This repository provides the Apify Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server, enabling AI assistants to leverage thousands of pre-built web scraping and automation tools (Apify Actors). It targets AI developers and researchers looking to integrate real-world data extraction and task execution into their AI agents, offering a seamless way to connect LLMs to practical automation capabilities.

How It Works

The MCP Server acts as a bridge between AI agents and the Apify platform. It dynamically discovers Apify Actors, translates their input schemas into MCP-compatible tools, and facilitates real-time execution. This approach allows AI agents to interact with complex automation tasks without needing explicit integration code for each Actor, leveraging the LLM's understanding of natural language to select and configure the appropriate tool.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Hosted Endpoint: Connect via https://mcp.apify.com (supports OAuth, recommended).
• Local (stdio): Run npx @apify/actors-mcp-server. Requires APIFY_TOKEN environment variable.
• Prerequisites: Node.js (v18+), Apify API token.
• Documentation: mcp.apify.com

Highlighted Details

• Supports dynamic tool discovery, allowing AI agents to find and use new Apify Actors on the fly.
• Includes helper tools for searching Apify documentation, managing Actor runs, and accessing Apify storage (requires explicit enabling).
• Pre-configured with apify/rag-web-browser and other utility tools.
• Compatible with various MCP clients including Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, and VS Code (Genie).

Maintenance & Community

The project is actively maintained by Apify. Contributions are welcomed via issues and pull requests. Further resources and community links are available on the project's documentation pages.

Licensing & Compatibility

The repository does not explicitly state a license in the provided README. Compatibility for commercial use or closed-source linking would require clarification on the licensing terms.

Limitations & Caveats

Actor input schemas are modified for client compatibility, including description truncation and enum length limits. Rental Actors are only accessible via the hosted endpoint; local stdio usage is limited to locally configured Actors. Some helper tools require explicit enabling.