# Cline

> Set up Spicrawl in Cline, the VS Code extension: add the hosted MCP server to cline_mcp_settings.json, install the agent skill, and add a rule so the agent fetches web pages cheaply and handles errors correctly.

Source: https://docs.spicrawl.com/agents/cline

Three steps give Cline Spicrawl's tools, the knowledge to write Spicrawl code, and rules for using both well. Cline's documentation describes no environment-variable expansion in its MCP settings, so the key goes into the settings file itself. That file lives in your home directory, outside any repository. Have your key ready:

```bash
export SPICRAWL_API_KEY=spicrawl_live_...   # used by code the agent writes; Cline's MCP settings need the literal key
```

## 1. Add the MCP server

Open Cline's MCP settings file: click the **MCP Servers** icon in the top toolbar of the Cline panel, open the **Configure** tab, then click **Configure MCP Servers**. Add Spicrawl under `mcpServers`. Set `type` to `streamableHttp`: without it Cline defaults to the legacy `sse` transport.

```json title="cline_mcp_settings.json"
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "spicrawl": {
      "type": "streamableHttp",
      "url": "https://mcp.spicrawl.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer spicrawl_live_..." },
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": []
    }
  }
}
```

Replace `spicrawl_live_...` with your key. The file is `~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json`. Never commit it or paste it into a shared repository.

Instead of editing JSON, you can use the **Remote Servers** tab: enter `spicrawl` as the server name, `https://mcp.spicrawl.com/mcp` as the URL, choose **Streamable HTTP**, and click **Add Server**. That form has no header field, so add the `headers` object in the JSON afterwards.

The `spicrawl` server should list 25 `spicrawl_*` tools. See [MCP server](https://docs.spicrawl.com/agents/mcp.md) for each tool. Keep `autoApprove` empty at first, or list only read-only tools you trust.

## 2. Install the skill

Cline loads skills from `.cline/skills/`, `.clinerules/skills/` and `.claude/skills/` in the project, and from `~/.cline/skills/` for every project. The skill's directory name must match its `name`, which is `spicrawl`:

```bash
mkdir -p .cline/skills/spicrawl
curl -fsSL https://app.spicrawl.com/skill.md -o .cline/skills/spicrawl/SKILL.md
```

Or run `spicrawl skill install --client claude`, which writes `.claude/skills/spicrawl/SKILL.md`, a path Cline also reads. Cline shows the skill's description to the model and loads the body when a task matches. You can also type `/` in the chat to run it. Manage skills from the scale icon at the bottom of the Cline panel, on the **Skills** tab. See [Agent skill](https://docs.spicrawl.com/agents/skill.md).

## 3. Add rules

Cline reads workspace rules from `.clinerules/` (a folder of Markdown files) or `.cline/rules/`, and it reads `AGENTS.md` at the project root. Save this as `.clinerules/spicrawl.md`:

```markdown title=".clinerules/spicrawl.md"
# Web data (Spicrawl)

Use Spicrawl to read web pages: the spicrawl_* MCP tools in chat, or
POST https://api.spicrawl.com/v1/scrape with `Authorization: Bearer $SPICRAWL_API_KEY` in code.
Docs: https://docs.spicrawl.com/llms.txt (append .md to any page URL for Markdown).

- Ask for markdown: `response_format: "markdown"` (API default is html); on spicrawl_scrape, `format: "markdown"`.
- Check the site's status, not only the HTTP status: `X-Target-Status` header, or `status`
  in the JSON envelope (spicrawl_scrape with `format: "json"`). 200 is the page; 404/410
  mean it does not exist; 403/429/503 mean the site refused, so escalate.
- On an error, switch on `code`. Retry only when `retryable` is true, after
  `retry_after_seconds`. Read `diagnostics.hint` and change what it names first.
  Never retry ERR::REQUEST::*, ERR::AUTH::* or ERR::LIMIT::QUOTA_EXCEEDED.
- Escalate one step at a time and stop at the first that works:
  plain fetch (1 credit) -> `js_render: true` (3) -> add the user's own `proxy`
  if they have one. Empty or skeleton content means render; ERR::UPSTREAM::CHALLENGE
  or a 403 target status means retry once, then the user's own proxy.
- Set `max_cost` on every request to the price of the step you intend.
- Keep the cache on (default). Set `cache: false` only for prices, stock or other live data.
- Trim tokens with `main_content_only` (on by default for markdown), `include_tags`, `exclude_tags`.
- For more than 20 URLs, use a batch job (spicrawl_batch_submit / POST /v1/batch).
  Batch items return raw HTML and apply only render, proxy and block_resources settings.
- Never print or commit SPICRAWL_API_KEY. Log `X-Request-Id` for failures.
```

If you already keep agent instructions in `AGENTS.md`, paste the same section into it instead. Keep each rule file to one concern so you can toggle it on its own.

## A first task to try

Open a Cline task and ask:

```text
Use Spicrawl to read https://example.com/pricing as markdown. List each plan with its monthly price.
If the page comes back empty, retry with rendering.
```

The agent should call `spicrawl_scrape` with `url` and `format: "markdown"`, and add `render: true` only if the first result is empty. Cline asks you to approve the tool call unless it is in `autoApprove`. For a coding task:

```text
Add a fetchPage(url) function to this project that calls the Spicrawl API for markdown,
following the Web data rules in .clinerules. Read the key from process.env.SPICRAWL_API_KEY.
```

Compare the result with the reference implementation in [Best practices](https://docs.spicrawl.com/agents/best-practices.md).

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom                                                                       | Fix                                                                                                                                 |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| The server fails to connect or shows a transport error                        | `type` is missing, so Cline used SSE. Set `"type": "streamableHttp"` and restart the server from the MCP Servers panel.             |
| 401 in the server's error log                                                 | The `Authorization` header is empty or wrong. Do not write `$SPICRAWL_API_KEY` in this file: paste the literal key after `Bearer `. |
| The server is listed but has no tools                                         | Restart it from the MCP Servers panel, then start a new task.                                                                       |
| The agent writes `js_render` on `spicrawl_scrape` and gets "unknown argument" | The tool's argument is `render`. The API field is `js_render`.                                                                      |
| Usage tools return `ERR::AUTH::INSUFFICIENT_SCOPE`                            | Grant the `read` scope to the key in the dashboard.                                                                                 |