How do I install Zen?

Copy the stdio config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.

Does Zen need an API key?

The publisher lists these environment variables: ZEN_DEBUG_PORT.

When was Zen last checked?

Last checked 2026-10-28. MCP server for Zen Browser automation via WebDriver BiDi

Zen MCP server

Power your agent

Add this server

The publisher's own command. Not a PlugMCP endpoint.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Local command

npx -y [email protected]

Credentials from the publisher

ZEN_DEBUG_PORT — Zen Browser remote debugging port

Claude Code has no install link for a local command. Copy the command below and run it in a terminal.

shClaude Code

1ZEN_DEBUG_PORT=<value> claude mcp add io.github.sh6drack-zen-mcp -- npx -y zen-mcp@1.2.1

Run in a terminal.

jsonClaude Desktop

1{2  "mcpServers": {3    "io.github.sh6drack-zen-mcp": {4      "command": "npx",5      "args": [6        "-y",7        "[email protected]"8      ],9      "env": {10        "ZEN_DEBUG_PORT": "<value>"11      }12    }13  }14}

claude_desktop_config.json

Local · npmPublisher installStep-by-step: add this in Claude

Remote URL or a command on your machine? How the two installs differ

Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

A new server you create. It is not this listing's official endpoint. Use the publisher install when you want their URL and their credentials.

Launch

Server facts

Local

Transport: stdio
Version: 1.2.1
API key

Tools

No tool list yet. Remote servers get one after the first health check.

FAQ

Questions

zen-mcp

The first MCP server for Zen Browser. Automate Zen from Claude Code, Cursor, or any MCP client.

No Selenium. No Playwright. No browser drivers. Just WebSocket.

Setup (2 minutes)

1. Start Zen with remote debugging

/Applications/Zen.app/Contents/MacOS/zen --remote-debugging-port 9222

Pro tip: Add alias zen='open /Applications/Zen.app --args --remote-debugging-port 9222' to your shell config. Then just run zen.

2. Add to Claude Code

# Option A: npm (recommended)
npm install -g zen-mcp

# Option B: Clone
git clone https://github.com/sh6drack/zen-mcp.git && cd zen-mcp && npm install

Add to ~/.claude/mcp_servers.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zen-browser": {
      "command": "zen-mcp"
    }
  }
}

If you cloned instead of npm install, use "command": "node", "args": ["/absolute/path/to/zen-mcp/server.mjs"]

Add to ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": ["mcp__zen-browser__*"]
  }
}

That's it. Start a new Claude Code session and the zen_* tools are available.

20 Tools

Browse

Tool	What it does
`zen_navigate`	Go to a URL
`zen_list_pages`	List all open tabs
`zen_select_page`	Switch to a tab
`zen_new_tab`	Open a new tab
`zen_close_tab`	Close a tab

See

Tool	What it does
`zen_snapshot`	Page structure with selectors (filter: all/interactive/form)
`zen_screenshot`	Capture a screenshot
`zen_get_page_text`	Get page title, URL, and text
`zen_get_form_fields`	List all form fields with labels and values

Interact

Tool	What it does
`zen_click`	Click an element
`zen_fill`	Type into an input or textarea
`zen_select_option`	Pick a dropdown option
`zen_check`	Toggle a checkbox or radio
`zen_press_key`	Keyboard input (Enter, Tab, Ctrl+A, etc.)
`zen_fill_form`	Fill multiple fields at once
`zen_scroll`	Scroll the page or to an element

Utility

Tool	What it does
`zen_evaluate`	Run JavaScript in the page
`zen_wait`	Wait N milliseconds
`zen_wait_for`	Wait for text or element to appear
`zen_reconnect`	Force reconnect to Zen

How It Works

Claude Code  ──stdio/MCP──>  zen-mcp  ──WebSocket/BiDi──>  Zen Browser

zen-mcp speaks WebDriver BiDi (W3C standard) directly over WebSocket. Form filling uses native value setters with input/change event dispatch so React, Vue, and Angular apps work correctly.

What Works Well

Navigation, clicking, form filling — rock solid, handles React/Vue/Angular
Screenshots and page reads — reliable content extraction
Tab management — open, close, switch between tabs
JavaScript evaluation — run any code in the page context
Keyboard input — shortcuts, Enter, Tab, modifier combos

Known Limitations

Zen inherits Firefox's WebDriver BiDi implementation, which is still maturing. Some advanced BiDi commands that work in Chrome may not be available yet.
Zombie sessions can only be cleared by restarting Zen (BiDi session.end is connection-scoped). zen-mcp detects this and tells you what to do.
No file upload or drag-and-drop support (BiDi spec limitation).

Built-in Reliability

Auto-reconnect with exponential backoff if WebSocket drops
Zombie session recovery when a previous client crashed
Connection retry (3 attempts with backoff)
Clean shutdown on SIGINT/SIGTERM to prevent orphaned sessions

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
"Cannot connect to Zen Browser"	Start Zen with `--remote-debugging-port 9222`
"Maximum number of active sessions"	Restart Zen: `killall zen && zen`
Connection keeps dropping	Use `zen_reconnect` to force a fresh connection

Config

Env Variable	Default	Description
`ZEN_DEBUG_PORT`	`9222`	Zen's remote debugging port

Requirements

Zen Browser
Node.js 20+

Test

node test-e2e.mjs   # 21 tests, needs Zen running

License

MIT

Zen

Add this server

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Server facts

Tools

Questions

How do I install Zen?

Does Zen need an API key?

What transport does Zen use?

When was Zen last checked?

Documentation

zen-mcp

Setup (2 minutes)

1. Start Zen with remote debugging

2. Add to Claude Code

20 Tools

Browse

See

Interact

Utility

How It Works

What Works Well

Known Limitations

Built-in Reliability

Troubleshooting

Config

Requirements

Test

License