steel

Steel MCP Server enables Claude (or other LLMs) to navigate the web via Puppeteer-based tools integrated with Steel Voyager. It exposes a set of standard web automation tools such as navigate, search, click, type, scroll, and wait, plus screenshot capture and resource storage. In cloud mode, Claude Desktop will launch this MCP server and route its web automation requests through Steel's cloud-enabled browser sessions; in local/self-hosted mode, it connects to a locally running Steel service. To use, configure Claude Desktop with the steel-puppeteer MCP entry (providing your Steel API key for cloud usage or pointing to your local Steel instance for self-hosted usage), then start Claude Desktop to begin issuing MCP tool calls to navigate pages, perform searches, interact with forms, and capture screenshots as artifacts.

Prerequisites:

• Git and Node.js installed on your machine
• Claude Desktop installed (for seamless integration)
• (Optional) Steel Docker image or Steel service if running self-hosted

Install and set up:

1. Clone the MCP server repository and install dependencies

   git clone https://github.com/steel-dev/steel-mcp-server.git
   cd steel-mcp-server
   npm install
   npm run build
   

2. Obtain a Steel API key if using Cloud mode and place it in the MCP config:
   • In Claude Desktop configuration, add the Steel MCP server entry with environment variables (see mcp_config example):

     {
       "mcpServers": {
         "steel-puppeteer": {
           "command": "node",
           "args": ["path/to/steel-voyager/dist/index.js"],
           "env": {
             "STEEL_LOCAL": "false",
             "STEEL_API_KEY": "YOUR_STEEL_API_KEY_HERE",
             "GLOBAL_WAIT_SECONDS": "1"
           }
         }
       }
     }
     

3. If running locally: ensure Steel service is available and configure STEEL_LOCAL=true with STEEL_BASE_URL pointing to your local Steel instance:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "steel-puppeteer": {
         "command": "node",
         "args": ["path/to/steel-voyager/dist/index.js"],
         "env": {
           "STEEL_LOCAL": "true",
           "STEEL_BASE_URL": "http://localhost:3000",
           "GLOBAL_WAIT_SECONDS": "1"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

4. Start Claude Desktop; it will orchestrate the MCP server behind the scenes and connect to Steel Voyager for web automation.

Note: Prerequisites and exact paths may vary depending on your environment and whether you run in Cloud or Local modes.

Tips:

• In Cloud mode, keep your STEEL_API_KEY secure and only expose it to Claude Desktop configuration.
• The GLOBAL_WAIT_SECONDS setting helps stabilize interactions with slower pages; adjust as needed for your target sites.
• When running locally, ensure the Steel base URL (STEEL_BASE_URL) is reachable from the MCP server host and that any required ports are open.
• Use the provided tools (navigate, search, click, type, scroll_down, scroll_up, go_back, wait, save_unmarked_screenshot) to build complex automation flows; each action supports labeled inputs to target page elements.
• Screenshots are stored as resources (screenshot://RESOURCE_NAME) and can be retrieved via MCP resource requests for auditing or debugging.
• If you encounter issues, consult the MCP quickstart docs and verify environment variable values (especially STEEL_LOCAL, STEEL_API_KEY, and base URL in self-hosted setups).