Beacon and Playwright for logged-in sessions
Playwright is a well-known browser automation library, and it is a good tool for tests. This page explains where Beacon fits differently: tasks that need your own signed-in Chrome.
How it works
- Playwright normally launches its own browser with a fresh profile, so a script signs in itself.
- Beacon connects an MCP client to the Chrome you already use, with your sessions in place.
- Beacon's agent reads a text map of the page and acts by stable control id.
Different jobs
If you need repeatable tests in CI, a scripted library is a natural choice. If you want an AI agent to do a task in the accounts you are already signed into, Beacon is built for that.
They are not exclusive. Some teams will want both.
What changes in practice
With your own Chrome there is no login step to script and no 2FA to get around. With a fresh browser you control the whole environment, which is what tests usually need.