Deno/Playwright Server: Headless Automation & Model Context Mirroring

Streamline headless browser automation with this Deno/Playwright server example—mirroring model contexts made effortless. A must-have for modern backend innovators!

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About Deno/Playwright Server

What is Deno/Playwright Server: Headless Automation & Model Context Mirroring?

The Deno/Playwright Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that bridges large language models (LLMs) with real-world browser automation. Built on Deno 2 and leveraging Playwright's capabilities, it enables headless execution of tasks such as interacting with web elements, capturing screenshots, and injecting JavaScript into live browser sessions—all without requiring a visible UI. This tool is designed for developers and enterprises needing seamless integration between AI-driven logic and dynamic web environments.

How to Use Deno/Playwright Server: Headless Automation & Model Context Mirroring?

Getting started involves two core steps: building the server and configuring your environment:

Build the binary: Use platform-specific Deno tasks like deno task build-mac for macOS or deno task build-linux-x86_64 for Linux. Cross-compilation ensures compatibility with x86_64 and ARM64 architectures.
Configure MCP settings: Update claude_desktop_config.json to point to your compiled binary path. Example snippet:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "/usr/local/bin/playwright-server"
    }
  }
}

Deno/Playwright Server Features

Key Features of Deno/Playwright Server

No Runtime Dependencies: Pre-compiled binaries eliminate the need for Deno installation on target machines.
Cross-Platform Support: Native builds for macOS, Linux, and Windows ensure deployment flexibility.
High Performance: Deno’s fast startup and Playwright’s optimized engine handle complex workflows efficiently.
Security-First Design: Sandboxed execution environments minimize attack surfaces for sensitive operations.

Use Cases for Headless Automation & Model Context Mirroring

This tool excels in scenarios where AI needs to interact with dynamic web content:

Automated UI testing for web applications
Content extraction from JavaScript-heavy sites
AI-driven form filling and workflow automation
Real-time monitoring of dynamic dashboards

Deno/Playwright Server FAQ

FAQ: Troubleshooting & Best Practices

Q: What if the server crashes on startup?: Check dependency permissions and ensure the binary has execute rights (chmod +x playwright-server).
Q: Can I customize browser arguments?: Yes, pass options via environment variables like PLAYWRIGHT_ARGS='--disable-gpu'.
Q: How do I debug remote deployments?: Enable verbose logging with DEBUG=playwright* and inspect output in application logs.

Content

Deno 2 Playwright Model Context Protocol Server Example

A Model Context Protocol server that provides browser automation capabilities using Playwright. This server enables LLMs to interact with web pages, take screenshots, and execute JavaScript in a real browser environment.

This repo uses Deno 2, which has nice ergonomics, because you can compile a binary and run it without any runtime dependencies.

This code is heavily based on the official Puppeteer MCP server, which you can find here: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/puppeteer

How to build

Only the mac binary build has been tested, but you should be able to build an executable binary for linux x86_64, linux ARM64, and windows x86_64.

deno task build-mac
deno task build-linux-x86_64
deno task build-linux-ARM64
deno task build-windows-x86_64

How to run

To invoke the playwright-server binary, you need to update your ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json to point to the binary.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "/path/to/deno2-playwright-mcp-server/playwright-server"
    }
  }
}