Chrome Bridge for Claude Code in Docker

Run Claude Code inside a Docker container while controlling Chrome on your host machine.

What it does

Claude Code has a "Claude in Chrome" feature that lets it control your browser — navigate pages, fill forms, take screenshots, etc. Normally this only works when Claude Code runs directly on your machine. This project bridges that gap so Claude Code running in a container can talk to Chrome on your host.

How it works

A socat bridge in the container and a Node.js script on the host forward messages between them:

Container                          Host
Claude Code                        Chrome
    |                                |
    v                                ^
socat (entrypoint)   --TCP:9229-->  bridge-host.js
(Unix socket)                      (Unix socket)

Prerequisites

• Docker (Docker Desktop, OrbStack, or similar)
• Node.js on the host (for bridge-host.js)
• Chrome with the Claude browser extension installed
• Claude account credentials

Setup

1. Create .env.local with your credentials:

   CLAUDE_CREDENTIALS={"claudeAiOauth":{"accessToken":"...","refreshToken":"...","expiresAt":...}}
   

   You can find these in ~/.claude/.credentials.json on your host.

2. Build and start the container:

   make up

3. Start the host bridge (separate terminal):

   node bridge-host.js

4. Inside the container, start Claude (the bridge starts automatically via entrypoint):

   claude --chrome

5. Ask Claude to do something in Chrome, e.g. open google.com.

Commands

Command	Description
make up	Build image and start interactive shell
make shell	Open additional terminal in the container

Related

This project is a proof-of-concept solution for anthropics/claude-code#15450 — a feature request for remote development support for the Chrome extension. The same approach can be adapted for Eclipse Che, GitHub Codespaces, Gitpod, or any environment that supports host.docker.internal or TCP port forwarding.

Troubleshooting

• "Extension not detected" — Make sure bridge-host.js is running on the host and Chrome has the Claude extension active.
• Bridge container can't connect — Verify bridge-host.js is listening on port 9229.
• Username mismatch — The USER env var in the container must match the socket directory name. It defaults to claude.