Xiaopi Chrome Devtools

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 uid s. 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 uid s 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.