Chrome Extension
Connect Claude Code to your Chrome browser and let it open pages, click buttons, read console errors, and fill in forms — all from a single terminal session. No Playwright setup, no Selenium scripts.
What the extension lets you do
Once the Chrome extension is installed and Claude Code is launched with the --chrome flag, Claude gains a set of browser tools it can use through the browser. It opens a real Chrome window, inherits your existing login sessions, and performs actions you can watch happen in real time.
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Live debugging | Read console errors and DOM state directly inside a running page. |
| Web app testing | Test form validation, user flows, and visual layouts against your local dev server. |
| Authenticated apps | Interact with Google Docs, Gmail, Notion, or any site you are already signed into. |
| Form filling | Feed a CSV to Claude and have it enter each row into a web interface. |
| Data extraction | Pull structured data from pages and save it as JSON or CSV. |
| Session recording | Record browser interactions as GIFs to document or share a workflow. |
Set it up in two steps
Install the Chrome extension
Search for “Claude” in the Chrome Web Store, or use the listing below. You need version 1.0.36 or higher. After installing, confirm it is enabled in chrome://extensions.
Claude
Anthropic · anthropic.com
4.8 · 500,000+ users
The official Claude extension for Chrome. Browse pages, automate tasks, and connect Claude Code to your browser for test-and-debug workflows.
Launch Claude Code with Chrome enabled
Start Claude Code from your project directory with the --chrome flag. Claude will detect the extension and confirm the connection.
/chrome inside Claude Code and select “Enabled by default”. Be aware this loads browser tools on every session and will slightly increase context usage.Practical example: test your local dev server
Suppose you just added form validation to your app and want to make sure the error messages appear correctly. Instead of switching to the browser and testing manually, ask Claude to do it while your terminal stays open.
Claude interacted with the real browser, read the DOM, noticed the gap in validation, and offered to fix the source file — all without you leaving the terminal.
More workflow examples
| Workflow | What you say | What Claude does |
|---|---|---|
| Debug console errors | “Open the dashboard page and check the console for errors on load.” | Navigates to the page, reads console output, and reports specific errors with line numbers and suggested fixes. |
| Batch form filling | “I have customers.csv with 50 rows. For each row, open crm.example.com and add the contact.” | Reads the CSV row by row, navigates the CRM, fills in each field, and submits — reporting any failures. |
| Extract structured data | “Go to the product listings page and save each product's name, price, and stock as a CSV.” | Scrapes the page, structures the data, and writes a CSV file to your project directory. |
| Write to Google Docs | “Summarise the last 10 git commits and add it as a project update to my Google Doc at docs.google.com/d/abc123.” | Opens your Doc in Chrome (using your existing login), clicks into the editor, and types the summary. |
| Record a demo GIF | “Record a GIF of the checkout flow from cart to confirmation page.” | Records the browser interactions in real time and saves a GIF file to your working directory. |
| Multi-site workflow | “Check my calendar for tomorrow's meetings and look up the LinkedIn page for each external attendee.” | Switches between Google Calendar and LinkedIn across tabs, gathering and summarising information. |
The /chrome slash command
Inside any Claude Code session, type /chrome to open an interactive menu.
Troubleshooting
- Check that the extension is installed and enabled in chrome://extensions
- Confirm Claude Code is up to date: claude --version (needs 2.0.73+)
- Run /chrome → Reconnect extension
- If it still fails, restart both Chrome and Claude Code
- On first install, Chrome reads the native messaging host config at startup — a restart is often needed
- Check if a JavaScript dialog (alert / confirm) is blocking the page — dismiss it manually
- Ask Claude to open a new tab and retry
- Run /chrome → Reconnect extension (service worker may have gone idle)
- Close any other open Claude Code sessions that may be using Chrome
- Restart Claude Code
| Error message | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Browser extension is not connected | Native messaging host can't reach the extension | Restart Chrome and Claude Code, then run /chrome |
| Extension not detected | Extension is not installed or is disabled | Install or enable the extension in chrome://extensions |
| No tab available | Claude acted before a tab was ready | Ask Claude to create a new tab and retry |
| Receiving end does not exist | Extension service worker went idle | Run /chrome → Reconnect extension |
Quick reference
| Task | How |
|---|---|
| Start Claude Code with Chrome | claude --chrome |
| Enable Chrome by default | /chrome → Enabled by default |
| Check connection status | /chrome → Connection status |
| Reconnect after idle drop | /chrome → Reconnect extension |
| Manage site permissions | /chrome → Manage permissions |
| See available browser tools | /mcp → claude-in-chrome |
| Enable from inside session | /chrome (type it in chat) |
Before you continue
- Install the official Claude Chrome extension (v1.0.36+) and launch with
--chrome. - Claude can debug pages, test forms, fill data, and extract content from real browser sessions.
- Use
/chrometo check status, reconnect, or enable browser tools by default. - Restart Chrome and Claude Code if the extension is not detected on first install.
- Next lesson: Claude Code in Slack — trigger coding sessions from team conversations.
What's Next
The Chrome extension is set up. Next: bring Claude Code into Slack so your team can trigger Claude directly from their conversations.