Elster MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets Claude (or any MCP-capable client) drive the German tax portal ELSTER via Puppeteer. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

People connecting browser automation tools to Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in TypeScript.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-07-13 · ★ 8 · #132 OF 196 MAINTAINED BROWSER AUTOMATION · VERIFIED 2026-08-25

MIT · TypeScript servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Elster MCP Server

before you install - you'll need

Set ELSTER_CONFIG_PATH before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add lukasschwarz-elster-mcp-server -- npx -y elster-mcp-server

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lukasschwarz-elster-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "elster-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions

repo age created 2026-06-27 - young repo, little track record yet

license MIT - declared in the repository

npm package elster-mcp-server - unscoped; check the name against the project README before installing

registry namespace io.github.lukasschwarz is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Elster MCP Server can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Limitations (from the README)

- The ELSTER portal selectors can change. If a flow breaks, run with ELSTER_HEADLESS=false and check the screenshots written to ./screenshots/. - The ESt tool is intentionally a thin wrapper - German income-tax forms (Anlage G, V, N, S, KAP …) are dozens of different forms with thousands of fields. This server provides the framework (login, open, fill-by-label-or-id, Prüfen) and leaves the field choices to you. - No

04 · Who maintains Elster MCP Server

elster-mcp-server is maintained by lukasschwarz. It's the only MCP server we track from this author; the repo dates to Jun 2026.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/lukasschwarz/elster-mcp-server
category: browser automation - ranked #132 of 196 actively-maintained browser automation servers as of 2026-08-25.
registry: io.github.lukasschwarz/elster-mcp-server (active, first published 2026-06-27)
packages: npm:elster-mcp-server

06 · Elster MCP Server FAQ

What is Elster MCP Server?

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets Claude (or any MCP-capable client) drive the German tax portal ELSTER via Puppeteer. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

Is Elster MCP Server still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-08-25, its last commit was 2026-07-13. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install Elster MCP Server?

Run `npx -y elster-mcp-server`. The README documents one environment variable (ELSTER_CONFIG_PATH) to set first. Set ELSTER_CONFIG_PATH before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Elster MCP Server run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Elster MCP Server

Alternatives to Elster MCP Server

Maintained browser automation servers if Elster MCP Server isn't the fit.

Pairs well with

Servers that cover what Elster MCP Server doesn't - only shown when the pairing reason fits the companion.

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