Smithery
Add the Spicrawl MCP server from Smithery (spicrawl/web-scraper) with the Smithery CLI or website, send your API key as the x-api-key header, and use all 24 spicrawl_* tools.
Smithery is a registry and gateway for MCP servers: you pick a server on its website or CLI, and Smithery connects your AI client to it. Spicrawl is listed there as spicrawl/web-scraper. The listing proxies to the hosted Spicrawl MCP server (https://mcp.spicrawl.com/mcp), so every tool runs under your API key with the same scopes, limits and credits as a direct API call.
Install it into an MCP client with one command (restart the client afterwards):
npx -y smithery mcp add spicrawl/web-scraper --client cursorAdd Spicrawl from Smithery
The Smithery CLI needs Node.js 20 or later. --client writes the server into that client's own config. The accepted names include claude-code, claude, cursor, windsurf, vscode, gemini-cli, codex, cline, opencode and goose; npx -y smithery mcp add --help lists them all.
npx -y smithery mcp add spicrawl/web-scraper --client claude-codeThis registers https://server.smithery.ai/spicrawl/web-scraper/mcp in the client. The CLI reports the transport as http-oauth: the client authenticates to Smithery, and no Spicrawl key is stored. Restart the client, then check that the 24 tools are listed.
To keep the connection in your Smithery account and send your Spicrawl key with it, sign in and pass the key as a header. Smithery stores headers securely and never reads them back:
npx -y smithery auth login
npx -y smithery mcp add spicrawl/web-scraper --id spicrawl \
--headers "{\"x-api-key\": \"$SPICRAWL_API_KEY\"}"
npx -y smithery tool list spicrawlThen call a tool to check the key works. This one lists your latest API call and spends no credits:
npx -y smithery tool call spicrawl spicrawl_requests_list '{"limit": 1}'API key
The key is optional when you connect and required when you call a tool.
| Without a key | With a key | |
|---|---|---|
| Connect and list the 24 tools | Works | Works |
| Call any tool | Fails with HTTP 401 | Runs under the key |
| Credits | None charged | Successful calls are charged; failures cost 0 |
Without a key, a tool call returns this error, which names the header to fix:
Unauthorized: send your Spicrawl API key as 'Authorization: Bearer spicrawl_live_...' (or in an 'x-api-key' header)Create a key in app.spicrawl.com. Keys start with spicrawl_live_. Through Smithery the key travels in the x-api-key header, so it never appears in a URL or in a shared config file. A new key has the scrape, batch and sessions scopes; the usage tools need read. See Authentication and the MCP server page.
Tools
Smithery lists 24 tools, all named spicrawl_*. The full argument reference for each is on MCP server.
| Group | Tools | What for |
|---|---|---|
| Scrape | spicrawl_scrape | One URL as markdown, text, HTML, JSON or PDF, with optional extraction, links and screenshots. |
| Batch | spicrawl_batch_submit, spicrawl_batch_list, spicrawl_batch_status, spicrawl_batch_results, spicrawl_batch_task_content, spicrawl_batch_cancel, spicrawl_batch_retry, spicrawl_batch_add_items, spicrawl_batch_close | Tens to thousands of URLs as one asynchronous job. |
| Sessions | spicrawl_session_create, spicrawl_session_list, spicrawl_session_get, spicrawl_session_context, spicrawl_session_release, spicrawl_session_delete | A persistent identity (cookies, storage) for multi-step flows such as logging in. |
| Usage and history | spicrawl_usage, spicrawl_usage_summary, spicrawl_usage_reconciliation, spicrawl_requests_list, spicrawl_request_get | Credits used and recent API calls. The three spicrawl_usage* tools need the read scope. |
| Docs | spicrawl_docs_search, spicrawl_docs_read, spicrawl_docs_index | Let the agent look up a parameter or an error code in these docs. |
spicrawl_browser_connect_url Coming soon is not listed on Smithery.
Since 0.1.7 each tool also declares an MCP outputSchema and returns structuredContent beside the text, so a client can read fields such as credits and status without parsing text. See Structured results.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
A tool call returns HTTP 401 and Unauthorized: send your Spicrawl API key ... | No Spicrawl key reached the server. | Enter the key in the connection's Spicrawl API key setting, or pass --headers with x-api-key as above. Create a key in app.spicrawl.com. |
A tool call still returns 401 after you added a key | The key is unknown, revoked or expired, or was pasted with extra characters. | Copy the key again, or create a new one in the dashboard. |
curl https://web-scraper--spicrawl.run.tools returns 401 with Missing Authorization header | That address is Smithery's gateway. It wants Smithery credentials, not a Spicrawl key. | Connect through Smithery (CLI or toolbox). To use your Spicrawl key directly, connect to https://mcp.spicrawl.com/mcp instead (MCP server). |
ERR::AUTH::INSUFFICIENT_SCOPE (HTTP 403) from a spicrawl_usage* tool | The key lacks the read scope. | Grant read to the key in the dashboard. |
ERR::LIMIT::QUOTA_EXCEEDED (HTTP 402) | Out of credits or over the monthly ceiling. | Not retryable. The error names the reset date; see Credits. Failed calls cost 0 credits. |
| The tools do not appear in the client | The client was not restarted after the install. | Restart the client and check its MCP panel. |
Links
- Listing: smithery.ai/servers/spicrawl/web-scraper
- Smithery docs: smithery.ai/docs and the CLI reference
- Spicrawl MCP server and tool reference: MCP server
- Other directories and marketplaces: Where to find Spicrawl
MCP server
Connect any MCP client to the hosted Spicrawl MCP server at https://mcp.spicrawl.com/mcp and use its spicrawl_* tools to scrape, batch, manage sessions, inspect usage and search the docs.
Agent skill
Install the Spicrawl agent skill (SKILL.md from https://app.spicrawl.com/skill.md) so a coding agent writes correct calls to the Spicrawl HTTP API.