browser-use_skill

Overview

This skill provides browser automation via a Playwright MCP server to navigate websites, interact with UI elements, take screenshots, and extract data programmatically. It exposes atomic actions (navigate, click, type, snapshot, evaluate) and a multi-step code runner for complex flows. Use it when tasks require reliable, scriptable browser behavior across multiple calls while preserving session state.

How this skill works

The skill communicates with a running Playwright MCP server to send commands and receive page snapshots. Typical flow: start the server with a shared browser context, navigate to pages, request an accessibility snapshot to obtain element refs, then perform clicks, typing, form fills, selects, waits, screenshots, or JS evaluation. For multi-step atomic workflows, use the browser_run_code endpoint to run async Playwright code on the server.

When to use it

• Automated form submissions that require filling multiple fields and clicking submit
• Web scraping or data extraction where snapshots or evaluate scripts collect page content
• UI testing and validation that needs screenshots, interactions, and waits
• Complex multi-step flows that must run atomically (login, navigate, extract)
• Any task that needs a persistent browser session across multiple calls

Best practices

• Start the MCP server with --shared-browser-context to preserve state across calls
• Always request a browser_snapshot before targeting elements to get current refs
• Prefer browser_run_code for multi-step operations that must be atomic
• Use browser_wait_for with text or timeouts to handle asynchronous loading
• Take screenshots after critical steps for verification and debugging

Example use cases

• Log in to a web app, navigate to a report page, and extract tabular data
• Automate a signup flow: fill inputs, select dropdowns, submit, and confirm success
• Run end-to-end UI checks: navigate, interact, capture screenshots, and assert text
• Scrape product listings by snapshotting and running evaluate scripts for structured fields
• Automate repetitive admin tasks across pages while maintaining session cookies