Why Otto says browser control is not available

You asked Otto to do something on the web and it told you browser control is not available. This article explains what browser control actually needs before Otto can use it, how to set it up, and what it can and cannot do.

What browser control needs before Otto can use it

Browser control is not built into the app. It comes from a browser-type MCP server, and Otto only counts it as available when all of these are true:

• The server is a browser type. The app recognizes it by an id or label that matches playwright, browser, or chrome.
• You have adopted that server into this app, so its launch configuration is stored encrypted inside Booked Solid.
• The server is left enabled after adoption.

If any of those is missing, Otto says browser control is not available. That message is accurate, not a bug: from Otto's side, there is no usable browser server.

The most common confusion: a server found in another app

Booked Solid can discover browser servers that are set up in another app's Claude configuration on your computer. Those show up in discovery, but they are not usable by Otto. Seeing a browser server in the discovery list does not mean Otto has it. Until you adopt the server into Booked Solid itself, with its launch config saved here, Otto will keep saying browser control is not available.

How to enable it

1. Open the Connections screen.
2. Find the browser server in the discovery list.
3. Adopt it into Booked Solid so its launch config is stored (encrypted) in this app.
4. Leave it enabled.

Good to know: browser control is not a Gmail replacement

Otto is explicitly told that browser control is not a substitute for the Gmail connection. Even with a working browser server, email work still runs through your Gmail connection. Adding a browser does not fix a Gmail problem.

If it still does not work

• Check that the server's id or label actually contains playwright, browser, or chrome. Other names are not recognized as browser type.
• Confirm the server was adopted into Booked Solid, not just visible in discovery from another app's config.
• Make sure it is still enabled. A disabled server counts as unavailable.

Still stuck? Email bookedsolid@kivimedia.freshdesk.com and a person will help.