The Kernel Model Context Protocol (MCP) server gives any compatible AI model or agent a single, secure endpoint for launching Chromium browsers, injecting context, evaluating JavaScript, and streaming DOM snapshots from Kernel’s cloud platform. Open-source & fully-managed — the source code is available here. It allows you to connect to Kernel’s cloud-based browser infrastructure via MCP. 🌐 Use instantly at https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp — no installation required!

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First Time? Start Here!

Ready to try Kernel but don’t see any apps yet? Perfect! Here’s how to get started:

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Step 1: Install Kernel MCP Server

Install the Kernel MCP server to your favorite MCP client using the setup instructions below.

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Step 2: Ask Your AI Assistant for Help

Once connected, simply ask in your MCP client chat: 
"How do I get a Kernel sample app set up locally?"
Your AI assistant will use the search_docs tool to get you the latest quickstart instructions and guide you through setting up your first Kernel app!

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Step 3: Deploy & Test with MCP Tools

After you have a sample app locally, ask your assistant: 
"Deploy my sample app to Kernel"
Then test it: 
"Run my app and get the title from onkernel.com"

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Why This Approach?

  • ✅ Always up-to-date - Your AI assistant fetches the latest docs
  • ✅ Interactive guidance - Get help customized to your setup
  • ✅ Learn MCP tools - Experience the power of search_docs, deploy_app, and invoke_action
  • ✅ End-to-end workflow - From local development to cloud deployment to execution

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What You’ll Experience

Your AI assistant will help you:
  • Download and understand sample apps (search_docs)
  • Deploy your local code to the cloud (deploy_app)
  • Run actions and see results (invoke_action)
  • Create browser sessions in the cloud (create_browser)
  • Monitor deployments (list_deployments, get_deployment)

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Available Tools

The server provides these tools for AI assistants:

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App Management

  • deploy_app - Deploy TypeScript or Python apps to Kernel
  • list_apps - List apps in your Kernel organization
  • invoke_action - Execute actions in Kernel apps
  • get_deployment - Get deployment status and logs
  • list_deployments - List all deployments
  • get_invocation - Get action invocation details

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Browser Automation

  • create_browser - Launch a new browser session
  • get_browser - Get browser session information
  • delete_browser - Terminate a browser session
  • list_browsers - List active browser sessions
  • search_docs - Search Kernel platform documentation and guides

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Setup Instructions

Add the Kernel MCP server to your favorite MCP-compatible client using https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp. Here are setup instructions for popular clients:

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Claude

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Team & Enterprise (Claude.ai)

  1. Navigate to Settings in the sidebar (web or desktop).
  2. Scroll to Integrations and click Add more.
  3. Fill in:
    • Integration name: Kernel
    • Integration URL: https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp
  4. Start a chat, enable Tools, and finish auth.

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Free & Pro (Claude desktop)

Open ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and add: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kernel": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp"]
    }
  }
}
Restart the Claude desktop app.

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Claude Code CLI

claude mcp add --transport http kernel https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp
# then, inside the REPL:
/mcp   # to run through auth

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Cursor

Click here to install Kernel on Cursor in one click.

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Manual Setup

  1. Press ⌘/Ctrl Shift J to open settings.
  2. Click Tools & Integrations.
  3. Click New MCP server.
  4. Add the following configuration:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kernel": {
      "url": "https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
  1. Save and the server will be available.

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Goose

Click here to install Kernel on Goose in one click.

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Goose Desktop

  1. Click ... in the top right corner of the Goose Desktop.
  2. Select Advanced Settings from the menu.
  3. Under Extensions, click Add custom extension.
  4. On the Add custom extension modal, enter:
    • Type: Streaming HTTP
    • ID: kernel
    • Name: Kernel
    • Description: Access Kernel's cloud-based browsers via MCP
    • URL: https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp
    • Timeout: 300
  5. Click Add button.

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Goose CLI

  1. Run the following command: 
    goose configure
  2. Select Add Extension from the menu.
  3. Choose Remote Extension (Streaming HTTP).
  4. Follow the prompts:
    • Extension name: Kernel
    • URL: https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp
    • Timeout: 300

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Visual Studio Code

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kernel": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp"]
    }
  }
}
  1. Press ⌘/Ctrl P → search MCP: Add Server.
  2. Select Command (stdio).
  3. Enter: 
    npx -y mcp-remote https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp
  4. Name the server Kernel and press Enter.
  5. Activate via MCP: List Servers → Kernel → Start Server.

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Windsurf

  1. Press ⌘/Ctrl , to open settings.
  2. Navigate Cascade → MCP servers → Add custom server.
  3. Paste:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kernel": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

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Zed

Open settings.json and add: 
{
  "context_servers": {
    "kernel": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp"],
        "env": {}
      },
      "settings": {}
    }
  }
}

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Others

Many other MCP-capable tools accept:
  • Command: npx
  • Arguments: -y mcp-remote https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp
  • Environment: (none)
Configure these values wherever the tool expects MCP server settings.

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Usage Examples

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Deploy Local Apps to the Cloud

Human: I have a Playwright automation script open in my editor. Can you deploy it to Kernel?
Assistant: I'll read your local files and deploy them to Kernel for you.
[Uses deploy_app tool to upload your code and create a cloud deployment]

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Invoke Apps from Anywhere

Human: Run my web-scraper app to get data from reddit.com
Assistant: I'll execute your web-scraper action with reddit.com as the target.
[Uses invoke_action tool to run your deployed app in the cloud]

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Create Persistent Browser Sessions

Human: Create a stealth browser session that I can reuse for testing login flows
Assistant: I'll create a persistent, stealth-enabled browser that maintains state between uses.
[Uses create_browser tool with persistence and stealth options]

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FAQ

Is the server open source? Yes — the source code is available here. You’re welcome to self-host, contribute, or browse the code. Does Kernel store my data? Only encrypted refresh tokens and minimal metadata required for auth; browser state lives in your Kernel organization and never leaves your tenancy. What if the handshake fails? Restart your MCP client or disable/re-enable the Kernel server before opening a support ticket. Most connection issues resolve with a simple restart. Where do I file bugs or feature requests? Open an issue at https://github.com/onkernel/kernel-mcp-server or message us on Discord.