Best for
- Users who want AI to call web APIs through an already authenticated browser session.
- Users who want local operation with multiple service plugins through an MCP client.
- Developers building browser-level workflows or custom plugins.
O
OpenTabs
Community
Let AI call real web APIs through your browser session.
GitHub source repository ↗
49FMRS · D
The supplied material identifies OpenTabs as an MIT-licensed open-source local browser bridge supporting MCP clients, CLI mode, a Chrome extension, and plugins. No cached server manifest, concrete tool identifiers, client configuration example, or explicit transport protocol was provided, so those fields remain unfilled rather than inferred.
OpenTabs is a locally run MCP server and Chrome extension bridge. It lets AI call web APIs through an authenticated browser session instead of relying on screenshots or DOM scraping. The project provides plugins, built-in browser tools, and a CLI mode under the MIT license.
Tools
The tool list has not been reviewed yet.
Setup
Node.js 22 or newer and Chrome are required. Install @opentabs-dev/cli globally and run opentabs start, then enable Developer mode in chrome://extensions/ and load ~/.opentabs/extension. Plugins can then be installed with opentabs plugin install <plugin-name>.
Fit and risk
Not for
- Users who do not use Chrome or do not want to grant AI access to browser sessions.
- Use cases requiring a cloud-hosted service or a documented OAuth/API-key setup.
- Integration evaluations that require an evidenced tool inventory and transport protocol.
Required permissions
- Requires installing and running the Node.js CLI.
- Requires a Chrome extension to access browser tabs and bridge to the local server.
- AI uses the permissions of accounts currently authenticated in the browser.
- Plugin tools are off by default and can be set to Off, Ask, or Auto.
- The project includes anonymous telemetry with an opt-out option.
Risks and side effects
- An authenticated browser session may allow AI to perform actions permitted to the corresponding service account.
- Plugin source should be reviewed before enabling it; permissions reset when a plugin is updated.
- Auto execution reduces opportunities for manual confirmation.
- Browser actions, network capture, and third-party service calls may create unintended external effects.
Troubleshooting
- Verify that Node.js 22 or newer is installed and Chrome is available.
- Verify that opentabs start is running.
- Verify that Developer mode is enabled in chrome://extensions/ and ~/.opentabs/extension was loaded.
- Verify that the target website is signed in within the browser.
- Verify that the required plugin is installed and its tools are explicitly enabled.
Use cases
Use existing browser sessions to operate services such as Slack, Discord, GitHub, Jira, Notion, Figma, AWS, and Stripe.
Use built-in browser capabilities for screenshots, clicking, typing, and network capture.
Install or develop plugins for specific websites.
Supported clients
Supported clients have not been confirmed yet.