App Login with MCP UI Verifier
When testing apps that require authentication, the recommended pattern is to log in once manually and save the session state — so your AI coding agent can reuse it without logging in every time.
The Pattern
Step 1 — Open a browser session
Tell your coding agent:
"Ask Shiplight to create a new browser session at
http://localhost:3000"
Shiplight opens a real browser window pointed at your dev server.
Step 2 — Log in manually
Switch to the browser and log in as you normally would. Your coding agent waits while you complete authentication.
Step 3 — Save the session state
Go back to your coding agent and say:
"I've logged in. Ask Shiplight to save the storage state."
Shiplight saves your cookies and local storage to ~/.shiplight/storage-state.json.
Step 4 — Tell the agent how to reuse it
"In the future, you can ask Shiplight to create a new session with the saved storage state so you don't need to log in again."
Your agent now knows to pass the storage state file when creating new sessions, restoring your authenticated session instantly.
Testing It
To verify the saved session works:
"Ask Shiplight to close all sessions, then create a new session using the saved storage state."
If the app loads in an authenticated state, the pattern is working correctly.
Why This Works
Saving storage state captures cookies and localStorage — the same data the browser uses to keep you logged in. Restoring it is instant and avoids the overhead of re-authenticating on every test run.