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Install with npx

This is the quickest way to run the Playwright MCP server locally.

Prerequisites​

  • Node.js 18+ (20+ recommended)
  • npx (bundled with recent Node.js releases)
  • Playwright browsers (installed automatically on first run or via npx playwright install)

Install & Run​

npx @aakashh242/playwright-mcp-server

To keep a global install:

npm install -g @aakashh242/playwright-mcp-server
playwright-mcp-server

Streamable HTTP mode​

npx @aakashh242/playwright-mcp-server --http \
  --port 8000 \
  --path /mcp \
  --host-name localhost \
  --listen 0.0.0.0

This enables the server to run behind MCP gateways. When HTTP mode is on, file uploads must go through the construct_upload_url tool before calling playwright_upload_file.

VS Code configuration​

Add the server to mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aakashh242/playwright-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

For HTTP transport:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "transport": {
        "type": "http",
        "url": "http://localhost:8000/mcp"
      }
    }
  }
}