Tools: Debugging with AI: Chrome DevTools MCP + Copilot

What is Chrome DevTools MCP ## The mental model ## Demo site used in this article ## Setting up the Chrome DevTools MCP server ## Performance analysis example: ## Console analysis walkthrough ## How I personally use this in my workflow ## Seeing network issues without digging ## Why this changes debugging ## What to keep in mind ## Closing thought This article shows how Chrome DevTools MCP bridges the gap between browser debugging and AI assistance, and how you can use it with VS Code Copilot using a real demo site. When used correctly, this setup is genuinely powerful. I was able to clean up console warnings, understand hidden issues, and improve overall code quality in my own project using a single prompt. The result: less time fixing errors manually, and a noticeable boost in productivity. Chrome DevTools MCP (Model Context Protocol) allows Chrome DevTools to expose runtime debugging context directly to AI tools like VS Code Copilot. This context includes: The key idea is simple: Copilot can reason over real browser runtime data instead of relying only on static code. Chrome DevTools → MCP Server → VS Code Copilot We’ll use the official DevTools demo site: Demo Site This site is specifically designed for experimenting with Chrome DevTools features in a safe environment. To set up the MCP server, visit the official repository: Chrome Devtools MCP Official Repo Once installed, the MCP server will appear in your VS Code MCP list: After that, simply start the MCP server. Copilot responds with performance insights directly from DevTools, without any manual context sharing. Step 1: Open Chrome DevTools Step 2: Ask Copilot to analyse the Console In VS Code Copilot Chat, ask: This is my preferred way to use Chrome DevTools MCP in real projects. I let the app run, open Chrome DevTools, and allow all console warnings and errors to surface. Instead of fixing issues one by one, I ask Copilot to analyze everything together. Copilot reviews the entire console output, explains what actually important, and proposes fixes. I don’t blindly apply them — I review, validate, and implement what makes sense. This approach helps me clean noisy consoles quickly, catch issues I might otherwise ignore, and spend more time reviewing solutions instead of hunting problems. Copilot may highlight: Debugging is moving from searching to conversing. Together, they make debugging and fixes faster. Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Are you sure you want to hide this comment? It will become hidden in your post, but will still be visible via the comment's permalink. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse CODE_BLOCK: Check the performance of https://chrome.dev/devtools-times/ Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: Check the performance of https://chrome.dev/devtools-times/ CODE_BLOCK: Check the performance of https://chrome.dev/devtools-times/ CODE_BLOCK: Explain the issues visible of https://chrome.dev/devtools-times/ Chrome DevTools console Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: Explain the issues visible of https://chrome.dev/devtools-times/ Chrome DevTools console CODE_BLOCK: Explain the issues visible of https://chrome.dev/devtools-times/ Chrome DevTools console CODE_BLOCK: Analyze all console errors and warnings and suggest fixes Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: Analyze all console errors and warnings and suggest fixes CODE_BLOCK: Analyze all console errors and warnings and suggest fixes CODE_BLOCK: Analyze the network requests and point out anything inefficient or unusual Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: Analyze the network requests and point out anything inefficient or unusual CODE_BLOCK: Analyze the network requests and point out anything inefficient or unusual - Console logs and warnings - Network requests - Performance traces - DevTools state - Choose your editor (VS Code in this case) - Install using the provided button or - Install manually using the listed command - Open https://chrome.dev/devtools-times - Open Chrome DevTools - Navigate to the Console tab - Read console output directly - Explain warnings or errors - Suggest possible causes or improvements - Open the Network tab - Reload the page - Observe requests - Duplicate requests - Timing issues - Payload size problems - Caching behavior - Copilot relies only on static code - Developers manually explain runtime issues - Copilot sees real runtime behaviour - Faster root-cause analysis - This works best for browser-based debugging - It doesn’t replace understanding fundamentals, but it speeds up diagnosis - System design and architectural decisions still need human judgment - React Native debugging does not fully map to Chrome DevTools (yet) - Chrome DevTools MCP provides the context. - VS Code Copilot provides the solution.