AndrewJDawes/browser-use-mcp-server

Browser-Use MCP Server

This repository contains Docker configuration for running the browser-use MCP server with different browser modes.

Overview

The browser-use MCP server provides browser automation capabilities to AI assistants like Claude Desktop. This setup provides both headless and VNC-enabled modes for different use cases.

Modes Available

1. Headless Mode (Production)

• No visual interface
• Minimal resource usage
• Perfect for production deployments
• Postfix -headless to the image tag
• Example: ghcr.io/andrewjedawes/browser-use-mcp-server:latest-headless

2. VNC Mode (Debugging)

• Visual browser interface via VNC
• Great for debugging and development
• Watch the browser in real-time
• Postfix -vnc to the image tag
• Example: ghcr.io/andrewjedawes/browser-use-mcp-server:latest-vnc

Environment Configuration

For Cursor/Claude Desktop

Create an MCP server configuration:

VNC:

{
	"servers": {
		"browser-use-mcp-server-vnc": {
			"command": "docker",
			"args": [
				"run",
				"-i",
				"--rm",
				"-p",
				"5900:5900",
				"-e",
				"GOOGLE_API_KEY",
				"ghcr.io/andrewjdawes/browser-use-mcp-server:latest-vnc"
			],
			"env": {
				"GOOGLE_API_KEY": "your_google_api_key_here"
			}
		}
	}
}

Headless:

{
	"servers": {
		"browser-use-mcp-server-headless": {
			"command": "docker",
			"args": [
				"run",
				"-i",
				"--rm",
				"-e",
				"GOOGLE_API_KEY",
				"ghcr.io/andrewjdawes/browser-use-mcp-server:latest-headless"
			],
			"env": {
				"GOOGLE_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
			}
		}
	}
}

Environment Variables

• DISPLAY: X11 display for VNC mode (automatically set)

VNC Access

When using VNC mode:

• URL: vnc://localhost:5900
• Password: browseruse
• Resolution: 1024x768

VNC Clients:

• macOS: Built-in Screen Sharing or TigerVNC
• Windows: TigerVNC, RealVNC, or UltraVNC
• Linux: Remmina, TigerVNC, or browser-based clients

How It Works

1. MCP Communication: The container runs with -i flag for stdin/stdout communication
2. Browser Session: Playwright launches Chromium within the container
3. VNC Access: X11 forwarding allows you to see the browser in action
4. Dual Mode: Same MCP server, different visibility options

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

1. Rebuild the images to get the latest fixes:

2. Verify the container works:

   docker run --rm ghcr.io/andrewjdawes/browser-use-mcp-server:latest-headless python -c "from browser_use import BrowserSession; print('Browser-use working!')"
   

Browser Not Starting

# Check if the container is running
docker ps
# Check logs
docker logs <container_id>

Replace <container_id> with the actual container ID from docker ps.

VNC Connection Issues

# Test VNC port
nc -zv localhost 5900
# Check if VNC server is running in container
docker exec <container_id> ps aux | grep vnc

Replace <container_id> with the actual container ID from docker ps.

Architecture

MCP Client (Claude Desktop)
    ↓ (stdin/stdout)
Docker Container
    ├── MCP Server (browser-use CLI)
    ├── Playwright
    ├── Chromium Browser
    └── VNC Server (optional)
        ↓ (port 5900)
VNC Client (for debugging)

Use Cases

Headless Mode:

• Production MCP server
• Automated workflows
• Resource-constrained environments

VNC Mode:

• Debugging browser automation
• Development and testing
• Visual verification of browser actions
• Demonstrating browser capabilities

Alternatives

Option 3: X11 Forwarding (Linux/macOS)

# Linux
docker run -it --rm -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix browser-use-mcp-server:latest

# macOS (with XQuartz)
xhost +localhost
docker run -it --rm -e DISPLAY=host.docker.internal:0 browser-use-mcp-server:latest