feat(mcp): add --file-paths=absolute for absolute paths in tool results

packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/context.ts

@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ export type ContextConfig = {
   codegen?: 'typescript' | 'python' | 'java' | 'csharp' | 'none';
   console?: { level?: 'error' | 'warning' | 'info' | 'debug' };
   imageResponses?: 'allow' | 'omit' | 'only';
+  filePaths?: 'relative' | 'absolute';
   network?: {
     allowedOrigins?: string[];
     blockedOrigins?: string[];

packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/response.ts

@@ -76,7 +76,9 @@ export class Response {
     this._raw = this._json || (options?.raw ?? false);
   }
 
-  private _computeRelativeTo(fileName: string): string {
+  private _printablePath(fileName: string): string {
+    if (this._context.config.filePaths === 'absolute')
+      return path.resolve(fileName);
     const rel = path.relative(this._clientWorkspace, fileName);
     // Prefix bare filenames with `./` so they're not mistaken for living in
     // the auto-named `.playwright-cli/` artifact directory.
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ export class Response {
     else
       fileName = await this._context.outputFile(template, { origin: 'llm' });
     await fs.promises.mkdir(path.dirname(fileName), { recursive: true });
-    const relativeName = this._computeRelativeTo(fileName);
+    const relativeName = this._printablePath(fileName);
     const printableLink = `- [${title}](${relativeName})`;
     return { fileName, relativeName, printableLink };
   }
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ export class Response {
   }
 
   addFileLink(title: string, fileName: string) {
-    const relativeName = this._computeRelativeTo(fileName);
+    const relativeName = this._printablePath(fileName);
     this.addTextResult(`- [${title}](${relativeName})`);
   }
 
@@ -285,7 +287,8 @@ export class Response {
     const snapshotToFile = this._includeSnapshot !== 'explicit' || !!this._includeSnapshotFileName;
     const ariaFormat = this._includeSnapshot === 'none' ? 'none' : (this._json && !snapshotToFile ? 'json' : 'text');
     const updateWebMCP = this._includeSnapshot !== 'none'; // Collect the page's WebMCP tools whenever a snapshot is taken anyway.
-    const tabSnapshot = this._context.currentTab() ? await this._context.currentTabOrDie().captureSnapshot(this._includeSnapshotRoot, this._includeSnapshotDepth, this._includeSnapshotBoxes, this._clientWorkspace, ariaFormat, updateWebMCP) : undefined;
+    const logRelativeTo = this._context.config.filePaths === 'absolute' ? undefined : this._clientWorkspace;
+    const tabSnapshot = this._context.currentTab() ? await this._context.currentTabOrDie().captureSnapshot(this._includeSnapshotRoot, this._includeSnapshotDepth, this._includeSnapshotBoxes, logRelativeTo, ariaFormat, updateWebMCP) : undefined;
     const tabHeaders = await Promise.all(this._context.tabs().map(tab => tab.headerSnapshot()));
     if (this._includeSnapshot !== 'none' || tabHeaders.some(header => header.changed)) {
       if (tabHeaders.length !== 1)
@@ -320,7 +323,7 @@ export class Response {
         if (event.type === 'download-start')
           text.push(`- Downloading file ${event.download.download.suggestedFilename()} ...`);
         else if (event.type === 'download-finish')
-          text.push(`- Downloaded file ${event.download.download.suggestedFilename()} to "${this._computeRelativeTo(event.download.outputFile)}"`);
+          text.push(`- Downloaded file ${event.download.download.suggestedFilename()} to "${this._printablePath(event.download.outputFile)}"`);
       }
     }
     if (text.length)
@@ -329,7 +332,7 @@ export class Response {
     const pausedDetails = this._context.debugger().pausedDetails();
     if (pausedDetails) {
       addSection('Paused', [
-        `- ${pausedDetails.title} at ${this._computeRelativeTo(pausedDetails.location.file)}${pausedDetails.location.line ? ':' + pausedDetails.location.line : ''}`,
+        `- ${pausedDetails.title} at ${this._printablePath(pausedDetails.location.file)}${pausedDetails.location.line ? ':' + pausedDetails.location.line : ''}`,
         '- Use any tools to explore and interact, resume by calling resume/step-over/pause-at',
       ]);
     }

packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/config.d.ts

@@ -232,6 +232,11 @@ export type Config = {
    */
   imageResponses?: 'allow' | 'omit' | 'only';
 
+  /**
+   * How file paths are rendered in tool results. Can be "relative" to the workspace root or "absolute". Defaults to "relative".
+   */
+  filePaths?: 'relative' | 'absolute';
+
   snapshot?: {
     /**
      * When taking snapshots for responses, specifies the mode to use.

packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/config.ts

@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ export type CLIOptions = {
   endpoint?: string;
   extension?: boolean;
   executablePath?: string;
+  filePaths?: 'relative' | 'absolute';
   grantPermissions?: string[];
   headless?: boolean;
   host?: string;
@@ -390,6 +391,7 @@ function configFromCLIOptions(cliOptions: CLIOptions): Config & { configFile?: s
     outputDir: cliOptions.outputDir,
     outputMaxSize: cliOptions.outputMaxSize,
     imageResponses: cliOptions.imageResponses,
+    filePaths: cliOptions.filePaths,
     testIdAttribute: cliOptions.testIdAttribute,
     timeouts: {
       action: cliOptions.timeoutAction,
@@ -428,6 +430,8 @@ export function configFromEnv(env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): Config & { configFile?:
   options.device = envToString(e.PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_DEVICE);
   options.executablePath = envToString(e.PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXECUTABLE_PATH);
   options.extension = envToBoolean(e.PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXTENSION);
+  if (e.PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_FILE_PATHS)
+    options.filePaths = enumParser<'relative' | 'absolute'>('--file-paths', ['relative', 'absolute'], e.PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_FILE_PATHS);
   options.grantPermissions = commaSeparatedList(e.PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_GRANT_PERMISSIONS);
   options.headless = envToBoolean(e.PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HEADLESS);
   options.host = envToString(e.PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HOST);

packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/configIni.ts

@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ const longhandTypes: Record<string, LonghandType> = {
   'outputDir': 'string',
   'outputMaxSize': 'number',
   'imageResponses': 'string',
+  'filePaths': 'string',
   'allowUnrestrictedFileAccess': 'boolean',
   'codegen': 'string',
   'testIdAttribute': 'string',

packages/playwright-core/src/tools/mcp/program.ts

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ export function decorateMCPCommand(command: Command) {
       .option('--executable-path <path>', 'path to the browser executable.')
       .option('--extension', 'Connect to a running browser instance (Edge/Chrome only). Requires the "Playwright Extension" to be installed.')
       .option('--endpoint <endpoint>', 'Bound browser endpoint to connect to.')
+      .option('--file-paths <mode>', 'how file paths are rendered in tool results, "relative" to the workspace root or "absolute". Default is "relative".', enumParser.bind(null, '--file-paths', ['relative', 'absolute']))
       .option('--grant-permissions <permissions...>', 'List of permissions to grant to the browser context, for example "geolocation", "clipboard-read", "clipboard-write".', commaSeparatedList)
       .option('--headless', 'run browser in headless mode, headed by default')
       .option('--host <host>', 'host to bind server to. Default is localhost. Use 0.0.0.0 to bind to all interfaces.')

tests/mcp/file-paths.spec.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import path from 'path';
+import { test, expect, parseResponse } from './fixtures';
+
+test('--file-paths=absolute', async ({ startClient, server }, testInfo) => {
+  const outputDir = testInfo.outputPath('output');
+  const { client } = await startClient({
+    args: ['--file-paths=absolute'],
+    config: { outputDir },
+  });
+  server.setContent('/', `<script>console.error('hello')</script>`, 'text/html');
+
+  const navigate = parseResponse(await client.callTool({
+    name: 'browser_navigate',
+    arguments: { url: server.PREFIX },
+  }));
+  expect(navigate.events).toContain(`New console entries: ${path.join(outputDir, 'console-')}`);
+
+  expect(await client.callTool({
+    name: 'browser_take_screenshot',
+  })).toHaveResponse({
+    result: expect.stringContaining(`[Screenshot of viewport](${path.join(outputDir, 'page-')}`),
+  });
+
+  expect(await client.callTool({
+    name: 'browser_take_screenshot',
+    arguments: { filename: 'screenshot.png' },
+  })).toHaveResponse({
+    result: expect.stringContaining(`[Screenshot of viewport](${testInfo.outputPath('screenshot.png')})`),
+  });
+});