Kernel Mcp

KERNEL mcp

the KERNEL mcp server gives you hosted chromium sessions. nothing runs on the user's machine. every browser is a cloud vm that you create, drive, and delete through mcp tools.

on first use, grok opens a browser window so the user can sign in to KERNEL over oauth. during authorization the user can grant org-wide access or limit it to one KERNEL project.

tools

session lifecycle

• manage_browsers: create, list, get, update, delete, and get_telemetry for browser sessions. create returns a session id, cdp url, and live view url. options include stealth, headless, proxy_id, profile_name, viewport_width/viewport_height, and timeout_seconds.
• manage_browser_pools: pre-warmed pools for high-throughput work. create a pool, acquire a browser, and release it when done.

driving a browser

• execute_playwright_code: run playwright typescript against an existing session. page is already in scope. return a value to get it back.
• browser_repl: persistent javascript repl inside the browser vm with playwright, patchright, and raw cdp. state survives across calls. start with repl.help().
• computer_action: mouse, keyboard, scroll, and screenshot actions. batch several actions per call and end with a screenshot.
• webmcp: call structured tools a page exposes through webmcp. check for these before writing selectors for a site action.
• browser_curl: send http requests from inside the browser session, using its cookies and network path.
• exec_command: run shell commands inside the browser vm, for example to check dns, files, or logs.

state and auth

• manage_profiles: saved cookies and local storage. setup opens a guided session so the user can log in once. pass profile_name to manage_browsers create to reuse it.
• manage_auth_connections: managed auth for third-party sites. before a task that needs an account, list connections for the domain. if none is authenticated, login starts a hosted sign-in flow the user completes in their own browser, so credentials and mfa stay out of chat.
• manage_proxies: datacenter, isp, residential, mobile, or custom proxies with country, state, or city targeting.
• manage_extensions: list and manage uploaded chrome extensions.

other

• manage_replays: start and stop mp4 recordings of a session (paid plans).
• manage_apps: list apps, check deployment status, and invoke KERNEL apps.
• search_docs: search the KERNEL documentation.

workflows

browse or scrape a page

1. manage_browsers create with stealth: true if the site has bot detection.
2. execute_playwright_code to navigate and extract:

   await page.goto("https://news.ycombinator.com");
   return await page.$$eval(".titleline > a", els =>
     els.slice(0, 10).map(e => e.textContent)
   );
   

3. manage_browsers delete when finished.

work on a site that needs a login

1. manage_auth_connections list with the site's domain.
2. if a connection is AUTHENTICATED, create the browser with its profile_name. otherwise create a connection, run login, share the hosted url with the user, and wait until it completes.
3. run the task, then delete the browser.

visual or coordinate-based tasks

1. computer_action with a screenshot to see the page.
2. batch click_mouse, type_text, and press_key, ending with another screenshot.

tips

• delete browsers when you are done. set timeout_seconds as a backstop.
• use headless: true when nobody needs the live view. it starts faster.
• share the live view url when the user needs to watch or take over.
• if a session misbehaves, manage_browsers get_telemetry works on active and deleted sessions.