Chrome Browser

chrome-browser — driving Chrome via the claude-in-chrome MCP tools

Patterns for the claude-in-chrome MCP tool set: navigate, computer, read_page, get_page_text, find, tabs_context_mcp, tabs_create_mcp, tabs_close_mcp, form_input, javascript_tool, read_console_messages, read_network_requests, browser_batch, gif_creator, file_upload, upload_image, resize_window, select_browser, switch_browser, list_connected_browsers, shortcuts_list, shortcuts_execute.

Load the tools first

If these tools are deferred (unloaded), load the core set in one ToolSearch call — never one tool at a time, each separate call wastes a round-trip:

ToolSearch query: "select:mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_context_mcp,mcp__claude-in-chrome__navigate,mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer,mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_page,mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_create_mcp"

Add task-specific tools to that same call when the task obviously needs them — read_console_messages / read_network_requests for debugging, form_input for forms, gif_creator for recordings, javascript_tool for page scripting. Only issue a second ToolSearch call if the task later needs a tool you didn't anticipate.

Never hardcode the mcp__claude-in-chrome__* prefix outside a ToolSearch query — resolve by capability, not by memorized string.

Check tab context before acting

Call tabs_context_mcp before your first navigate or computer call in a session. It tells you which tabs already exist and which is active — don't assume a blank tab or that yours is the only one open. If the user is mid-workflow in a specific tab, act on that tab rather than opening a new one.

Reading page content: read_page vs get_page_text vs find

• get_page_text — fast plain-text extraction. Default choice when you need to know what's on the page (an article, a form's visible labels, search results) and don't need DOM structure or element handles to act on.
• read_page — structured DOM read (roles, element references, hierarchy). Use when you need to act next — click a specific button, fill a specific field — and get_page_text alone doesn't give you an addressable target.
• find — locate a specific element by description when you already know what you're looking for and don't need the whole page. Cheaper than a full read_page for one-target lookups (e.g. "find the submit button").

Rule of thumb: reading to understand → get_page_text. Reading to act → read_page or find. Don't call read_page for a full DOM dump when find for one element would do — it costs more context for no benefit.

Navigation and tabs

• navigate changes the current tab's URL. tabs_create_mcp opens a new tab — prefer this over navigate when the user's current tab holds context you'd lose (an in-progress form, a login session tied to that tab's history).
• Close tabs you opened for a sub-task with tabs_close_mcp once done, unless the user is likely to want the result tab left open (e.g. they asked you to "open X for me" — that's a deliverable, not scratch work).
• browser_batch groups multiple browser actions into one call — use it for a known sequence (navigate → find → click → read) instead of round-tripping each step individually when the sequence doesn't depend on intermediate results changing the plan.

Acting on the page

• computer drives raw mouse/keyboard actions (click, scroll, type) against coordinates or elements — the general-purpose actuator.
• form_input is purpose-built for filling form fields; prefer it over computer when the target is a labeled input, select, or textarea — it's more reliable than coordinate-based typing.
• javascript_tool executes JS in the page context — use for reading computed state the DOM tools don't expose, or triggering behavior no visible control maps to cleanly. Don't use it to bypass a form the user could fill normally; prefer the visible-UI path so the result matches what a human would have done.

Debugging

• read_console_messages and read_network_requests are diagnostic, not action tools — reach for them when a page isn't behaving as expected (a click did nothing, a form didn't submit) before guessing at a fix.
• gif_creator records a visual trace of a session — use when the deliverable is showing someone what happened, not just reporting it in text.

Common pitfalls

• Acting before checking tab context. Calling navigate or computer cold, without tabs_context_mcp first, risks acting in the wrong tab or clobbering the user's in-progress work.
• Full read_page when find would do. A structured DOM dump for a single-element lookup burns context for no gain.
• Treating javascript_tool as a shortcut past a broken UI. If a button doesn't respond, that's a signal to debug via read_console_messages, not to script around the symptom — the underlying issue (page not loaded, wrong tab, stale selector) will resurface.
• Leaving tabs open indefinitely. Scratch tabs opened mid-task should be closed with tabs_close_mcp once their purpose is served, or they accumulate across a session.
• One tool at a time via ToolSearch. Always batch the anticipated tool set into a single ToolSearch call at the start of a browser task.

Out of scope

This skill does not, and cannot, configure which Anthropic account or subscription plan (e.g. Max Plan) the Chrome extension authenticates against. That binding happens at claude login, outside anything a skill's markdown content can read or influence. If a user asks to "connect the right plan," say so directly rather than attempting a workaround here.

Completion criterion: the tools needed for the task are loaded via one batched ToolSearch call, tabs_context_mcp has been checked before the first action, and the chosen read tool (get_page_text / read_page / find) matches whether the goal is understanding or acting.