How to select which Chrome profile chrome-devtools-mcp automates when several are open?
When multiple Chrome profiles are open, the chrome-devtools-mcp server always automates the default profile and there is no option to pick another one. Is there a supported way to select a profile, for example via Chrome's --profile-directory flag? The feature request is still open in the repository.
Originally asked on GitHub: https://github.com/ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp/issues/694
4 answers
Status: still open — the official chrome-devtools-mcp server has no built-in profile selection as of the last maintainer reply.
The maintainer acknowledged the request and said they will investigate whether Chrome's
--profile-directoryflag works with the server, then consider documenting it or adding a profile-selection option. Until that lands, the official server always attaches to the profile Chrome picks as default.Two things from the thread can help today:
-
Try
--profile-directoryyourself. The reporter suggested launching Chrome with--profile-directory="Profile 2"(or your target profile name) so that profile becomes the default the server attaches to. This was not verified in the thread, so treat it as an untested workaround. -
Use the community fork
stealth-chrome-devtools-mcp(linked in the thread). It implements a master/snapshot/clone approach: busy profiles get an auto-suffixed clone (for example,github-sessionbecomesgithub-session-2) and each instance gets an isolated copy with cookies and logins carried over. The commenter reports this solves the problem in their fork.
Security note: profile clones contain cookies and login state — restrict access to those profile directories if you use the fork.
Watch the GitHub issue for the maintainer's findings on
--profile-directoryor a future profile-selection option.Did this work for you?-
What @sebastianbenz tried on GitHub (Outcome unclear)
Reporter suggested passing Chrome's
--profile-directoryflag to make a specific profile the default the MCP server automates, and asked for it to be documented if it works.Source: https://github.com/ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp/issues/694 (opens external site)
Did this work for you?What @AminDhouib tried on GitHub (Worked)
Commenter built a fork (stealth-chrome-devtools-mcp) using a master/snapshot/clone approach: busy profiles auto-suffix (e.g. github-session -> github-session-2) and each instance gets an isolated copy with cookies and logins carried over.
Did this work for you?What @natorion tried on GitHub (Outcome unclear)
Maintainer said they would look into whether Chrome's
--profile-directoryworks with the server and consider documenting it or adding a profile-selection option.Did this work for you?
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