element has a unique uid for interaction. If an element isn't found, take a fresh snapshot - the element may have been removed or the page changed.

Workflow Patterns

Before interacting with a page

1. Navigate: navigate_page or new_page
2. Wait: wait_for to ensure content is loaded if you know what you look for.
3. Snapshot: take_snapshot to understand page structure
4. Interact: Use element uids from snapshot for click, fill, etc.

Efficient data retrieval

• Use filePath parameter for large outputs (screenshots, snapshots, traces)
• Use pagination (pageIdx, pageSize) and filtering (types) to minimize data
• Set includeSnapshot: false on input actions unless you need updated page state

Tool selection

• Automation/interaction: take_snapshot (text-based, faster, better for automation)
• Visual inspection: take_screenshot (when user needs to see visual state)
• Additional details: evaluate_script for data not in accessibility tree

Parallel execution

You can send multiple tool calls in parallel, but maintain correct order: navigate → wait → snapshot → interact.

Troubleshooting

If chrome-devtools-mcp is insufficient, guide users to use Chrome DevTools UI:

• https://developer.chrome.com/docs/devtools
• https://developer.chrome.com/docs/devtools/ai-assistance

If there are errors launching chrome-devtools-mcp or Chrome, refer to https://github.com/ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp/blob/main/docs/troubleshooting.md.

Chrome DevTools MCP Usage

Critical Constraint: Screenshot Size Limit

API submissions have a hard limit of 8000px on any dimension. Full-page screenshots frequently exceed this.

Solution: Always use viewport-only screenshots by default

// ✓ CORRECT: Viewport-only (default)
take_screenshot({ fullPage: false })

// ✓ CORRECT: Save to filesystem for large pages
take_screenshot({ fullPage: false, path: './screenshots/page.png' })

// ✗ AVOID: Full-page without size check
take_screenshot({ fullPage: true })

When full-page screenshots are needed

Check page height first:

const height = execute_script('return document.documentElement.scrollHeight')
if (height > 8000) {
  take_screenshot({ fullPage: false, path: './screenshot.png' })
} else {
  take_screenshot({ fullPage: true })
}

Alternative: Capture multiple viewport screenshots by scrolling:

take_screenshot({ fullPage: false, path: './top.png' })
execute_script('window.scrollBy(0, window.innerHeight)')
take_screenshot({ fullPage: false, path: './middle.png' })

Navigation and Timing

Always wait after navigation to allow JS execution and rendering:

navigate('https://example.com')
wait(1000) // Minimum recommended wait

// For dynamic apps, wait for specific elements
navigate('https://example.com')
execute_script(`
  return new Promise(resolve => {
    const check = () => {
      if (document.querySelector('#app')) resolve();
      else setTimeout(check, 100);
    };
    check();
  });
`)

Error Detection Patterns

Console Errors

const errors = execute_script(`
  return performance.getEntriesByType('navigation')[0].type === 'reload'
    ? []
    : (window.__consoleErrors || []);
`)

Network Failures

const failed = execute_script(`
  return performance.getEntriesByType('resource')
    .filter(r => r.transferSize === 0 && r.duration > 0)
    .map(r => ({ url: r.name, duration: r.duration }));
`)

Layout Issues

const issues = execute_script(`
  const issues = [];

  // Horizontal overflow
  if (document.documentElement.scrollWidth > window.innerWidth) {
    issues.push({ type: 'horizontal-overflow', width: document.documentElement.scrollWidth });
  }

  // Elements outside viewport
  document.querySelectorAll('*').forEach(el => {
    const rect = el.getBoundingClientRect();
    if (rect.right > window.innerWidth) {
      issues.push({ type: 'overflow-right', element: el.tagName });
    }
  });

  return issues;
`)

Responsive Testing

Test multiple viewports efficiently:

const viewports = [
  { width: 375, height: 667, name: 'mobile' },
  { width: 768, height: 1024, name: 'tablet' },
  { width: 1440, height: 900, name: 'desktop' }
];

for (const vp of viewports) {
  set_viewport(vp.width, vp.height);
  wait(500); // Allow reflow
  take_screenshot({
    fullPage: false,
    path: `./screenshots/${vp.name}.png`
  });
}

Component State Testing

Test interactive states without user interaction:

// Hover state
execute_script(`
  const el = document.querySelector('#button');
  el.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent('mouseenter', { bubbles: true }));
`);
take_screenshot({ fullPage: false, path: './hover.png' });

// Focus state
execute_script(`
  document.querySelector('#input').focus();
`);
take_screenshot({ fullPage: false, path: './focus.png' });

// Active/pressed state
execute_script(`
  const el = document.querySelector('#button');
  el.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent('mousedown', { bubbles: true }));
`);
take_screenshot({ fullPage: false, path: './active.png' });

Performance Metrics

Collect web vitals and performance data:

const metrics = execute_script(`
  return {
    fcp: performance.getEntriesByName('first-contentful-paint')[0]?.startTime,
    lcp: performance.getEntriesByType('largest-contentful-paint')[0]?.startTime,
    cls: performance.getEntriesByType('layout-shift')
      .reduce((sum, entry) => sum + (entry.hadRecentInput ? 0 : entry.value), 0),
    resources: performance.getEntriesByType('resource').length,
    totalSize: performance.getEntriesByType('resource')
      .reduce((sum, r) => sum + r.transferSize, 0)
  };
`);

Accessibility Checks

Basic accessibility validation:

const a11y = execute_script(`
  const issues = [];

  // Missing alt text
  document.querySelectorAll('img:not([alt])').forEach(img => {
    issues.push({ type: 'missing-alt', src: img.src });
  });

  // Missing form labels
  document.querySelectorAll('input:not([aria-label]):not([id])').forEach(input => {
    if (!input.closest('label')) {
      issues.push({ type: 'missing-label', name: input.name });
    }
  });

  // Empty links
  document.querySelectorAll('a').forEach(link => {
    if (!link.textContent.trim() && !link.getAttribute('aria-label')) {
      issues.push({ type: 'empty-link', href: link.href });
    }
  });

  return issues;
`);

Standard Audit Workflow

Use this pattern for systematic page audits:

function audit_page(url, name) {
  // Navigate
  navigate(url);
  wait(1000);

  // Screenshot (viewport only to avoid size errors)
  const screenshot_path = `./screenshots/${name}.png`;
  take_screenshot({ fullPage: false, path: screenshot_path });

  // Page metrics
  const height = execute_script('return document.documentElement.scrollHeight');
  const viewport = execute_script('return window.innerHeight');

  // Error detection
  const console_errors = execute_script('return window.__errors || []');
  const network_failures = execute_script(`
    return performance.getEntriesByType('resource')
      .filter(r => r.transferSize === 0 && r.duration > 0)
      .map(r => r.name);
  `);
  const layout_issues = execute_script(`
    return document.documentElement.scrollWidth > window.innerWidth
      ? ['horizontal-overflow']
      : [];
  `);

  return {
    name,
    url,
    screenshot_path,
    page_height: height,
    viewport_height: viewport,
    needs_scroll: height > viewport,
    console_errors,
    network_failures,
    layout_issues,
    has_issues: console_errors.length > 0 ||
                network_failures.length > 0 ||
                layout_issues.length > 0
  };
}

Error Handling

Screenshot Dimension Error

If you encounter dimension errors despite using fullPage: false, the page may be using unusual viewport settings. Save to file instead:

try {
  take_screenshot({ fullPage: false });
} catch (error) {
  if (error.includes('8000 pixels')) {
    take_screenshot({ fullPage: false, path: './fallback.png' });
  }
}

Navigation Timeout

try {
  navigate(url);
  wait(5000);
} catch (error) {
  // Log failure and continue
  console.log(`Failed to load: ${url}`);
}

Missing Elements

const exists = execute_script(`return !!document.querySelector('#target')`);
if (!exists) {
  take_screenshot({ fullPage: false, path: './missing-element.png' });
  // Handle accordingly
}

Key Reminders

1. Always default to fullPage: false to avoid dimension errors
2. Save screenshots to filesystem when possible instead of API submission
3. Wait after navigation to allow JS execution (minimum 1000ms)
4. Use execute_script for DOM queries instead of brittle selector-based approaches
5. Test multiple viewports for responsive applications
6. Capture evidence early - take screenshots before elements change state
7. Check page dimensions before deciding on screenshot strategy