Blowback MCP Server

MCP server that integrates with FE development server for Cursor

Local serverstdio

What is the Blowback MCP server?

MCP server that integrates with FE development server for Cursor. Exposed over MCP by the blowback mcp server, that capability becomes something an assistant can invoke while it works, not something you go and do afterwards.

What it actually does

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates FE development servers with AI tools like Claude Desktop and Cursor.

  • Integration of local development server with MCP server
  • Browser console log capture and transmission via MCP
  • Checkpoint-based log management
  • Screenshot capture and SQLite database management
  • HMR (Hot Module Replacement) event monitoring
  • Browser automation and element inspection

Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • get-hmr-events — Retrieves recent HMR events
  • check-hmr-status — Checks the HMR status
  • start-browser — Starts a browser instance and navigates to the development server. HMR monitoring starts automatically
  • capture-screenshot — Captures a screenshot of the current page or a specific element. Returns screenshot ID and resource URI
  • get-element-properties — Retrieves properties and state information of a specific element
  • get-element-styles — Retrieves style information of a specific element
  • get-element-dimensions — Retrieves dimension and position information of a specific element
  • monitor-network — Monitors network requests in the browser for a specified duration
  • get-element-html — Retrieves the HTML content of a specific element and its children
  • get-console-logs — Retrieves console logs from the browser session with optional filtering
  • execute-browser-commands — Safely executes predefined browser commands
  • how-to-use — Provides instructions on how to use specific features of the server

Configuration

You will need one environment variable: PROJECT_ROOT. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

Adding it to your client

The server ships on npm as blowback-context, so your MCP client can launch it on demand — there is no separate build step. Add the server block to your client's configuration, restart it, and the tools register themselves.

When to reach for it

This sits in the browser automation group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Blowback's toolset — get-hmr-events, check-hmr-status, start-browser and 10 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by esnark; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Caveats

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • With 13 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Blowback.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the blowback mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
get-hmr-eventsRetrieves recent HMR events
check-hmr-statusChecks the HMR status
start-browserStarts a browser instance and navigates to the development server. HMR monitoring starts automatically
capture-screenshotCaptures a screenshot of the current page or a specific element. Returns screenshot ID and resource URI
get-element-propertiesRetrieves properties and state information of a specific element
get-element-stylesRetrieves style information of a specific element
get-element-dimensionsRetrieves dimension and position information of a specific element
monitor-networkMonitors network requests in the browser for a specified duration
get-element-htmlRetrieves the HTML content of a specific element and its children
get-console-logsRetrieves console logs from the browser session with optional filtering
execute-browser-commandsSafely executes predefined browser commands
how-to-useProvides instructions on how to use specific features of the server
screenshotsA resource for querying all captured screenshots. You can query screenshot reference IDs captured by the capture-screenshot tool using various criteria.

How to install the Blowback MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "blowback": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "blowback-context"],
      "env": {
        "PROJECT_ROOT": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
PROJECT_ROOTConfiguration value read at startup.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Blowback to get-hmr-events.
  • Use Blowback to check-hmr-status.
  • Use Blowback to start-browser.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Blowback to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 13 tools (get-hmr-events, check-hmr-status, start-browser, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Blowback directly.