Guide · Open source

How to use apify-mcp-server: set up, connect and run Actors

Updated 2026-10-29 · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

apify-mcp-server is the official Apify Model Context Protocol server. It lets an AI agent search Apify Store, check an Actor's input and pricing, run it, and read the structured results, so you can collect web data without writing a scraper yourself. This guide shows you how to connect it to an MCP-compatible client, choose between the hosted and local setups, and understand what to expect when your agent runs an Actor.

Apify MCP serverapify/apify-mcp-server · ★ 14.3k · MIT Install options & downloads

Quick start

1Open the configurator. Go to https://mcp.apify.com, pick your client and choose the tools you want.
2Copy the config. Copy the generated configuration, deeplink, or command into your client.
3Add the server. For Claude Code, run the claude mcp add command. For Cursor, run apify mcp install cursor.
4Sign in. Sign in to Apify in the browser window that opens. Create a free account there if you don't have one.
5Ask your agent for data. Ask the agent to search Apify Store, check an Actor's input and pricing, run it, and read the results.

What the Apify MCP server does

Apify Store is a marketplace of ready-made scrapers, crawlers, and automation tools called Actors. The Apify MCP server connects your AI agent to that store, so one connection can reach thousands of tools for jobs such as web fetch, SERP monitoring, lead generation, and pulling data from e-commerce sites and social media.

The server loads only the tools each task needs. You don't install a separate MCP server for every site.

Before you start: accounts and requirements

You need an Apify account to use the server. The README says you can create one for free. Signing in is how the server gets access to your Apify account.

For the hosted server, no local install is required beyond your MCP client. For the local stdio setup, you need Node.js 22 or later.

Apify account (free to create)
Node.js 22 or later, only for the local stdio setup
An MCP-compatible client such as Claude, Claude Code, Cursor, or VS Code

Connect the hosted server with Claude Code

The hosted endpoint is https://mcp.apify.com. For Claude Code, add it with one command. Claude Code opens the Apify sign-in page the first time it uses the server.

claude mcp add apify "https://mcp.apify.com" -t http

Connect to Cursor with the Apify CLI

For Cursor, the Apify CLI can write the configuration for you, including your API token. The same command pattern works for claude-code, vscode, codex, kiro, and antigravity.

apify mcp install cursor

Set up VS Code, Claude and other clients

For VS Code and GitHub Copilot, add an HTTP server entry pointing at https://mcp.apify.com. The configurator at mcp.apify.com generates the exact setup for each supported client. For clients that can't use OAuth, send your Apify API token in an Authorization: Bearer header instead. Treat the token like a password and keep it out of repositories.

Use the configurator at https://mcp.apify.com to pick your client and copy the config
Claude: add a custom connector with the URL https://mcp.apify.com
Other clients: use a JSON config with the server URL

{
  "servers": {
    "apify": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com"
    }
  }
}

Run the server locally over stdio

The local option runs the @apify/actors-mcp-server npm package through npx. Pass your token in the env block. If you have already run apify login, the server can read the token saved by the Apify CLI. Run the help command to see all options.

Requires Node.js 22 or later
Hosted (remote) with OAuth is the recommended option per the README

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "actors-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@apify/actors-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "APIFY_TOKEN": "YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

What people use it for

Pulling product or price data from e-commerce sites into a spreadsheet through an agent
Running search or SERP queries and reviewing the structured results
Gathering map or local business data for research
Collecting social media data without building a scraper

Frequently asked questions

Is apify-mcp-server free?

The README says an Apify account is free to create. The source does not list prices for the Actors, so check each Actor's pricing in Apify Store before running it.

What do I need to install apify-mcp-server?

You need an Apify account and an MCP-compatible client. For the local stdio setup, you also need Node.js 22 or later.

What is the difference between the hosted and local server?

The hosted server at https://mcp.apify.com uses OAuth and is the option the README recommends. The local server runs the @apify/actors-mcp-server npm package over stdio and needs Node.js 22 or later.

Can I use apify-mcp-server offline?

No. The README describes Apify sign-in and tokens, and Actors run on Apify's platform, so the tool depends on an Apify account and a third-party service.

Which AI clients does it work with?

The README names Claude, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Codex, OpenCode, Kiro and others. The configurator at mcp.apify.com generates setup for each supported client.

Are there alternatives to apify-mcp-server?

The source does not name comparable projects. You can still compare by setting up one MCP server per site, which the README says this server is meant to replace with a single connection.

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Our verdict

Use apify-mcp-server if you want an AI agent to pull web data from many sites through one connection and you already have, or are willing to create, an Apify account. Pick something else if you need fully offline work, a self-contained tool with no third-party service, or you can't review scraper behaviour and pricing before running it.

Install options & downloads