Chrome Devtools CLI

chrome-devtools-cli

The package is chrome-devtools-mcp, but the action CLI is chrome-devtools. Use chrome-devtools <tool> ... for this skill. Do not use npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest unless you are configuring an MCP server outside this skill.

Core Workflow

chrome-devtools new_page "https://example.com"
chrome-devtools list_pages
chrome-devtools take_snapshot 0
chrome-devtools click 0 "1_3"
chrome-devtools fill 0 "1_5" "search text"
chrome-devtools press_key 0 "Enter"

Two identifiers drive everything. The page id is the first positional argument of nearly every command — read it from list_pages. The element uid comes from take_snapshot, which returns accessibility-tree entries such as 1_3.

Always act on uids from the latest snapshot. Re-snapshot after navigation, reloads, or major DOM updates.

Operating Rules

• Run tools directly; the background daemon starts implicitly on first real action and preserves browser state.
• Do not run start, status, or stop before every action. Use them only for setup, custom launch flags, or troubleshooting.
• Pass the page id as the first positional argument. list_pages and new_page are the exceptions that take none, and evaluate_script takes --pageId as a flag instead.
• Use chrome-devtools <command> --help for exact syntax; this file tracks 1.8.0 and the command surface moves between minor releases. Output defaults to Markdown; add --output-format=json when structured output is useful.
• This CLI drives its own chrome-devtools-mcp daemon. If the surrounding agent already has an MCP client connected to that same server, prefer one path or the other rather than mixing them in one session.
• Prefer snapshots over screenshots for deciding what to click or fill. Use screenshots for visual proof, layout inspection, or reports.
• Use evaluate_script, console, and network commands when debugging runtime behavior; use Lighthouse and performance tracing for page-quality/performance work.

Common Tasks

chrome-devtools list_pages
chrome-devtools navigate_page 0 --url "https://example.com"
chrome-devtools navigate_page 0 --type "reload" --ignoreCache
chrome-devtools evaluate_script "() => document.title" --pageId 0
chrome-devtools list_console_messages 0 --types error
chrome-devtools list_network_requests 0 --pageSize 50
chrome-devtools take_screenshot 0 --filePath page.png
chrome-devtools lighthouse_audit 0 --mode "navigation"
chrome-devtools performance_start_trace 0 --reload --filePath trace.json.gz
chrome-devtools performance_stop_trace 0

For a broader command map, read references/cli-reference.md.

Setup

If this is the first time using the CLI or chrome-devtools is missing, read references/installation.md. Installation is a one-time prerequisite, not part of the regular workflow.

References

• references/cli-reference.md — command groups, daemon behavior, output modes, and troubleshooting commands
• references/installation.md — global install and PATH troubleshooting