Electron Desktop Automation▌

by halilural
Electron Desktop Automation streamlines app testing with screenshots, console monitoring, project detection, and debuggi
Automates Electron desktop applications through Chrome DevTools Protocol integration, enabling screenshot capture, JavaScript execution, console monitoring, and window management with intelligent project detection and debugging configuration.
best for
- / Electron app developers testing and debugging
- / Automating desktop application workflows
- / QA teams testing Electron-based software
- / DevOps monitoring desktop application health
capabilities
- / Take screenshots of Electron applications
- / Execute JavaScript code in running Electron apps
- / Monitor console logs and application events
- / Control UI elements like buttons and forms
- / Extract DOM elements and application data
- / Manage Electron application windows
what it does
Automates and debugs Electron desktop applications through Chrome DevTools Protocol without requiring app modifications. Provides AI-powered control over UI interactions, screenshot capture, and real-time monitoring.
about
Electron Desktop Automation is a community-built MCP server published by halilural that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Electron Desktop Automation streamlines app testing with screenshots, console monitoring, project detection, and debuggi It is categorized under browser automation, developer tools.
how to install
You can install Electron Desktop Automation in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.
license
MIT
Electron Desktop Automation is released under the MIT license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.
readme
Electron MCP Server
A powerful Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides comprehensive Electron application automation, debugging, and observability capabilities. Supercharge your Electron development workflow with AI-powered automation through Chrome DevTools Protocol integration.
Demo
See the Electron MCP Server in action:
Watch how easy it is to automate Electron applications with AI-powered MCP commands.
🎯 What Makes This Special
Transform your Electron development experience with AI-powered automation:
- 🔄 Real-time UI Automation: Click buttons, fill forms, and interact with any Electron app programmatically
- 📸 Visual Debugging: Take screenshots and capture application state without interrupting development
- 🔍 Deep Inspection: Extract DOM elements, application data, and performance metrics in real-time
- ⚡ DevTools Protocol Integration: Universal compatibility with any Electron app - no modifications required
- 🚀 Development Observability: Monitor logs, system info, and application behavior seamlessly
🔒 Security & Configuration
Configurable security levels to balance safety with functionality:
Security Levels
- 🔒 STRICT: Maximum security for production environments
- ⚖️ BALANCED: Default security with safe UI interactions (recommended)
- 🔓 PERMISSIVE: More functionality for trusted environments
- 🛠️ DEVELOPMENT: Minimal restrictions for development/testing
Environment Configuration
Configure the security level and other settings through your MCP client configuration:
VS Code MCP Settings:
{
"mcp": {
"servers": {
"electron": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "electron-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"SECURITY_LEVEL": "balanced",
"SCREENSHOT_ENCRYPTION_KEY":"your-32-byte-hex-string"
}
}
}
}
}
Claude Desktop Configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"electron": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "electron-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"SECURITY_LEVEL": "balanced",
"SCREENSHOT_ENCRYPTION_KEY":"your-32-byte-hex-string"
}
}
}
}
Alternative: Local .env file (for development):
# Create .env file in your project directory
SECURITY_LEVEL=balanced
SCREENSHOT_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-32-byte-hex-string
Security Level Behaviors:
| Level | UI Interactions | DOM Queries | Property Access | Assignments | Function Calls | Risk Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
strict | ❌ Blocked | ❌ Blocked | ✅ Allowed | ❌ Blocked | ❌ None allowed | Low |
balanced | ✅ Allowed | ✅ Allowed | ✅ Allowed | ❌ Blocked | ✅ Safe UI functions | Medium |
permissive | ✅ Allowed | ✅ Allowed | ✅ Allowed | ✅ Allowed | ✅ Extended UI functions | High |
development | ✅ Allowed | ✅ Allowed | ✅ Allowed | ✅ Allowed | ✅ All functions | Critical |
Environment Setup:
- Copy
.env.exampleto.env - Set
SECURITY_LEVELto your desired level - Configure other security settings as needed
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and set SECURITY_LEVEL=balanced
Secure UI Interaction Commands
Instead of raw JavaScript eval, use these secure commands:
// ✅ Secure button clicking
{
"command": "click_by_text",
"args": { "text": "Create New Encyclopedia" }
}
// ✅ Secure element selection
{
"command": "click_by_selector",
"args": { "selector": "button[title='Create']" }
}
// ✅ Secure keyboard shortcuts
{
"command": "send_keyboard_shortcut",
"args": { "text": "Ctrl+N" }
}
// ✅ Secure navigation
{
"command": "navigate_to_hash",
"args": { "text": "create" }
}
See SECURITY_CONFIG.md for detailed security documentation.
🎯 Proper MCP Usage Guide
⚠️ Critical: Argument Structure
The most common mistake when using this MCP server is incorrect argument structure for the send_command_to_electron tool.
❌ Wrong (causes "selector is empty" errors):
{
"command": "click_by_selector",
"args": "button.submit-btn" // ❌ Raw string - WRONG!
}
✅ Correct:
{
"command": "click_by_selector",
"args": {
"selector": "button.submit-btn" // ✅ Object with selector property
}
}
📋 Command Argument Reference
| Command | Required Args | Example |
|---|---|---|
click_by_selector | {"selector": "css-selector"} | {"selector": "button.primary"} |
click_by_text | {"text": "button text"} | {"text": "Submit"} |
fill_input | {"value": "text", "selector": "..."} or {"value": "text", "placeholder": "..."} | {"placeholder": "Enter name", "value": "John"} |
send_keyboard_shortcut | {"text": "key combination"} | {"text": "Ctrl+N"} |
eval | {"code": "javascript"} | {"code": "document.title"} |
get_title, get_url, get_body_text | No args needed | {} or omit args |
🔄 Recommended Workflow
- Inspect: Start with
get_page_structureordebug_elements - Target: Use specific selectors or text-based targeting
- Interact: Use the appropriate command with correct argument structure
- Verify: Take screenshots or check page state
// Step 1: Understand the page
{
"command": "get_page_structure"
}
// Step 2: Click button using text (most reliable)
{
"command": "click_by_text",
"args": {
"text": "Create New Encyclopedia"
}
}
// Step 3: Fill form field
{
"command": "fill_input",
"args": {
"placeholder": "Enter encyclopedia name",
"value": "AI and Machine Learning"
}
}
// Step 4: Submit with selector
{
"command": "click_by_selector",
"args": {
"selector": "button[type='submit']"
}
}
🐛 Troubleshooting Common Issues
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "The provided selector is empty" | Passing string instead of object | Use {"selector": "..."} |
| "Element not found" | Wrong selector | Use get_page_structure first |
| "Command blocked" | Security restriction | Check security level settings |
| "Click prevented - too soon" | Rapid consecutive clicks | Wait before retrying |
🛠️ Security Features
Enterprise-grade security built for safe AI-powered automation:
- 🔒 Sandboxed Execution: All code runs in isolated environments with strict resource limits
- 🔍 Input Validation: Advanced static analysis detects and blocks dangerous code patterns
- 📝 Comprehensive Auditing: Encrypted logs track all operations with full traceability
- 🖼️ Secure Screenshots: Encrypted screenshot data with clear user notifications
- ⚠️ Risk Assessment: Automatic threat detection with configurable security thresholds
- 🚫 Zero Trust: Dangerous functions like
eval, file system access, and network requests are blocked by default
Safety First: Every command is analyzed, validated, and executed in a secure sandbox before reaching your application.
�🚀 Key Features
🎮 Application Control & Automation
- Launch & Manage: Start, stop, and monitor Electron applications with full lifecycle control
- Interactive Automation: Execute JavaScript code directly in running applications via WebSocket
- UI Testing: Automate button clicks, form interactions, and user workflows
- Process Management: Track PIDs, monitor resource usage, and handle graceful shutdowns
📊 Advanced Observability
- Screenshot Capture: Non-intrusive visual snapshots using Playwright and Chrome DevTools Protocol
- Real-time Logs: Stream application logs (main process, renderer, console) with filtering
- Window Information: Get detailed window metadata, titles, URLs, and target information
- System Monitoring: Track memory usage, uptime, and performance metrics
🛠️ Development Productivity
- Universal Compatibility: Works with any Electron app without requiring code modifications
- DevTools Integration: Leverage Chrome DevTools Protocol for powerful debugging capabilities
- Build Automation: Cross-platform building for Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Environment Management: Clean environment handling and debugging port configuration
📦 Installation
VS Code Integration (Recommended)
[