Playwright MCP server in Continue.dev.
A few lines of YAML in config.yaml and Continue's agent mode can drive a real browser — useful for checking the UI changes it just wrote actually work.
Continue.dev configures MCP servers in YAML rather than the JSON most clients use — either globally in ~/.continue/config.yaml or per-project as block files in .continue/mcpServers/. Both routes work for playwright-mcp, Microsoft's 33.7k-star server that exposes a controllable browser (navigate, click, type, snapshot) as MCP tools.
One thing to know up front: Continue only surfaces MCP tools in agent mode. If you set this up and then ask in chat mode why there's no browser, that's the answer.
Choose global or per-project
Global (~/.continue/config.yaml) makes the browser available in every workspace — right if you use it for general research and QA. Per-project (a YAML file in .continue/mcpServers/ inside the repo) travels with the codebase, which suits teams that want the e2e-checking workflow shared via version control.
Either way you need Node 18+ installed, since Continue launches the server with npx.
Add the YAML
In config.yaml, add an mcpServers list entry (note: in YAML this is a list of named servers, not an object keyed by name as in JSON-based clients):
mcpServers:
- name: playwright
command: npx
args:
- "@playwright/mcp@latest"Reload and run it in agent mode
Reload the Continue extension (Developer: Reload Window is the reliable hammer) so it re-reads the config. Switch the input to agent mode, open the tools dropdown, and you should see the playwright server's tools — browser_navigate, browser_snapshot, browser_click, and more.
First task suggestion: "open the docs page for this repo and summarize the getting-started steps." It exercises navigation and page reading in one go. For UI work, ask Continue to open your dev server and screenshot a specific component state — browser_take_screenshot output lands right in the conversation.
Troubleshooting in Continue.dev
Tools missing entirely: confirm you're in agent mode, then check YAML indentation. mcpServers entries are list items — the leading dash matters, and a tab character anywhere in config.yaml will break parsing.
Server listed but errored: Continue surfaces MCP server status in the tools area; click into it for the error. Spawn failures usually mean npx isn't on the PATH the extension host sees — launch VS Code from a terminal where node resolves, or give an absolute path as command.
Slow or hanging first call: the initial npx run downloads the package, and Playwright may need a browser binary. Pre-warm with npx playwright install chromium in a terminal, then reload the window.
Project block file ignored: files in .continue/mcpServers/ must be valid block YAML — if in doubt, start from the global config.yaml form above and move it into a block once it works.
Listing and ecosystem
You'll find playwright-mcp's live listing at https://loomal.ai/marketplace/playwright-mcp, in Loomal's Browser Automation category with its tool inventory probed from the actual server. Loomal indexes MCP servers in a form agents can query — the discovery layer that pairs naturally with a client like Continue once your agents start choosing their own tools.
FAQ
How do I install Playwright MCP in Continue.dev?
Add an mcpServers list entry to ~/.continue/config.yaml with name playwright, command npx, and args ["@playwright/mcp@latest"], then reload the extension. Alternatively drop the same YAML as a block file in .continue/mcpServers/ inside your project. Tools appear in agent mode.
Why can't I see the browser tools in chat?
Continue.dev only exposes MCP tools in agent mode — plain chat mode doesn't call tools. Switch modes in the input box and the playwright tools will show in the tools dropdown, assuming the server started cleanly.
Is Continue's config JSON or YAML?
YAML, as of the current config format — config.yaml globally and YAML block files per project. If you're migrating a JSON mcpServers block from another client, convert the object keyed by server name into a YAML list item with an explicit name field.
The server starts but browsing fails — what now?
Run npx @playwright/mcp@latest in a terminal to see its real output. Missing browser binaries are the usual culprit; npx playwright install chromium fixes that. If pages load but the agent struggles to interact, ask it to take a snapshot first — playwright-mcp's accessibility snapshots are how it targets elements.
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