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---
title: "Quick Start: Automate Chrome in 2 Minutes"
sidebarTitle: Quick Start
description: Install the Chrome extension, set up the CLI, and run your first browser automation commands with Playwriter.
icon: lucide:zap
---

## Core workflow

Every Playwriter automation follows this pattern:

```bash
# 1. Create a session
playwriter session new          # outputs: 1

# 2. Navigate
playwriter -s 1 -e "state.page = context.pages().find(p => p.url() === 'about:blank') ?? await context.newPage(); await state.page.goto('https://example.com')"

# 3. Observe (snapshot to see interactive elements)
playwriter -s 1 -e "snapshot({ page: state.page })"

# 4. Act (use locators from the snapshot)
playwriter -s 1 -e "await state.page.locator('role=link[name=\"More information...\"]').click()"

# 5. Observe again (verify the action worked)
playwriter -s 1 -e "console.log('URL:', state.page.url()); console.log(await snapshot({ page: state.page })); console.log(await getLatestLogs({ page: state.page, sinceLastCall: true }))"
```

Always **observe before and after** every action. Never chain multiple clicks blindly.

## Prerequisites

**Chrome or Chromium** installed, **Node.js 18+**, and a terminal.

## Step 1: Install the extension

Install the [Chrome extension](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/playwriter/jfeammnjpkecdekppnclgkkffahnhfhe) from the Chrome Web Store, then click the extension icon on a tab. It turns **green** when connected.

## Step 2: Install the CLI

```bash
npm install -g playwriter
```

Or use without installing:

```bash
npx playwriter@latest session new
```

## Step 3: Install the skill (for agents)

The **skill** teaches AI agents how to use Playwriter: which selectors to prefer, how to read snapshots, available utilities, and best practices.

```bash
npx -y skills add remorses/playwriter
```

## Step 4: Run your first commands

```bash
# Create a new session
playwriter session new

# Navigate to a page
playwriter -s 1 -e "state.page = context.pages().find(p => p.url() === 'about:blank') ?? await context.newPage(); await state.page.goto('https://example.com')"

# Get an accessibility snapshot
playwriter -s 1 -e "snapshot({ page: state.page })"

# Click a link using the locator from the snapshot
playwriter -s 1 -e "await state.page.locator('role=link[name=\"More information...\"]').click()"

# Take a screenshot
playwriter -s 1 -e "await state.page.screenshot({ path: './example.png', scale: 'css' })"
```

## Using with MCP

For AI assistants (Claude, Cursor, OpenCode, etc.), configure the MCP server instead of the CLI:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwriter": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "playwriter@latest"]
    }
  }
}
```

The MCP exposes a single **`execute`** tool that accepts any Playwright code. Your agent sends JavaScript and gets back the result, snapshots, and screenshots automatically.

See the full [MCP setup guide](/docs/mcp-setup) for more options.

## Alternative: headless mode

If you don't want to use your personal browser, launch a **headless Chrome** instead:

```bash
# Download Chrome for Testing (first time only)
playwriter browser install

# Create a session with headless Chrome
playwriter session new --browser headless

# Use it normally
playwriter -s 1 -e "state.page = await context.newPage(); await state.page.goto('https://example.com')"
```

See the [headless mode guide](/docs/headless) for details.

## Alternative: direct CDP

Connect to any Chrome instance with remote debugging enabled, no extension needed:

```bash
playwriter session new --direct
```

See the [CLI reference](/docs/cli) for all connection options.

## Next steps

* [Snapshots & diffing](/docs/snapshots) for reading page state
* [Visual labels](/docs/visual-labels) for spatial element discovery
* [Sessions](/docs/sessions) for multi-agent isolation
* [CLI reference](/docs/cli) for all commands and flags