Playwriter

Playwriter is a free, open-source Chrome extension that bridges AI agents and your browser by giving them direct access to your actual browser session—complete with logins, extensions, and a full automation API—so agents can browse the web exactly as you do.

What is Playwriter?

Playwriter is a developer tool that injects an AI agent directly into your existing Chrome session, eliminating the need for headless browsers, dummy accounts, or bot detection workarounds. It takes an MCP (Model Context Protocol) request from any compatible client and returns accessibility snapshots (5-20KB instead of 100KB+ screenshots) and full page state. The tool runs as a Chrome extension and is open-source under the MIT license, maintained by an unnamed community or individual.

Key Features

• Full browser session sharing — Gives AI agents your real Chrome session with all logins, cookies, and extensions intact, avoiding bot detection.
• Accessibility snapshots — Captures page content in 5-20KB per snapshot, dramatically smaller than traditional screenshots.
• Debugger with breakpoints — Lets you pause agent execution, inspect the DOM, and step through actions line by line.
• Live code editing — Modify page JavaScript in real time while the agent runs.
• Network interception — Intercept, modify, or block network requests and responses.
• Video recording — Records the browser session for post-mortem debugging or documentation.
• MCP client support — Works with Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and any other MCP-compatible agent or IDE.
• Open source MIT license — Free to use, modify, and redistribute without restrictions.

Who is it for?

• AI developers building web agents — Use Playwriter to give your agent a real, authenticated browser without setting up complex proxy or login flows.
• QA engineers testing agent behavior — Leverage breakpoints and network interception to validate agent actions in a controlled environment.
• Power users automating logged-in workflows — Automate tasks on sites that require authentication (e.g., email, SaaS dashboards) using your existing session.

Use cases

• Automated data extraction from authenticated dashboards — Deploy an agent via Cursor or Claude to scrape analytics or CRM data while staying logged in.
• Debugging agent failures — Step through agent actions with breakpoints and live code editing to identify why an interaction broke.
• Recording agent demos — Capture video of your agent completing a multi-step workflow for documentation or client presentations.

How does it work?

Install the Chrome extension, then connect any MCP client (Cursor, Claude, VS Code, etc.) to the local API endpoint. The agent gains control of your current browser session—no headless setup, no dummy accounts. You can monitor and intervene via the debugger at any time.

Pricing

Playwriter is free with no paid tiers. The code is open source under the MIT license.

FAQ

Is Playwriter free to use?

Yes, Playwriter is completely free and open source under the MIT license. You can use it for personal or commercial projects without payment.

Does Playwriter work with any AI agent?

It works with any agent or IDE that supports the MCP protocol, including Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and custom clients. The tool exposes a standard API.

What data does Playwriter share with the agent?

Only the browser session you explicitly grant access to. The agent can see the pages you navigate, but the extension runs locally and does not send data to external servers.

Can I use Playwriter without a logged-in session?

Yes, but the core benefit is that agents can use your existing sessions. You can also open a fresh tab and let the agent start without login if you prefer.