Safari MCP

What is Safari MCP?

Safari MCP is a Model Context Protocol server for native Safari automation on macOS, providing AI agents with 80 tools for browser control including navigation, form filling, screenshots, network interception, and storage management. It uses your real Safari with all logins, cookies, and sessions, running on WebKit via AppleScript and JavaScript with zero external dependencies like Puppeteer or Playwright.

How to use Safari MCP?

After installing Safari MCP (via npm, Homebrew, or source), enable Safari’s “Show features for web developers” and “Allow JavaScript from Apple Events.” Then add the server configuration to your MCP client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, or VS Code + Continue). The recommended workflow is: take an accessibility snapshot, interact with elements by ref, then verify with another snapshot.

Key features of Safari MCP

• 80 tools for navigation, clicks, forms, screenshots, network, storage, and accessibility
• Zero dependencies — no Puppeteer, Playwright, WebDriver, or Chrome
• Native WebKit on Apple Silicon — ~60% less CPU than Chrome
• Uses your real Safari with all logins, cookies, and sessions
• Background operation — Safari stays in background, never steals focus
• Persistent osascript process — ~5ms per command vs ~80ms

Use cases of Safari MCP

• Automate authenticated web tasks using existing Safari sessions (Gmail, GitHub, Slack)
• Extract structured data from tables, meta tags, images, and links
• Run batch automation scripts with multiple actions in one call
• Test web applications with device emulation, network throttling, and CSS coverage
• Capture performance metrics and network requests for analysis

FAQ from Safari MCP

How is Safari MCP different from Playwright or Chrome DevTools MCP?

Safari MCP uses your real Safari browser with all your authenticated sessions, runs natively on WebKit (~60% less CPU on Apple Silicon), has zero dependencies, and operates in the background without stealing window focus. Chrome DevTools MCP heats up your Mac and Playwright launches a clean browser without your logins.

What are the prerequisites for Safari MCP?

You need macOS (any version with Safari), Node.js 18+, and Safari settings: “Show features for web developers” enabled, and “Allow JavaScript from Apple Events” enabled.

Does Safari MCP send data anywhere?

No. All communication is local (stdio + localhost). There is no telemetry, no analytics, and no data sent to remote servers. macOS system permissions are required for screenshots.

How do I target elements with Safari MCP?

Tools accept CSS selectors, visible text, coordinates (x, y), or refs from the accessibility snapshot. The recommended method is to start with safari_accessibility_snapshot to get element refs, then use those refs for precise targeting.

Can Safari MCP handle file uploads and clipboard operations?

Yes. safari_upload_file uploads files via JS DataTransfer without a file dialog, and safari_paste_image pastes an image without touching the clipboard. There are also dedicated clipboard read/write tools.