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@@ -15,17 +15,18 @@ The _Apify Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server_ allows AI agents and frameworks
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## How to use
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You can use the Apify MCP Server in three ways:
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- Local STDIO transport with desktop client (e.g. Claude Desktop)
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- Run [Apify Actors MCP Server](https://apify.com/apify/actors-mcp-server) as Actor
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- Use [mcp.apify.com](https://mcp.apify.com) with both legacy SSE on `/sse` and streamable transport in `/`
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- Use [mcp.apify.com](https://mcp.apify.com) with both legacy SSE on `/sse` and streamable transport in `/`
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## Prerequisites
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Before you start, make sure you have the following:
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1._An Apify account:_ Sign up for a free Apify account if you don’t have one.
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1._Apify API Token:_ Get your personal API token from the **Integrations** section in [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com/account#/integrations). This token will be used to authorize the MCP server to run Actors on your behalf.
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1._MCP Client:_ You will also need an AI agent or client that supports MCP. This could be Anthropic Claude (Desktop edition), a VS Code extension with MCP support, Apify’s web-based Tester MCP Client, or any custom client implementation. See supported MCP clients in [official documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/clients).
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1._MCP Client:_ You will also need an AI agent or client that supports MCP. This could be Anthropic Claude (Desktop edition), a VS Code extension with MCP support, Apify’s web-based Tester MCP Client, or any custom client implementation. See supported MCP clients in [official documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/clients).
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## Example Usage (Local STDIO with Claude Desktop)
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This tells Claude to spawn the Apify MCP Server (via the NPM package) with your API token. (On first run, it will download the package automatically.)
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2._Launch Claude and connect:_ After updating the config, restart Claude Desktop. If successful, Claude will show a “plugin” (often indicated by a plug icon 🔌) signifying it connected to the Apify Actors MCP server.
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3._Use the Actors in conversation:_ Now you can chat with Claude and ask it to use Apify Actors. For example, you might ask: _“What Apify Actors can I use?”_ Claude (through the MCP server) will list tools (Actors) available. If none are pre-loaded beyond the defaults, it might show a few default ones or instruct how to discover more. You can then ask something like: _“Use the Instagram Scraper to get the latest posts from NASA’s profile.”_ Claude will internally call the `apify/instagram-scraper` Actor via the MCP server and stream the results back to you, perhaps summarizing the output.
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1._Launch Claude and connect:_ After updating the config, restart Claude Desktop. If successful, Claude will show a “plugin” (often indicated by a plug icon 🔌) signifying it connected to the Apify Actors MCP server.
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1._Use the Actors in conversation:_ Now you can chat with Claude and ask it to use Apify Actors. For example, you might ask: _“What Apify Actors can I use?”_ Claude (through the MCP server) will list tools (Actors) available. If none are pre-loaded beyond the defaults, it might show a few default ones or instruct how to discover more. You can then ask something like: _“Use the Instagram Scraper to get the latest posts from NASA’s profile.”_ Claude will internally call the `apify/instagram-scraper` Actor via the MCP server and stream the results back to you, perhaps summarizing the output.
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Behind the scenes, Claude didn’t need to know the details of Apify’s API or Actors — it relied on the MCP server to handle tool execution. You, as the user, just see the answer or result in the chat.
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4.**Dynamic tool loading:** If you ask for something that requires a tool not initially present, Claude can invoke the discovery mechanism. For instance, _“Find an Actor that scrapes Google Search and use it to search for ‘climate change news’.”_ Claude can call `search-actors` (to find a Google Search scraper), then `add-actor` (to add it), and then call it — all within one conversation. The result will then be presented.
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1.**Dynamic tool loading:** If you ask for something that requires a tool not initially present, Claude can invoke the discovery mechanism. For instance, _“Find an Actor that scrapes Google Search and use it to search for ‘climate change news’.”_ Claude can call `search-actors` (to find a Google Search scraper), then `add-actor` (to add it), and then call it — all within one conversation. The result will then be presented.
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This example shows how an AI assistant can leverage Apify Actors through MCP in a conversational way. The key is that once the client (Claude) is configured, you can use natural language to trigger complex workflows on Apify.
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## Learn more
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-[Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/introduction): Learn about the open standard on the official MCP website – understanding the protocol can help you build custom agents.
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-[Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/introduction): Learn about the open standard on the official MCP website – understanding the protocol can help you build custom agents.
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-[Apify Actors MCP Server](https://apify.com/apify/actors-mcp-server): The README for the Apify MCP Server actor (available on Apify Store as `apify/actors-mcp-server`) provides technical details on implementation and advanced usage.
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-[Apify Tester MCP Client](https://apify.com/jiri.spilka/tester-mcp-client): A specialized client actor (`jiri.spilka/tester-mcp-client`) that you can run to simulate an AI agent in your browser. Useful for testing your setup with a chat UI.
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-[How to use MCP with Apify Actors](https://blog.apify.com/how-to-use-mcp/): Learn how to expose over 5,000 Apify Actors to AI agents with Claude and LangGraph, and configure MCP clients and servers.
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