使用说明
AI UI Automation
MCP server for Windows UI automation inside VS Code.
Drive any desktop app — Calculator, Notepad, Office, browsers — via natural-language tool calls from Claude, Copilot or any MCP client.
Features
| Capability | Detail |
|---|---|
| 🖥️ Windows UI control | Click, type, read, drag — any Win32 / UWP / WPF app via UI Automation |
| 🌐 Browser automation | Full Chrome DevTools Protocol via BrowserWin.exe |
| 🤖 MCP protocol | MCP@HTTP (port 3457 for dev, 4457 for service) and MCP@IPC (VS Code command relay) |
| 📊 Dashboard | Web UI on http://localhost:3458/dashboard (dev) or http://localhost:4458/dashboard (service) — settings, scenarios, security |
| 🛡️ Security filters | Per-helper ALLOW/DENY rules with process, command, pattern scoping |
| 🔑 Authentication | None / Password / API-Key / OAuth 2.0 / SAML 2.0 / Certificates |
| 📜 Scenario editor | XML-based scenario authoring with IntelliSense autocomplete |
| ⚙️ Setup wizard | Idempotent first-run setup — generates keys, signs config, creates admin |
Endpoints
| Mode | MCP API | Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Development | http://127.0.0.1:3457 |
http://127.0.0.1:3458/dashboard |
| Windows Service | http://127.0.0.1:4457 |
http://127.0.0.1:4458/dashboard |
Quick Start
VS Code Extension (recommended)
- Install from the VS Code Marketplace (
rheingold.ai-ui-automation) or:code --install-extension dist/release/ai-ui-automation-0.2.0.vsix - The server starts automatically on VS Code launch. Click the $(rocket) AIAPI :3468 status bar item to open the dashboard.
Standalone (without VS Code)
Option A — Pre-built release package (recommended):
Download the release package from dist/release/ and run install-service.bat as Administrator. The service will start on port 4457 (see Endpoints).
Option B — Compile from source:
npm install
npm run compile
node dist/start-mcp-server.js
# MCP server → http://127.0.0.1:3457
# Dashboard → http://127.0.0.1:3458/dashboard
First-run setup
Open the dashboard → Settings → expand ⚙️ First-Run Setup Wizard → click ▶ Run Setup.
This generates the cryptographic key pair, signs the security config, and creates the default admin user (admin / changeme — change immediately via the Auth tab).
MCP Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
_System |
Built-in system tools — EXEC_CMD, FS_READ, FS_WRITE, FS_LIST, FETCH_WEBPAGE, FETCH_WEBPAGE_RENDER (no external helper .exe required) |
KeyWin |
SENDKEYS, CLICKID, CLICKNAME, READ, QUERYTREE, LISTWINDOWS, LAUNCH, KILL, … (Win32/UWP/WPF automation) |
BrowserWin |
CDP_EVALUATE, CDP_CLICK, CDP_FILL, CDP_NAVIGATE, QUERYTREE, … (Chrome DevTools Protocol) |
AutomateUI |
Unified router — dispatches any action to any helper by specifying helper and action parameters |
getHelperSchema |
Introspect available commands and their schemas |
listHelpers |
List registered helper executables |
runScenario |
Execute an XML scenario |
All tool calls pass through the security filter chain before reaching the helper.
Standalone Release Package
The dist/release folder contains a pre-built, ready-to-install package for users who want to run AIAPI without compiling from source. This is the recommended way to install AIAPI as a Windows Service.
What's Included
dist/release/
├── install-service.bat # Double-click to install as Windows Service (run as Administrator)
├── uninstall-service.bat # Double-click to remove the service (run as Administrator)
├── aiapi-service.xml # WinSW service configuration (port 4457/4458)
├── README.md # Release-specific documentation and changelog
└── .gitignore # Git excludes binaries - download release package for executables
Install as Windows Service
- Download the latest release from GitHub Releases
- Extract to a permanent location (e.g.,
C:\Program Files\AIAPI\) - Run
install-service.batas Administrator - The service starts automatically:
- MCP API:
http://127.0.0.1:4457 - Dashboard:
http://127.0.0.1:4458/dashboard
- MCP API:
Uninstall
Run uninstall-service.bat as Administrator to stop and remove the service. Your files will be preserved.
Note: The
.exefiles are not tracked in git (see.gitignore). Download the pre-built release package or compile from source usingbuild/windows/build.ps1.
Architecture
AI Client (Claude, Copilot, …)
│ MCP JSON-RPC 2.0
▼
MCP Server (TS, port 3457)
│ Security filter (ALLOW/DENY rules)
▼
HelperRegistry ──→ KeyWin.exe (Win32 / UWP / WPF, UI Automation)
└→ BrowserWin.exe (Chrome DevTools Protocol)
│
HttpServerWithDashboard (port 3458)
└→ Dashboard SPA / REST API
Security
- Cryptographic key pair (RSA-4096 AES-256-GCM encrypted) — used for config signing and helper authentication
- Security filter chain — every tool call is evaluated against ALLOW/DENY rules (process, helper, command, pattern, role)
- Admin Session Tokens — 15-minute time-limited bypass with full audit trail
- Auth modes — None, Password, API Key, Client Certificate, OAuth 2.0 / OIDC, SAML 2.0
- Audit log — rolling JSONL persisted log of every security event
Documentation
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| docs/api/API.md | Public REST + MCP API reference |
| docs/api/SERVER_API.md | HTTP server API details |
| docs/api/KEYWIN_API.md | KeyWin.exe command reference |
| docs/architecture/ARCHITECTURE.md | System design |
| docs/architecture/SECURITY_ARCHITECTURE.md | Security model |
| docs/guides/SERVER_GUIDE.md | Deployment & configuration |
| docs/guides/HYBRID-APP-E2E-TESTING.md | E2E testing for Tauri/Electron hybrid apps |
| CHANGELOG.md | Version history |
Requirements
- Windows 10 / 11 (helpers are native Windows binaries)
- Node.js 18+
- VS Code 1.75+ (extension mode only)
- .NET 4.8+ (for
KeyWin.exe/BrowserWin.exe)
License
MIT © 2024-2026 rheingold