Claude Code Chrome Extension: AI Browser Automation Now in Your Terminal
Build in your terminal, test in your browser. Claude Code can now see and control Chrome to debug your apps, scrape websites, and automate browser tasks.
Can Claude Code view and control my browser?
Yes! Released this week, the Claude in Chrome extension allows Claude Code to see, navigate, click, type, and interact with your browser directly from your terminal. Install the Chrome extension (v1.0.36+), update Claude Code (v2.0.73+), and run claude --chrome. You can debug localhost apps, scrape websites, fill forms, run multi-site workflows, and even record GIFs of browser sessions.
TL;DR
- •Claude Code + Chrome - Claude can now see and interact with your browser using the Claude in Chrome extension
- •Debug local apps - Test localhost, read console errors, check DOM state, and fix issues without leaving your terminal
- •Web scraping - Extract structured data from any website and save it to files
- •Authenticated access - Works with Google Docs, Gmail, Notion, and other logged-in apps
- •Quick setup - Install extension, run
claude --chrome, and verify with/chrome
If you've used Claude Code for any serious development work, you've probably wished Claude could just see what you're looking at in the browser. Whether it's debugging a CSS issue, testing a form submission, or checking why that API call isn't working—context switching between terminal and browser adds friction to an otherwise smooth workflow.
Released this week, the Claude in Chrome extension changes this completely. Claude Code can now open tabs, navigate pages, click buttons, fill forms, read console errors, and even record GIFs of browser interactions. All from your terminal. No Selenium setup. No Playwright configuration. Just tell Claude what you want to test or automate.
For developers using AI-assisted development workflows, this is a significant upgrade. Let's explore how to set it up and what you can actually do with it.
01.Installation Guide: Getting Claude to See Your Browser
Prerequisites
- Google Chrome browser (not Brave, Arc, or other Chromium browsers yet)
- Claude Code CLI version 2.0.73 or higher
- A paid Claude plan (Pro, Team, or Enterprise)
- WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) is not supported
Step-by-Step Installation
Install the Chrome Extension
Visit the Chrome Web Store and install the Claude in Chrome extension:
Claude in Chrome Extension (v1.0.36+)Update Claude Code
Ensure you have the latest version:
claude updateStart Claude Code with Chrome
Launch with the --chrome flag:
claude --chromeVerify the Connection
Check that everything is working:
/chromeThis command checks connection status and lets you manage settings. If the extension isn't detected, you'll see a warning with installation instructions.
Enable by Default (Optional)
If you want Chrome integration enabled automatically in every session, run /chrome and select "Enabled by default".
Note: Enabling by default increases context usage since browser tools are always loaded. If you notice increased context consumption, disable this and use --chrome only when needed.
02.How It Works: The Technical Architecture
Claude Code communicates with Chrome through Chrome's Native Messaging API. The extension acts as a bridge—receiving commands from Claude Code and executing them in your browser. Here's what that means practically:
Key Behaviours
Available Tools
Run /mcp and click into claude-in-chrome to see the full list. Claude can:
Open URLs, go back/forward
Interact with page elements
Input data into form fields
Navigate long pages
Access browser logs and errors
Monitor API calls
Create, switch, close tabs
Test responsive designs
Capture browser interactions
03.Practical Examples: What You Can Actually Do
Let's look at real examples you can try today. These aren't hypothetical—they're actual prompts you can give Claude Code.
Web Scraping: Extracting Data from example.com
Here's a simple scraping example to get you started:
Go to example.com and extract the page title,
main heading, and all paragraph text.
Save the results to a file called example-data.jsonClaude will open the page, read the DOM, extract the requested elements, and save structured JSON to your project directory.
Debugging: Testing Your Local Development Server
This is where the extension truly shines. Test your local app without leaving the terminal:
I just updated the login form validation. Can you open
localhost:3000, try submitting the form with invalid data,
and check if the error messages appear correctly?Or debug console errors:
Open the dashboard page at localhost:3000/dashboard
and check the console for any errors when the page loads.Form Automation: Data Entry from Files
Automate repetitive data entry tasks:
I have a spreadsheet of customer contacts in contacts.csv.
For each row, go to our CRM at crm.example.com,
click "Add Contact", and fill in the name, email,
and phone fields.Authenticated Apps: Google Docs, Gmail, Notion
Because Claude uses your browser's login state, it can interact with authenticated apps:
Draft a project update based on our recent commits
and add it to my Google Doc at
docs.google.com/document/d/abc123Or multi-site workflows:
Check my calendar for meetings tomorrow, then for
each meeting with an external attendee, look up their
company on LinkedIn and add a note about what they do.Recording: Create Demo GIFs
Perfect for documentation or bug reports:
Record a GIF showing how to complete the checkout flow,
from adding an item to the cart through to the
confirmation page.04.Troubleshooting Common Issues
Extension Not Detected
- 1. Verify Chrome extension (v1.0.36+) is installed and enabled
- 2. Check Claude Code version:
claude --version(need v2.0.73+) - 3. Ensure Chrome is running
- 4. Run
/chromeand select "Reconnect extension" - 5. Restart both Claude Code and Chrome if needed
Browser Not Responding
- 1. Check if a modal dialog (alert, confirm, prompt) is blocking—dismiss it manually
- 2. Ask Claude to create a new tab and try again
- 3. Restart the Chrome extension by disabling and re-enabling it
First-Time Setup Issues
Claude Code installs a native messaging host on first use. If you encounter permission errors, restart Chrome for the installation to take effect.
05.What This Means for Developers
The Claude in Chrome extension fundamentally changes the development feedback loop. Instead of:
❌ Before
- • Write code in terminal
- • Switch to browser to test
- • Open DevTools, find the error
- • Copy error message
- • Switch back to terminal
- • Paste error to Claude
- • Apply fix, repeat
✓ After
- • Write code in terminal
- • Tell Claude to test it
- • Claude opens browser, finds error
- • Claude fixes the code
- • Claude verifies the fix
- • Done
For teams building web applications, this means faster iteration cycles, fewer context switches, and the ability to catch visual and functional issues that pure code analysis would miss. It's particularly valuable for:
- Frontend debugging - CSS issues, responsive design, JavaScript errors
- E2E testing - Automated user flow verification
- Data gathering - Scraping, monitoring, competitive analysis
- Documentation - Recording GIFs for user guides and bug reports
06.Frequently Asked Questions
Can Claude Code view my browser?
Yes! With the Claude in Chrome extension, Claude Code can see and interact with your browser. It can read page content, click elements, fill forms, scroll, and take screenshots. This enables Claude to help you debug web applications, scrape data, and automate browser tasks directly from your terminal.
How do I install the Claude Code Chrome extension?
Install the Claude in Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store (v1.0.36+), update Claude Code to v2.0.73+ with claude update, then start Claude Code with claude --chrome. Verify the connection by running /chrome in your Claude Code session.
Can Claude Code scrape websites?
Yes, Claude Code can extract data from web pages using the Chrome extension. It can navigate to URLs, read page content, interact with elements, and save structured data to files. This is useful for gathering information, price monitoring, or extracting data for analysis.
Does Claude Code work with localhost and local development?
Absolutely. One of the most powerful features is debugging local development servers. Claude can open localhost:3000 (or any port), test your application, read console errors, check DOM state, and help you fix issues—all while you work in your terminal.
What browsers does Claude Code support?
Currently, Claude in Chrome only works with Google Chrome. It does not yet support Brave, Arc, or other Chromium-based browsers. WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) is also not supported at this time.
Is the Claude Chrome extension safe to use?
Yes, the extension is built by Anthropic with security in mind. It requires a visible browser window (no headless mode), shares your browser's login state so you control what's accessible, and site permissions are managed through Chrome extension settings. Claude pauses when encountering login pages or CAPTCHAs.
Get Started Today
The Claude in Chrome extension is available now in beta. If you're already using Claude Code for development work, adding browser automation capabilities is a natural extension of your workflow. The setup takes about five minutes, and the productivity gains are immediate.
For teams looking to integrate AI-assisted development into their processes, this represents another step toward truly intelligent development environments. Combined with Claude Skills, you now have the building blocks for sophisticated automation workflows that span both your codebase and your browser.