chore(extension): do not show tab selector for browser_navigate (#923)

extension/src/background.ts

@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ type PageMessage = {
   type: 'getTabs';
 } | {
   type: 'connectToTab';
-  tabId: number;
-  windowId: number;
+  tabId?: number;
+  windowId?: number;
   mcpRelayUrl: string;
 } | {
   type: 'getConnectionStatus';
@@ -59,7 +59,9 @@ class TabShareExtension {
             (error: any) => sendResponse({ success: false, error: error.message }));
         return true;
       case 'connectToTab':
-        this._connectTab(sender.tab!.id!, message.tabId, message.windowId, message.mcpRelayUrl!).then(
+        const tabId = message.tabId || sender.tab?.id!;
+        const windowId = message.windowId || sender.tab?.windowId!;
+        this._connectTab(sender.tab!.id!, tabId, windowId, message.mcpRelayUrl!).then(
             () => sendResponse({ success: true }),
             (error: any) => sendResponse({ success: false, error: error.message }));
         return true; // Return true to indicate that the response will be sent asynchronously

extension/src/ui/connect.tsx

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ const ConnectApp: React.FC = () => {
   const [showTabList, setShowTabList] = useState(true);
   const [clientInfo, setClientInfo] = useState('unknown');
   const [mcpRelayUrl, setMcpRelayUrl] = useState('');
+  const [newTab, setNewTab] = useState<boolean>(false);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
@@ -76,7 +77,14 @@ const ConnectApp: React.FC = () => {
     }
 
     void connectToMCPRelay(relayUrl);
-    void loadTabs();
+
+    // If this is a browser_navigate command, hide the tab list and show simple allow/reject
+    if (params.get('newTab') === 'true') {
+      setNewTab(true);
+      setShowTabList(false);
+    } else {
+      void loadTabs();
+    }
   }, []);
 
   const handleReject = useCallback((message: string) => {
@@ -100,7 +108,7 @@ const ConnectApp: React.FC = () => {
       setStatus({ type: 'error', message: 'Failed to load tabs: ' + response.error });
   }, []);
 
-  const handleConnectToTab = useCallback(async (tab: TabInfo) => {
+  const handleConnectToTab = useCallback(async (tab?: TabInfo) => {
     setShowButtons(false);
     setShowTabList(false);
 
@@ -108,8 +116,8 @@ const ConnectApp: React.FC = () => {
       const response = await chrome.runtime.sendMessage({
         type: 'connectToTab',
         mcpRelayUrl,
-        tabId: tab.id,
-        windowId: tab.windowId,
+        tabId: tab?.id,
+        windowId: tab?.windowId,
       });
 
       if (response?.success) {
@@ -146,9 +154,22 @@ const ConnectApp: React.FC = () => {
           <div className='status-container'>
             <StatusBanner status={status} />
             {showButtons && (
-              <Button variant='reject' onClick={() => handleReject('Connection rejected. This tab can be closed.')}>
-                Reject
-              </Button>
+              <div className='button-container'>
+                {newTab ? (
+                  <>
+                    <Button variant='primary' onClick={() => handleConnectToTab()}>
+                      Allow
+                    </Button>
+                    <Button variant='reject' onClick={() => handleReject('Connection rejected. This tab can be closed.')}>
+                      Reject
+                    </Button>
+                  </>
+                ) : (
+                  <Button variant='reject' onClick={() => handleReject('Connection rejected. This tab can be closed.')}>
+                    Reject
+                  </Button>
+                )}
+              </div>
             )}
           </div>
         )}

extension/tests/extension.spec.ts

@@ -152,7 +152,8 @@ for (const [mode, startClientMethod] of [
     });
 
     const selectorPage = await confirmationPagePromise;
-    await selectorPage.locator('.tab-item', { hasText: 'Playwright MCP Extension' }).getByRole('button', { name: 'Connect' }).click();
+    // For browser_navigate command, the UI shows Allow/Reject buttons instead of tab selector
+    await selectorPage.getByRole('button', { name: 'Allow' }).click();
 
     expect(await navigateResponse).toHaveResponse({
       pageState: expect.stringContaining(`- generic [active] [ref=e1]: Hello, world!`),

src/browserContextFactory.ts

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export function contextFactory(config: FullConfig): BrowserContextFactory {
 export type ClientInfo = { name?: string, version?: string, rootPath?: string };
 
 export interface BrowserContextFactory {
-  createContext(clientInfo: ClientInfo, abortSignal: AbortSignal): Promise<{ browserContext: playwright.BrowserContext, close: () => Promise<void> }>;
+  createContext(clientInfo: ClientInfo, abortSignal: AbortSignal, toolName: string | undefined): Promise<{ browserContext: playwright.BrowserContext, close: () => Promise<void> }>;
 }
 
 class BaseContextFactory implements BrowserContextFactory {

src/browserServerBackend.ts

@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ export class BrowserServerBackend implements ServerBackend {
     const parsedArguments = tool.schema.inputSchema.parse(rawArguments || {});
     const context = this._context!;
     const response = new Response(context, name, parsedArguments);
-    context.setRunningTool(true);
+    context.setRunningTool(name);
     try {
       await tool.handle(context, parsedArguments, response);
       await response.finish();
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export class BrowserServerBackend implements ServerBackend {
     } catch (error: any) {
       response.addError(String(error));
     } finally {
-      context.setRunningTool(false);
+      context.setRunningTool(undefined);
     }
     return response.serialize();
   }

src/context.ts

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export class Context {
 
   private static _allContexts: Set<Context> = new Set();
   private _closeBrowserContextPromise: Promise<void> | undefined;
-  private _isRunningTool: boolean = false;
+  private _runningToolName: string | undefined;
   private _abortController = new AbortController();
 
   constructor(options: ContextOptions) {
@@ -145,11 +145,11 @@ export class Context {
   }
 
   isRunningTool() {
-    return this._isRunningTool;
+    return this._runningToolName !== undefined;
   }
 
-  setRunningTool(isRunningTool: boolean) {
-    this._isRunningTool = isRunningTool;
+  setRunningTool(name: string | undefined) {
+    this._runningToolName = name;
   }
 
   private async _closeBrowserContextImpl() {
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ export class Context {
     if (this._closeBrowserContextPromise)
       throw new Error('Another browser context is being closed.');
     // TODO: move to the browser context factory to make it based on isolation mode.
-    const result = await this._browserContextFactory.createContext(this._clientInfo, this._abortController.signal);
+    const result = await this._browserContextFactory.createContext(this._clientInfo, this._abortController.signal, this._runningToolName);
     const { browserContext } = result;
     await this._setupRequestInterception(browserContext);
     if (this.sessionLog)

src/extension/cdpRelay.ts

@@ -94,11 +94,11 @@ export class CDPRelayServer {
     return `${this._wsHost}${this._extensionPath}`;
   }
 
-  async ensureExtensionConnectionForMCPContext(clientInfo: ClientInfo, abortSignal: AbortSignal) {
+  async ensureExtensionConnectionForMCPContext(clientInfo: ClientInfo, abortSignal: AbortSignal, toolName: string | undefined) {
     debugLogger('Ensuring extension connection for MCP context');
     if (this._extensionConnection)
       return;
-    this._connectBrowser(clientInfo);
+    this._connectBrowser(clientInfo, toolName);
     debugLogger('Waiting for incoming extension connection');
     await Promise.race([
       this._extensionConnectionPromise,
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ export class CDPRelayServer {
     debugLogger('Extension connection established');
   }
 
-  private _connectBrowser(clientInfo: ClientInfo) {
+  private _connectBrowser(clientInfo: ClientInfo, toolName: string | undefined) {
     const mcpRelayEndpoint = `${this._wsHost}${this._extensionPath}`;
     // Need to specify "key" in the manifest.json to make the id stable when loading from file.
     const url = new URL('chrome-extension://jakfalbnbhgkpmoaakfflhflbfpkailf/connect.html');
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ export class CDPRelayServer {
     };
     url.searchParams.set('client', JSON.stringify(client));
     url.searchParams.set('pwMcpVersion', packageJSON.version);
+    if (toolName)
+      url.searchParams.set('newTab', String(toolName === 'browser_navigate'));
     const href = url.toString();
     const executableInfo = registry.findExecutable(this._browserChannel);
     if (!executableInfo)

src/extension/extensionContextFactory.ts

@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ export class ExtensionContextFactory implements BrowserContextFactory {
     this._userDataDir = userDataDir;
   }
 
-  async createContext(clientInfo: ClientInfo, abortSignal: AbortSignal): Promise<{ browserContext: playwright.BrowserContext, close: () => Promise<void> }> {
-    const browser = await this._obtainBrowser(clientInfo, abortSignal);
+  async createContext(clientInfo: ClientInfo, abortSignal: AbortSignal, toolName: string | undefined): Promise<{ browserContext: playwright.BrowserContext, close: () => Promise<void> }> {
+    const browser = await this._obtainBrowser(clientInfo, abortSignal, toolName);
     return {
       browserContext: browser.contexts()[0],
       close: async () => {
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ export class ExtensionContextFactory implements BrowserContextFactory {
     };
   }
 
-  private async _obtainBrowser(clientInfo: ClientInfo, abortSignal: AbortSignal): Promise<playwright.Browser> {
+  private async _obtainBrowser(clientInfo: ClientInfo, abortSignal: AbortSignal, toolName: string | undefined): Promise<playwright.Browser> {
     const relay = await this._startRelay(abortSignal);
-    await relay.ensureExtensionConnectionForMCPContext(clientInfo, abortSignal);
+    await relay.ensureExtensionConnectionForMCPContext(clientInfo, abortSignal, toolName);
     return await playwright.chromium.connectOverCDP(relay.cdpEndpoint());
   }