Claude Code

Claude Code Integration

Give Claude Code live web access with CrawlForge MCP. One claude mcp add command registers the server for every project, or a .mcp.json in the repo shares it with your team.

Prerequisites

Claude Code

Install from code.claude.com

Required

Node.js 18+

Install from nodejs.org

Required

API Key

Get from dashboard

Free

Get a CrawlForge API Key

The config below starts the server through npx, so nothing needs a global install—only a key.

Sign in from the terminal: the CLI opens a browser page where you approve a new key, then saves it to ~/.crawlforge/config.json.

Bash

npm install -g crawlforge-mcp-server
crawlforge login        # opens the browser approval page

Or copy a key from the dashboard and paste it into the config in the next step.

Tip: The CLI guide covers crawlforge login and the other ways to authenticate.

Choose your preferred configuration method:

AOption A: One command, user scope

Run this once and CrawlForge is available in every project:

Bash

claude mcp add crawlforge -s user -e CRAWLFORGE_API_KEY=cf_live_your_api_key_here -- npx -y crawlforge-mcp-server@latest mcp

-s user writes the entry to ~/.claude.json; drop it to keep the server local to the current project. crawlforge init --client claude-code writes the same entry for you.

BOption B: Project .mcp.json

Create .mcp.json in the repo root to share the server with your team:

.mcp.jsonJson

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crawlforge": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "crawlforge-mcp-server@latest",
        "mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CRAWLFORGE_API_KEY": "cf_live_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Do not commit a live key: Claude Code expands ${CRAWLFORGE_API_KEY} from each developer's shell, and asks everyone to approve a project server the first time it loads.

Set Your API Key

Replace cf_live_your_api_key_here with your key, or let the configurator fill it in.

Generate this config with your key: The MCP configurator fills in your key and outputs the exact command and JSON for Claude Code.

Limit the tool list (optional)

CrawlForge ships 31 tools. Set CRAWLFORGE_TOOL_GROUPS in the same env block to load only the groups you need, for example basic,search:

Json

"env": {
  "CRAWLFORGE_API_KEY": "cf_live_your_api_key_here",
  "CRAWLFORGE_TOOL_GROUPS": "basic,search"
}

Groups: basic, search, crawl, extract, batch, research, tracking, llmstxt, stealth, templates, scrape, agent.

Security: Never commit your API key to version control. Use environment variables or the config file.

Test the Integration

Start a new Claude Code session and confirm the server is connected.

Bash

claude mcp list

Check the status — claude mcp list shows every server and whether it connected; /mcp inside a session shows the same
Restart if needed — a new server is picked up by a new session, not a reloaded one
Test a prompt — try one of the examples below; Claude picks the CrawlForge tool itself

Example Prompts

"Search for the latest AI news"

"Extract all links from example.com"

"Crawl the documentation site and summarize it"

"Extract product prices from this e-commerce site"

See the full API reference for all 31 tools and their parameters.

Troubleshooting

Server missing from `claude mcp list`?

Run the claude mcp add command again and check which scope it wrote to
Ensure Node.js 18+ is installed: node --version
A project server in .mcp.json needs interactive approval the first time
Start a new session—reloading the current one is not enough

Authentication Errors?

Check the API key starts with cf_live_
Run crawlforge login to save a fresh key
Generate a new API key from the dashboard

Claude uses its built-in fetch instead?

Add a line to CLAUDE.md asking Claude to prefer CrawlForge tools for web access
Allow mcp__crawlforge__* in .claude/settings.json to stop permission prompts
Name the tool in the prompt ("use scrape to…") when you need to override its choice

Still having issues? Contact simon@crawlforge.dev with your Claude Code version, Node.js version, and the output of claude mcp list.

Successfully integrated?

Explore all available tools, or follow the step-by-step walkthrough for Claude Code.

View All Tools Claude Code Beginner's Guide

{ "mcpServers": { "crawlforge": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "crawlforge-mcp-server@latest", "mcp" ], "env": { "CRAWLFORGE_API_KEY": "cf_live_your_api_key_here" } } } }