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Anti-detection browser MCP server for AI agents — navigate, interact, and automate the web without getting blocked

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🦊 CamoFox MCP

The anti-detection browser MCP server for AI agents. Navigate, interact, and automate the web without getting blocked.

CI npm version License: MIT TypeScript Node.js MCP

New to CamoFox? Skip the docs — paste this prompt into your AI agent and it’ll verify your setup end-to-end.

How it works (TL;DR)

Your AI Agent ──(MCP)──> camofox-mcp ──(REST)──> camofox-browser ──> Camoufox (anti-detection Firefox)

CamoFox has 2 components — you need both running:

  • camofox-browser is the headless browser server (anti-detection)
  • camofox-mcp is the MCP bridge your AI agent connects to

Why CamoFox MCP?

AI agents using Playwright get blocked constantly. CAPTCHAs, fingerprint detection, IP bans — the web fights back against automation.

CamoFox MCP wraps the CamoFox Browser Server as an MCP server, giving your AI agent:

  • 🛡️ Anti-detection fingerprinting — Each tab gets a unique, human-like browser fingerprint
  • Fast, token-efficient snapshots — Accessibility tree snapshots use 90% fewer tokens than screenshots
  • 🔍 Built-in search — Search Google, YouTube, Amazon + 11 more engines without getting blocked
  • 🍪 Session persistence — Import cookies, maintain login state across interactions
  • 🎯 CSS selector fallback — Target elements even when accessibility refs aren't available

CamoFox MCP vs Playwright MCP

Feature CamoFox MCP Playwright MCP
Anti-detection fingerprinting
Passes bot detection tests
Search engine macros (14 engines)
Accessibility snapshots
Cookie import/export Limited
Headless support
Setup complexity Medium Easy
Token efficiency High High

CamoFox MCP vs Other Camoufox MCPs

Feature CamoFox MCP whit3rabbit/camoufox-mcp baixianger/camoufox-mcp
Tools 41 1 33
Architecture REST API client Direct browser Direct browser
Session persistence ❌ (destroyed per request)
Token efficiency High (snapshots) Low (raw HTML) High (snapshots)
Search macros ✅ (14 engines)
CSS selector fallback
Active maintenance ❌ (stale 8mo)
Press key support

Prerequisites

  • Pick one:
    • Docker (recommended) — easiest “zero-to-hero” setup
    • Node.js 18+ (download) — needed for the npx setup
  • CamoFox Browser Server must be running (it is not a downloadable desktop binary — use Docker, npx, or build from source)
  • An MCP-compatible client: VS Code (Copilot), Cursor, Claude Desktop, or any MCP client

Quick Start

Pick ONE option below.

Option A: Docker (Recommended — Easiest)

1) Start CamoFox Browser

docker run -d -p 9377:9377 --name camofox-browser ghcr.io/redf0x1/camofox-browser:latest

2) Verify it’s running

curl http://localhost:9377/health

3) Add MCP config to your editor (see configs below)

4) Paste the verification prompt into your AI agent (see below)

Option B: npx (Quick — Needs Node.js 18+)

1) Start CamoFox Browser (keep this terminal open)

npx camofox-browser@latest

2) In another terminal, verify:

curl http://localhost:9377/health

3) Add MCP config to your editor (see configs below)

4) Paste the verification prompt into your AI agent

Option C: From Source (Developers)

1) Clone and start CamoFox Browser

git clone https://github.com/redf0x1/camofox-browser.git
cd camofox-browser && npm install && npm run build && npm start

2) Clone and build CamoFox MCP

git clone https://github.com/redf0x1/camofox-mcp.git
cd camofox-mcp && npm install && npm run build

3) Add MCP config (see configs below — use node path instead of npx)

4) Paste the verification prompt

MCP Client Configuration

VS Code (Copilot)

  • File: .vscode/mcp.json (in your workspace root)
  • Create the file if it doesn't exist
{
  "servers": {
    "camofox": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "camofox-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "CAMOFOX_URL": "http://localhost:9377"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
  • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "camofox": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "camofox-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "CAMOFOX_URL": "http://localhost:9377"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: Claude Desktop uses "mcpServers" not "servers".

Cursor

  • File: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "camofox": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "camofox-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "CAMOFOX_URL": "http://localhost:9377"
      }
    }
  }
}

From Source (use node instead of npx)

{
  "servers": {
    "camofox": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/camofox-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "CAMOFOX_URL": "http://localhost:9377"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: This example is for VS Code. For Claude Desktop or Cursor, use "mcpServers" instead of "servers".

3. Verify Setup

After configuring your MCP client, restart your editor. Then paste this prompt into your AI agent:

Verify my CamoFox MCP setup. Run these checks and report results:

1) Call `server_status` — is the browser server connected?
2) If connected: `create_tab` with url `https://example.com`
3) `navigate_and_snapshot` on that tab (wait for text: "Example Domain")
4) `list_profiles` to confirm profile storage is accessible
5) `close_tab` for the test tab

If any step fails, diagnose the issue and suggest a fix.
Report: ✅ pass or ❌ fail for each step, plus overall status.

Prerequisites: You must configure your MCP client first (Step 2 above). The AI agent can do everything else.

Manual verification (optional):

curl http://localhost:9377/health
# Expected: {"ok":true,"browserConnected":true}

Docker

Quick Start with Docker

# Standalone (connect to an existing CamoFox browser server running on the host)
docker run -i --rm -e CAMOFOX_URL=http://host.docker.internal:9377 ghcr.io/redf0x1/camofox-mcp:latest

# Browser only (recommended): starts the CamoFox browser server in the background
docker compose up -d

# MCP (stdio): start the browser with compose, then launch the MCP container on-demand
# Option A: plain docker (attach stdin; uses the compose network)
docker run -i --rm --network=camofox-mcp_default -e CAMOFOX_URL=http://camofox-browser:9377 ghcr.io/redf0x1/camofox-mcp:latest

# Option B: compose run (no TTY; attaches stdin/stdout for JSON-RPC)
docker compose run --rm -T camofox-mcp

Note: docker compose up -d detaches and does not provide stdin, so it can only be used to run the browser service. Your MCP client should launch the MCP container separately (using docker run -i ... or docker compose run -T ...).

VS Code MCP Configuration (Docker)

{
  "servers": {
    "camofox": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "docker",
      "args": ["run", "-i", "--rm", "-e", "CAMOFOX_URL=http://host.docker.internal:9377", "ghcr.io/redf0x1/camofox-mcp:latest"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop Configuration (Docker)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "camofox": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": ["run", "-i", "--rm", "-e", "CAMOFOX_URL=http://host.docker.internal:9377", "ghcr.io/redf0x1/camofox-mcp:latest"],
      "type": "stdio"
    }
  }
}

IMPORTANT: Do NOT use -t flag — TTY corrupts the JSON-RPC stdio stream.

HTTP Transport (OpenClaw & Remote)

CamoFox MCP now supports Streamable HTTP transport for integration with OpenClaw and other HTTP-based MCP clients.

Quick Start

# Start in HTTP mode
CAMOFOX_TRANSPORT=http npx camofox-mcp

# Or with CLI flags
npx camofox-mcp --transport http --http-port 3000

# With custom settings
CAMOFOX_TRANSPORT=http CAMOFOX_HTTP_PORT=8080 CAMOFOX_HTTP_HOST=0.0.0.0 npx camofox-mcp

Configuration

Variable CLI Flag Default Description
CAMOFOX_TRANSPORT --transport stdio Transport mode: stdio or http
CAMOFOX_HTTP_PORT --http-port 3000 HTTP server port
CAMOFOX_HTTP_HOST --http-host 127.0.0.1 HTTP server bind address
CAMOFOX_HTTP_RATE_LIMIT --http-rate-limit 60 Max requests per minute

Security Notes

  • Default bind address is 127.0.0.1 (localhost only)
  • To expose on network, use --http-host 0.0.0.0 (ensure proper firewall/auth)
  • Rate limiting enabled by default (60 req/min)
  • Set CAMOFOX_API_KEY for CamoFox Browser authentication

OpenClaw Integration

CamoFox MCP integrates with OpenClaw via HTTP transport, providing anti-detection browser automation as an MCP tool server.

Method 1: MCP Server Config (Recommended)

Add to your OpenClaw mcpServers configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "camofox": {
      "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Then start CamoFox MCP in HTTP mode:

CAMOFOX_TRANSPORT=http CAMOFOX_API_KEY=your-key npx camofox-mcp

Method 2: mcptoskill CLI

npx @filiksyos/mcptoskill http://localhost:3000/mcp

Method 3: Direct URL

Use http://localhost:3000/mcp as a direct MCP server URL in OpenClaw settings.

Why CamoFox for OpenClaw?

OpenClaw's built-in browser uses standard headless Chrome which is easily detected by anti-bot systems. CamoFox provides:

  • C++ level fingerprint spoofing — undetectable by bot detection
  • 41 browser automation tools — navigation, clicks, forms, screenshots, search across 14 engines
  • Anti-detection by default — no configuration needed

Tools (41)

Tab Management

Tool Description
create_tab Create a new tab with anti-detection fingerprinting
close_tab Close a tab and release resources
list_tabs List all open tabs with URLs and titles

Presets

Tool Description
list_presets List all available geo presets supported by the connected CamoFox browser server

Geo Presets

create_tab supports optional regional configuration via a named preset, plus per-field overrides:

  • preset — preset name (e.g., japan, vietnam, uk)
  • locale — BCP-47 locale (e.g., ja-JP)
  • timezoneId — IANA timezone (e.g., Asia/Tokyo)
  • geolocation{ latitude, longitude }
  • viewport{ width, height }

Resolution order: preset defaults → individual field overrides → server defaults.

Built-in presets (when supported by your camofox-browser server):

Preset Locale Timezone Location
us-east en-US America/New_York New York
us-west en-US America/Los_Angeles Los Angeles
japan ja-JP Asia/Tokyo Tokyo
uk en-GB Europe/London London
germany de-DE Europe/Berlin Berlin
vietnam vi-VN Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh Ho Chi Minh City
singapore en-SG Asia/Singapore Singapore
australia en-AU Australia/Sydney Sydney

Example:

{
  "userId": "agent1",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "preset": "japan",
  "viewport": { "width": 1920, "height": 1080 }
}

Tip: call list_presets to discover what presets the connected server supports (including any custom preset file configured server-side).

Navigation

Tool Description
navigate Navigate to a URL, waits for page load
go_back Browser back button
go_forward Browser forward button
refresh Reload current page

Interaction

Tool Description
click Click element by ref (from snapshot) or CSS selector
type_text Type text into input fields by ref or CSS selector
camofox_press_key Press keyboard keys (Enter, Tab, Escape, etc.)
scroll Scroll page up or down by pixel amount
camofox_scroll_element Scroll inside a container element (modal, sidebar, scrollable div)
camofox_hover Hover over an element to trigger tooltips, dropdowns, or hover states
camofox_wait_for Wait for page readiness after navigation or dynamic updates
camofox_evaluate_js Execute JavaScript in page context (may require API key)

Batch / Composite

Tool Description
fill_form Fill multiple form fields in one call, with optional submit click
type_and_submit Type into a field and press a key (default: Enter)
navigate_and_snapshot Navigate to a URL, wait for readiness, and return a snapshot
scroll_and_snapshot Scroll then capture a fresh snapshot
camofox_scroll_element_and_snapshot Scroll inside a container element, then take a snapshot
batch_click Click multiple elements sequentially with per-click results

Observation

Tool Description
snapshot Get accessibility tree — PRIMARY way to read pages. Token-efficient
screenshot Take visual screenshot as base64 PNG
get_links Get all hyperlinks with URLs and text
camofox_wait_for_text Wait for specific text to appear on the page

Search

Tool Description
web_search Search via 14 engines: Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Reddit, GitHub, StackOverflow, Wikipedia, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok

Session

Tool Description
import_cookies Import cookies for authenticated sessions
get_stats Get session statistics and performance metrics
camofox_close_session Close all browser tabs for a user session

Session Profiles

Tool Description
save_profile Save cookies from an active tab to a named on-disk profile
load_profile Load a saved profile's cookies into an active tab (restores login sessions)
list_profiles List saved profiles with metadata (cookie count, save date, description)
delete_profile Delete a saved profile from disk

Health

Tool Description
server_status Check CamoFox server health and connection

Session Profiles

Session Profiles let you persist authenticated browser state across MCP restarts by saving/loading cookies to/from disk.

Tools

  • save_profile — export cookies from an active tab and save them under a profile name
  • load_profile — load a saved profile into an active tab (imports cookies)
  • list_profiles — list all saved profiles and metadata
  • delete_profile — delete a saved profile permanently

Configuration

  • CAMOFOX_PROFILES_DIR — directory used to store profiles (default: ~/.camofox-mcp/profiles/)
  • CAMOFOX_AUTO_SAVE — enable auto-save/auto-load of an "auto profile" (default: true). Set to false to disable.

Auto-save / auto-load

By default, CamoFox MCP will persist sessions automatically:

  • On close_tab and camofox_close_session, cookies are exported and saved to _auto_{userId} (best-effort; 5-second timeout).
  • On create_tab, if _auto_{userId} exists, it is loaded automatically (best-effort; 5-second timeout).

Note: auto-load imports cookies, which may require CAMOFOX_API_KEY if the CamoFox browser server enforces authentication. For local setups, auto-load works without a key.

Example flow

  1. create_tab
  2. Navigate + login interactively
  3. save_profile (from the logged-in tab)
  4. Restart your MCP client/server
  5. create_tab
  6. load_profile
  7. navigate — you should already be authenticated

Docker persistence

Mount a volume so profiles survive container restarts:

docker run -i --rm \
  -e CAMOFOX_URL=http://host.docker.internal:9377 \
  -v "$HOME/.camofox-mcp/profiles:/root/.camofox-mcp/profiles" \
  ghcr.io/redf0x1/camofox-mcp:latest

API Key Setup

The API key is optional. All 41 tools work without a key when the CamoFox browser server doesn't enforce authentication (the default for local setups).

If your CamoFox browser server has authentication enabled, these tools need a matching key:

  • import_cookies
  • camofox_evaluate_js
  • load_profile (imports cookies)
  • Auto-save / auto-load session profiles (imports cookies on create_tab)

Without a matching key, these tools return a clear "API key required" error with setup instructions.

How it works

The key is a shared secret between both servers and must match exactly:

AI Agent -> (MCP tool call) -> CamoFox MCP (sends CAMOFOX_API_KEY) -> (HTTP) -> CamoFox Browser Server (validates key)

Set the key on both servers

1) Start CamoFox Browser Server with a key (exact flags may vary by camofox-browser version):

export CAMOFOX_API_KEY="your_shared_secret"
./camofox-browser

Or (if supported by your camofox-browser build):

./camofox-browser --api-key "your_shared_secret"

2) Configure your MCP client to pass the same key:

{
  "servers": {
    "camofox": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "camofox-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "CAMOFOX_URL": "http://localhost:9377",
        "CAMOFOX_API_KEY": "your_shared_secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: This example is for VS Code. For Claude Desktop or Cursor, use "mcpServers" instead of "servers".

What happens without an API key?

All tools work when the CamoFox browser server doesn't require authentication (default for local/Docker setups).

If the browser server does enforce auth and no key is set, cookie import, profile load, and JS evaluation return a clear error: "CamoFox server requires authentication. Set CAMOFOX_API_KEY environment variable."

⚠️ Key mismatch between MCP and browser server → affected tools return "Forbidden". Ensure the same key is set on both servers.

Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable Default Description
CAMOFOX_URL http://localhost:9377 CamoFox server URL
CAMOFOX_TIMEOUT 30000 Request timeout in ms
CAMOFOX_API_KEY Shared secret for authenticated operations. Only needed if the CamoFox browser server enforces auth
CAMOFOX_PROFILES_DIR ~/.camofox-mcp/profiles Directory to store persistent session profiles
CAMOFOX_AUTO_SAVE true Auto-save on close + auto-load on create via _auto_{userId}
CAMOFOX_DEFAULT_USER_ID default Default userId for new tabs when none specified
CAMOFOX_TAB_TTL_MS 1800000 Tab TTL in milliseconds (30min). Set to 0 to disable auto-eviction
CAMOFOX_MAX_TABS 100 Maximum tracked tabs
CAMOFOX_VISITED_URLS_LIMIT 50 Max URLs to keep in tab history
CAMOFOX_SWEEP_INTERVAL_MS 60000 Sweep interval in milliseconds (1min)

Architecture

AI Agent (Claude, GPT, etc.)
       │
       │ MCP Protocol (stdio)
       ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│  CamoFox MCP    │  ← This package
│  (TypeScript)   │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
         │ REST API (HTTP)
         ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│  CamoFox Server │  ← Anti-detection browser
│  (Port 9377)    │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
         │ Browser Engine
         ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│  Camoufox       │  ← Firefox-based, fingerprint spoofing
│  (Firefox)      │
└─────────────────┘

How It Works

  1. Your AI agent sends MCP tool calls (e.g., create_tab, navigate, snapshot)
  2. CamoFox MCP translates these into REST API calls to the CamoFox server
  3. CamoFox server manages a Camoufox browser with anti-detection features
  4. Each tab gets a unique fingerprint — different user agent, screen size, WebGL, fonts, etc.
  5. Websites see what appears to be a normal human browser, not automation

Anti-Detection Features

CamoFox (via Camoufox) provides:

  • ✅ Unique browser fingerprint per tab
  • ✅ Human-like user agent rotation
  • ✅ WebGL fingerprint spoofing
  • ✅ Canvas fingerprint protection
  • ✅ Screen resolution randomization
  • ✅ Font enumeration protection
  • ✅ Navigator properties masking
  • ✅ Timezone/locale consistency

Related Projects

Project Description
CamoFox Browser Server Anti-detection browser server (required)
Camoufox Firefox fork with C++ fingerprint spoofing

Troubleshooting

Quick troubleshoot (paste into your AI agent):

Something isn't working with my CamoFox setup. Please diagnose:

1) Call `server_status` — check browser server connection
2) If connected, try `create_tab` and navigate to any URL
3) If that works, try `import_cookies` with a simple test cookie
4) Report what's working and what's failing
5) Suggest specific fixes for any issues found
  • Connection refused (curl fails / server_status fails) -> CamoFox Browser Server is not running or CAMOFOX_URL is wrong. Verify with:
    curl http://localhost:9377/health
  • "Forbidden" on import_cookies / profile load / camofox_evaluate_js -> API key mismatch. Ensure the same CAMOFOX_API_KEY is set on both servers.
  • "API key required" -> The CamoFox browser server requires authentication. Set CAMOFOX_API_KEY on both servers (see API Key Setup).
  • Session profiles not auto-restoring -> Auto-load imports cookies, which requires CAMOFOX_API_KEY if the browser server enforces auth. Also confirm CAMOFOX_AUTO_SAVE is not set to false.
  • Not sure if setup is working? -> Run the health check above, then ask your agent to call server_status, then try the Quick Start smoke test.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a PR.

Security

URL Navigation (SSRF Awareness)

CamoFox MCP forwards URLs to the CamoFox Browser Server for navigation. This is core functionality — the browser visits whatever URL you provide.

In trusted environments (local development, single-user): No special precautions needed.

In shared/cloud environments: Be aware that the browser can access any URL reachable from its host, including internal network services. Consider:

  • Running the browser server in an isolated network (Docker network, VPC)
  • Using firewall rules to restrict outbound access from the browser container
  • Not exposing the MCP server to untrusted clients

API Key

When CAMOFOX_API_KEY is set, all sensitive operations (cookie import/export, JavaScript evaluation) require authentication. Always set an API key in production environments.

Profile Storage

Session profiles are stored locally at ~/.camofox-mcp/profiles/ with restricted file permissions (0o600). Profiles contain cookies which may include authentication tokens — treat them as sensitive data.

License

MIT

Acknowledgments