dev-test-chrome

Announce: "I'm using dev-test-chrome for Chrome browser automation with debugging."

## Gate Reminder

Before taking screenshots or running E2E tests, you MUST complete all 6 gates from dev-tdd:

GATE 1: BUILD
GATE 2: LAUNCH (with file-based logging)
GATE 3: WAIT
GATE 4: CHECK PROCESS
GATE 5: READ LOGS ← MANDATORY, CANNOT SKIP
GATE 6: VERIFY LOGS
THEN: E2E tests/screenshots

You loaded dev-tdd earlier. Follow the gates now.

Contents

• Tool Availability Gate
• When to Use Chrome MCP
• MCP Tools Overview
• Console Debugging
• Network Request Inspection
• JavaScript Execution
• Navigation & Interaction
• GIF Recording
• Complete E2E Examples

Chrome MCP Browser Automation

## Tool Availability Gate

Verify Chrome MCP tools are available before proceeding.

Check for these MCP functions:

• mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_page
• mcp__claude-in-chrome__navigate
• mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_console_messages
• mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_network_requests

If MCP tools are not available:

STOP: Cannot proceed with Chrome MCP automation.

Missing: Chrome MCP server (claude-in-chrome extension)

The Chrome MCP requires:
1. Chrome browser with claude-in-chrome extension installed
2. Extension connected to Claude Code
3. Browser window visible (not headless)

Check your Claude Code MCP configuration.

Reply when configured and I'll continue testing.

This gate is non-negotiable. Missing tools = full stop.

## When to Use Chrome MCP

USE Chrome MCP when you need:

• Console message debugging (console.log, console.error)
• Network request inspection (API calls, XHR, Fetch)
• JavaScript execution in page context
• GIF recording of interactions
• Interactive debugging with real browser
• Natural language element finding

DO NOT use Chrome MCP when:

• Running in CI/CD (requires visible browser)
• Cross-browser testing needed (Chrome only)
• Headless automation required

For CI/CD and headless, discover and read the Playwright skill: Read ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../skills/dev-test-playwright/SKILL.md and follow its instructions.

Chrome MCP Facts

• Chrome MCP requires a visible browser — it cannot run headless, so it cannot serve CI/CD. That is Playwright's job.
• Console and network state eyeballed in DevTools is not captured evidence — read_console_messages and read_network_requests record the same data as part of the test. An API response inferred rather than read is an unverified claim presented as fact.
• A GIF recording (gif_creator) is proof an interaction worked; skipping it as "overkill" trades a one-command recording for an unevidenced claim.

MCP Tools Overview

Tool	Purpose
navigate	Navigate to URL
read_page	Get accessibility tree (page state)
find	Natural language element search
computer	Mouse/keyboard (click, type, scroll, screenshot)
form_input	Set form values
javascript_tool	Execute JS in page context
read_console_messages	Read browser console
read_network_requests	Read HTTP requests
get_page_text	Extract page text content
gif_creator	Record interactions as GIF
tabs_context_mcp	Get tab context
tabs_create_mcp	Create new tab

Console Debugging

### The Iron Law of Console Debugging

DO NOT manually check console. Use read_console_messages.

If JavaScript errors exist, you MUST capture them automatically.

Reading Console Messages

mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_console_messages(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    pattern="error|warning"  # Filter by regex pattern
)

Pattern Filtering (Required)

Always provide a pattern to avoid verbose output:

Pattern	Captures
"error"	All error messages
"error|warning"	Errors and warnings
"MyApp"	Application-specific logs
"API"	API-related messages
"fetch|xhr"	Network-related logs

Example: Debug JavaScript Error

# 1. Navigate to page
mcp__claude-in-chrome__navigate(tabId=TAB_ID, url="https://app.example.com")

# 2. Trigger the action
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="left_click", tabId=TAB_ID, coordinate=[500, 300])

# 3. Check for errors
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_console_messages(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    pattern="error|Error|ERROR",
    onlyErrors=true
)

Clearing Console Between Tests

mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_console_messages(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    pattern=".*",
    clear=true  # Clear after reading
)

Network Request Inspection

### The Iron Law of API Debugging

DO NOT guess API responses. Use read_network_requests.

If debugging API calls, you MUST capture actual requests and responses.

Reading Network Requests

mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_network_requests(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    urlPattern="/api/"  # Filter by URL pattern
)

URL Pattern Filtering

Pattern	Captures
"/api/"	All API calls
"graphql"	GraphQL requests
"auth"	Authentication requests
"example.com"	Requests to specific domain

Example: Debug API Call

# 1. Navigate and trigger action
mcp__claude-in-chrome__navigate(tabId=TAB_ID, url="https://app.example.com")
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="left_click", tabId=TAB_ID, ref="submit-button")

# 2. Wait for network activity
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="wait", tabId=TAB_ID, duration=2)

# 3. Inspect API calls
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_network_requests(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    urlPattern="/api/submit"
)

Clearing Network Log Between Tests

mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_network_requests(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    clear=true
)

JavaScript Execution

### The Iron Law of JS Execution

DO NOT assume page state. Execute JS to verify.

If you need to check page variables, DOM state, or run custom logic, use javascript_tool.

Executing JavaScript

mcp__claude-in-chrome__javascript_tool(
    action="javascript_exec",
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    text="document.querySelector('#my-element').innerText"
)

Common Use Cases

Get element text:

text="document.querySelector('.status').innerText"

Check if element exists:

text="document.querySelector('#login-button') !== null"

Get form values:

text="document.querySelector('input[name=email]').value"

Check localStorage:

text="localStorage.getItem('authToken')"

Get page data:

text="window.__APP_STATE__"

Trigger event:

text="document.querySelector('#btn').dispatchEvent(new Event('click'))"

Important Notes

• Do NOT use return statements - just write the expression
• Result of the last expression is returned automatically
• Code runs in page context with access to DOM, window, etc.

Navigation & Interaction

Get Tab Context First

# Always start by getting available tabs
mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_context_mcp(createIfEmpty=true)

Navigation

mcp__claude-in-chrome__navigate(tabId=TAB_ID, url="https://example.com")

Reading Page Structure

# Get accessibility tree
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_page(tabId=TAB_ID)

# Get interactive elements only
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_page(tabId=TAB_ID, filter="interactive")

# Get specific element by ref
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_page(tabId=TAB_ID, ref_id="ref_123")

Finding Elements (Natural Language)

mcp__claude-in-chrome__find(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    query="login button"
)

Clicking Elements

# By coordinates
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(
    action="left_click",
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    coordinate=[500, 300]
)

# By element ref (from read_page or find)
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(
    action="left_click",
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    ref="ref_1"
)

Typing Text

mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(
    action="type",
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    text="[email protected]"
)

Form Input

mcp__claude-in-chrome__form_input(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    ref="ref_1",
    value="[email protected]"
)

Screenshots

mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(
    action="screenshot",
    tabId=TAB_ID
)

Waiting

mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(
    action="wait",
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    duration=2  # seconds
)

GIF Recording

### When to Record GIFs

Record GIFs for multi-step interactions that need visual verification.

GIFs prove interactions worked. Screenshots only show end state.

Recording Workflow

# 1. Start recording
mcp__claude-in-chrome__gif_creator(action="start_recording", tabId=TAB_ID)

# 2. Take initial screenshot (first frame)
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="screenshot", tabId=TAB_ID)

# 3. Perform interactions
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="left_click", tabId=TAB_ID, coordinate=[500, 300])
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="wait", tabId=TAB_ID, duration=1)
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="screenshot", tabId=TAB_ID)

# ... more interactions with screenshots between ...

# 4. Take final screenshot (last frame)
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="screenshot", tabId=TAB_ID)

# 5. Stop recording
mcp__claude-in-chrome__gif_creator(action="stop_recording", tabId=TAB_ID)

# 6. Export GIF
mcp__claude-in-chrome__gif_creator(
    action="export",
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    download=true,
    filename="login_flow.gif"
)

GIF Best Practices

1. Name meaningfully - Use descriptive filenames like checkout_flow.gif
2. Capture extra frames - Take screenshots before and after actions
3. Include wait time - Allow animations to complete between screenshots

Complete E2E Examples

Login Flow with Console/Network Debugging

# 1. Get tab context
mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_context_mcp(createIfEmpty=true)

# 2. Create new tab
mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_create_mcp()
# Returns tabId

# 3. Navigate to login
mcp__claude-in-chrome__navigate(tabId=TAB_ID, url="https://app.example.com/login")
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="wait", tabId=TAB_ID, duration=2)

# 4. Clear console and network for clean test
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_console_messages(tabId=TAB_ID, pattern=".*", clear=true)
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_network_requests(tabId=TAB_ID, clear=true)

# 5. Get page structure
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_page(tabId=TAB_ID, filter="interactive")

# 6. Fill login form
mcp__claude-in-chrome__find(tabId=TAB_ID, query="email input")
mcp__claude-in-chrome__form_input(tabId=TAB_ID, ref="ref_1", value="[email protected]")

mcp__claude-in-chrome__find(tabId=TAB_ID, query="password input")
mcp__claude-in-chrome__form_input(tabId=TAB_ID, ref="ref_2", value="password123")

# 7. Submit
mcp__claude-in-chrome__find(tabId=TAB_ID, query="sign in button")
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="left_click", tabId=TAB_ID, ref="ref_3")

# 8. Wait for response
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="wait", tabId=TAB_ID, duration=3)

# 9. Check for errors in console
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_console_messages(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    pattern="error|Error|failed",
    onlyErrors=true
)

# 10. Verify API call succeeded
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_network_requests(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    urlPattern="/api/login"
)

# 11. Verify logged in state via JS
mcp__claude-in-chrome__javascript_tool(
    action="javascript_exec",
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    text="localStorage.getItem('authToken') !== null"
)

# 12. Screenshot for evidence
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="screenshot", tabId=TAB_ID)

API Debugging Workflow

# 1. Setup
mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_context_mcp(createIfEmpty=true)
mcp__claude-in-chrome__navigate(tabId=TAB_ID, url="https://api-dashboard.example.com")

# 2. Clear previous network data
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_network_requests(tabId=TAB_ID, clear=true)

# 3. Trigger the problematic action
mcp__claude-in-chrome__find(tabId=TAB_ID, query="refresh data button")
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="left_click", tabId=TAB_ID, ref="ref_1")

# 4. Wait for network activity
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="wait", tabId=TAB_ID, duration=3)

# 5. Inspect all API calls
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_network_requests(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    urlPattern="/api/"
)

# 6. Check console for related errors
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_console_messages(
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    pattern="API|fetch|error"
)

# 7. Verify page state after API call
mcp__claude-in-chrome__javascript_tool(
    action="javascript_exec",
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    text="document.querySelector('.data-table tbody tr').length"
)

Form Submission with Validation

# 1. Navigate to form
mcp__claude-in-chrome__navigate(tabId=TAB_ID, url="https://app.example.com/contact")

# 2. Start GIF recording
mcp__claude-in-chrome__gif_creator(action="start_recording", tabId=TAB_ID)
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="screenshot", tabId=TAB_ID)

# 3. Fill form with invalid data to test validation
mcp__claude-in-chrome__form_input(tabId=TAB_ID, ref="email-input", value="invalid-email")
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="screenshot", tabId=TAB_ID)

# 4. Submit
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="left_click", tabId=TAB_ID, ref="submit-btn")
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="wait", tabId=TAB_ID, duration=1)
mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer(action="screenshot", tabId=TAB_ID)

# 5. Check for validation errors in console
mcp__claude-in-chrome__read_console_messages(tabId=TAB_ID, pattern="validation|error")

# 6. Verify error message appears
mcp__claude-in-chrome__javascript_tool(
    action="javascript_exec",
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    text="document.querySelector('.error-message').innerText"
)

# 7. Stop and export GIF
mcp__claude-in-chrome__gif_creator(action="stop_recording", tabId=TAB_ID)
mcp__claude-in-chrome__gif_creator(
    action="export",
    tabId=TAB_ID,
    download=true,
    filename="form_validation.gif"
)

Integration

This skill is referenced by dev-test for Chrome MCP browser automation.

Related skills:

• Read ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../skills/dev-test-playwright/SKILL.md and follow its instructions.
• Read ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../skills/dev-tdd/SKILL.md and follow its instructions.
• Playwright skill - headless/CI testing
• TDD skill - TDD protocol