CloakBrowser MCP

Name: CloakBrowser MCP
Author: swimmwatch

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swimmwatch.github.ioBrowser Automation173Updated 4d ago

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About CloakBrowser MCP

CloakBrowser MCP is a Playwright MCP-compatible browser automation server that runs upstream tools against CloakBrowser Chromium. It supports npm or Docker deployment over stdio or Streamable HTTP, with optional session-scoped CDP access.

Key features

01Retain upstream Playwright MCP tools
02Run with CloakBrowser Chromium
03Support npm and Docker deployment
04Use stdio or Streamable HTTP
05Persist browser profiles and load extensions
06Offer GeoIP proxy matching and humanized input

Use cases

01Conduct web research through natural-language requests
02Run recurring browser automation tasks
03Test region-specific web experiences
04Reuse login profiles in automated sessions

MCP support

It exposes Playwright MCP browser automation tools along with two local introspection tools. MCP clients connect over stdio or Streamable HTTP; CDP-capable clients can also opt into session-scoped access.

Configuration

Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.

mcp.json · Universal config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "swimmwatch-cloakbrowser": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "cloakbrowser-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BROWSER_ENGINE": "<PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BROWSER_ENGINE>",
        "PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HEADLESS": "<PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HEADLESS>",
        "PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_OUTPUT_DIR": "<PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_OUTPUT_DIR>",
        "PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CODEGEN": "<PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CODEGEN>",
        "PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SNAPSHOT_BOXES": "<PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SNAPSHOT_BOXES>",
        "PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_SETTLE": "<PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_SETTLE>",
        "PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_USER_DATA_DIR": "<PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_USER_DATA_DIR>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONTEXT_OPTIONS": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONTEXT_OPTIONS>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXTENSION_PATHS": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXTENSION_PATHS>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONSOLE_FALLBACK": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONSOLE_FALLBACK>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_GEOIP_PROXY_MATCH": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_GEOIP_PROXY_MATCH>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXTRA_ARGS": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXTRA_ARGS>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_HOST": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_HOST>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_PORT": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_PORT>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_ENDPOINT": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_ENDPOINT>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_AUTH_TOKEN": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_AUTH_TOKEN>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_SESSION_BACKEND": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_SESSION_BACKEND>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_SESSION_IDLE_TTL_MS": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_SESSION_IDLE_TTL_MS>",
        "CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_SESSION_MAX": "<CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_SESSION_MAX>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Run commandnpx -y cloakbrowser-mcp

Environment variables to set

PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BROWSER_ENGINEBridge browser engine: cloak or playwright.

PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HEADLESSRun the browser in headless mode.

PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_OUTPUT_DIRDirectory where upstream Playwright MCP writes artifacts.

PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CODEGENGenerate code in typescript, python, java, csharp, or none.

PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SNAPSHOT_BOXESInclude element bounding boxes in browser snapshots.

PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_SETTLEMilliseconds to wait after actions for triggered work to settle.

PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_USER_DATA_DIRPersistent Chromium profile directory. The bridge resolves it to an absolute path and writes it to generated Playwright MCP config.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONTEXT_OPTIONSJSON object with validated Playwright context options such as viewport, locale, timezoneId, permissions, geolocation, and headers.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXTENSION_PATHSJSON array or comma-separated list of Chrome extension directories. Requires PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_USER_DATA_DIR.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONSOLE_FALLBACKPatch upstream console message collection for CloakBrowser compatibility.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_GEOIP_PROXY_MATCHResolve proxy GeoIP and match CloakBrowser timezone/locale fingerprint flags when PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PROXY_SERVER is set.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXTRA_ARGSComma-separated or JSON array of extra Chromium launch arguments.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_HOSTStreamable HTTP bind host.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_PORTStreamable HTTP bind port.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_ENDPOINTStreamable HTTP endpoint path.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_AUTH_TOKENSecretOptional Streamable HTTP Bearer token.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_SESSION_BACKENDSession metadata backend. Only memory is implemented in this release.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_SESSION_IDLE_TTL_MSIdle TTL for Streamable HTTP sessions.

CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HTTP_SESSION_MAXMaximum active Streamable HTTP sessions in one process.

Local servers need a runtime on your machine (e.g. Node.js 18+). Config file locations differ by client; see your client’s docs.

Packages

npmcloakbrowser-mcp1.15.1stdioStreamable HTTP

ocighcr.io/swimmwatch/cloakbrowser-mcp:1.15.1stdio

ocidocker.io/swimmwatch/cloakbrowser-mcp:1.15.1stdio

Tools

No tool list yet

Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.

Details

From the project README

cloakbrowser-mcp

cloakbrowser-mcp is a drop-in Playwright MCP-compatible browser automation server with unchanged upstream tools, CloakBrowser Chromium, and production-ready npm, Docker, and Streamable HTTP packaging. It runs upstream @playwright/mcp as the canonical tool surface and points that runtime at CloakBrowser.

30-second demo

Run npx -y cloakbrowser-mcp@latest, connect Claude Desktop or Codex CLI, ask for web research, daily automation, or testing in plain English, and inspect the real browser result.

Documentation: swimmwatch.github.io/cloakbrowser-mcp · Comparison · Recipes

Use it when you need:

Playwright MCP browser automation backed by CloakBrowser;
unchanged upstream browser tools plus two local introspection tools;
npm or Docker installation over stdio or Streamable HTTP;
opt-in, session-scoped managed CDP access for CDP-capable clients through chromium.connectOverCDP();
persistent browser profiles, validated context options, and Chrome extension loading;
GeoIP-aware proxy matching for regional QA;
humanized mouse, keyboard, and scroll behavior for interaction-sensitive flows.

Cross-platform checks cover npm on Linux x64/arm64, macOS arm64/x64, and Windows x64 across the Node.js versions listed in Testing. Docker images are built and smoke-tested for linux/amd64 and linux/arm64.

See @playwright/mcp vs cloakbrowser-mcp when deciding whether plain upstream Playwright MCP or CloakBrowser MCP fits a deployment better. The Recipes pages show task-focused setup paths for persistent login profiles, Chrome extensions, reverse proxies, regional QA, client connections, and CI smoke tests.

Install With npm

npx -y cloakbrowser-mcp@latest

Requires Node.js 22.13+ in the 22.x line, or Node.js 24+. Run diagnostics before wiring a client:

npx -y cloakbrowser-mcp@latest doctor

For Streamable HTTP instead of stdio:

npx -y cloakbrowser-mcp@latest --transport streamable-http --http-port 3000

See the generated CLI Reference for all flags.

Install With Docker

docker run --rm -i \
  -v "$PWD/artifacts:/data" \
  swimmwatch/cloakbrowser-mcp:latest

For Streamable HTTP:

docker run --rm -p 127.0.0.1:3000:3000 \
  -v "$PWD/artifacts:/data" \
  swimmwatch/cloakbrowser-mcp:latest \
  --transport streamable-http --http-host 0.0.0.0 --http-port 3000

The Docker image writes artifacts to /data and is published for linux/amd64 and linux/arm64. It defaults to CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_NO_SANDBOX=true for compatibility with containerized runtimes where Chromium sandboxing is often unavailable. If your host and container runtime support Chromium sandboxing, set CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_NO_SANDBOX=false; for untrusted pages, keep container network access and mounted host directories tightly scoped. The same tags are also available from ghcr.io/swimmwatch/cloakbrowser-mcp. See Docker for persistent profiles, extension mounts, HTTPS, and smoke-test examples, or use the reverse proxy recipe for a focused Streamable HTTP deployment.

Add To MCP Clients

Codex CLI

codex mcp add cloakbrowser -- npx -y cloakbrowser-mcp@latest

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport stdio cloakbrowser -- npx -y cloakbrowser-mcp@latest

GitHub Copilot In VS Code

{
  "servers": {
    "cloakbrowser": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "cloakbrowser-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, Windsurf, Warp, And Other `mcpServers` Clients

Add this server entry to the client's MCP JSON config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cloakbrowser": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "cloakbrowser-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Docker-backed stdio

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cloakbrowser": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-v",
        "/tmp/cloakbrowser-artifacts:/data",
        "swimmwatch/cloakbrowser-mcp:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Already-running Streamable HTTP server

npx -y cloakbrowser-mcp@latest --transport streamable-http --http-port 3000
codex mcp add cloakbrowser --url http://127.0.0.1:3000/mcp
claude mcp add --transport http cloakbrowser http://127.0.0.1:3000/mcp

Prompt For A Code Assistant

Paste this into Codex, Claude Code, Copilot, Cursor, Cline, Windsurf, or a similar coding assistant that can edit MCP config:

Install the CloakBrowser MCP server for this workspace. Name it "cloakbrowser".
Prefer stdio with command "npx" and args ["-y", "cloakbrowser-mcp@latest"].
If this client uses VS Code mcp.json, add it under "servers" with type "stdio".
If this client uses Claude/Cursor/Cline/Windsurf/Warp-style config, add it under
"mcpServers" with the same command and args. Do not add secrets.

More examples are in Getting Started, with dedicated recipes for Claude Desktop and Codex CLI.

Configuration

Use upstream PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_* variables for browser, artifacts, timeouts, network, and tool capability settings. Cloak-specific bridge toggles use CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_*. Select a Pro Preview browser build before startup with --release-channel preview or CLOAK_PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_RELEASE_CHANNEL=preview; the default is stable.

The common variable table now lives in Configuration. That page also covers persistent profiles, validated context options, Chrome extensions, Streamable HTTP metadata, and HTTPS/auth options. See GeoIP Proxy Matching for regional proxy behavior, Humanized Input Behavior for interaction realism, and Recipes for task-focused configurations.

Version Compatibility

cloakbrowser-mcp	@playwright/mcp	CloakBrowser	Node.js	Platform
`1.15.1`	`^0.0.83`	`^0.6.3`	`^22.13.0
`1.15.0`	`^0.0.83`	`^0.6.3`	`^22.13.0
`1.14.1`	`^0.0.82`	`^0.5.10`	`^22.13.0
`1.14.0`	`^0.0.82`	`^0.5.10`	`^22.13.0
`1.13.0`	`^0.0.80`	`^0.5.10`	`^22.13.0
`1.12.0`	`^0.0.79`	`^0.5.7`	`^22.13.0
`1.11.0`	`^0.0.79`	`^0.5.6`	`^22.13.0
`1.10.0`	`^0.0.78`	`^0.5.3`	`^22.13.0
`1.9.0`	`^0.0.78`	`^0.5.1`	`^22.13.0
`1.8.0`	`^0.0.78`	`^0.4.10`	`^22.13.0
`1.7.0`	`^0.0.77`	`^0.4.8`	`>=22.12`	npm on Linux x64/arm64, macOS arm64/x64, Windows x64; Docker `linux/amd64`, `linux/arm64`
`1.6.1`	`^0.0.77`	`^0.4.7`	`>=22.12`	npm on Linux x64/arm64, macOS arm64/x64, Windows x64; Docker `linux/amd64`, `linux/arm64`
`1.6.0`	`^0.0.77`	`^0.4.7`	`>=22.12`	npm on Linux x64/arm64, macOS arm64/x64, Windows x64; Docker `linux/amd64`, `linux/arm64`
`1.5.0`	`^0.0.76`	`^0.4.3`	`>=22.12`	npm on Linux x64/arm64, macOS arm64/x64, Windows x64; Docker `linux/amd64`, `linux/arm64`
`1.4.0`	`^0.0.76`	`^0.3.32`	`>=22.12`	npm on Linux x64/arm64, macOS arm64/x64, Windows x64; Docker `linux/amd64`, `linux/arm64`
`1.3.0`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.31`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local
`1.2.7`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.30`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local
`1.2.6`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.30`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local
`1.2.5`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.30`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local
`1.2.3`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.30`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local
`1.2.2`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.30`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local
`1.2.1`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.30`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local
`1.2.0`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.30`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local
`1.1.0`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.30`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local
`1.0.2`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.30`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local
`1.0.1`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.30`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local
`1.0.0`	`^0.0.75`	`^0.3.30`	`>=20`	Docker `linux/amd64`, Node.js local

See Version Compatibility for the maintained compatibility table.

Tools

The upstream Playwright MCP tool list is authoritative. This project does not reimplement or re-document upstream browser schemas in source code.

Local tools:

cloakbrowser_binary_info returns CloakBrowser package, platform, cache, and resolved binary data.
cloakbrowser_bridge_info returns bridge metadata, upstream package/version, and local tool names.

Development

npm install
npm run build
npm test
npm run docker:build
npm run docker:smoke
npm run server:validate
npm run bridge:compare -- cloakbrowser-mcp:dev --report bridge-parity-report.json

Documentation starts at docs/getting-started.md. Contributor material is grouped under docs/contributor-guide.md.

See test reporting for local Allure reports and combined CI matrix reports linked from pull requests.

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CloakBrowser MCP

About CloakBrowser MCP

Key features

Use cases

MCP support

Configuration

Tools

Details

cloakbrowser-mcp

30-second demo

Install With npm

Install With Docker

Add To MCP Clients

Codex CLI

Claude Code

GitHub Copilot In VS Code

Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, Windsurf, Warp, And Other mcpServers Clients

Docker-backed stdio

Already-running Streamable HTTP server

Prompt For A Code Assistant

Configuration

Version Compatibility

Tools

Development

Comments

New to MCP?

What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

How do MCP servers differ from clients?

Should I use a local or a remote server?

How do I install a server in Claude, Cursor and others?

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Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, Windsurf, Warp, And Other `mcpServers` Clients