Zed

Zed Integration

Give Zed's Agent panel live web access with CrawlForge MCP. Zed calls MCP servers context servers; one context_servers block in settings.json adds CrawlForge.

Prerequisites

Zed

Download from zed.dev

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.

Configure Zed

Choose your preferred configuration method:

AOption A: Edit settings.json

Open your settings with zed: open settings file (or Cmd+, / Ctrl+,) and add a context_servers block:

~/.config/zed/settings.jsonJson

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

Zed reads ~/.config/zed/settings.json on macOS and Linux; a .zed/settings.json in a project scopes the server to that repo.

BOption B: Settings UI

Go to Settings → AI → MCP Servers, click Add Server → Add Local Server, and enter the same command, args and env. Zed writes the entry to settings.json for you.

Tip: A trailing comma in settings.json silently disables the whole context_servers block, so validate the JSON after editing.

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 JSON for Zed.

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

Open the Agent panel and confirm the server is running.

Open the Agent panel — click the Agent icon in the status bar
Check the server — Settings → AI → MCP Servers shows crawlforge with a green status once it starts
Test a prompt — try one of the examples below; the agent 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 not loading?

Check settings.json is valid JSON
Ensure Node.js 18+ is installed: node --version
Look in ~/.config/zed/logs/Zed.log for context_servers errors
Restart Zed completely

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

Tools not offered in the Agent panel?

Enable the server's tools in your agent profile under Settings → AI → MCP Servers
Check the server shows as running before you send a prompt
Start a new thread after changing settings

Still having issues? Contact simon@crawlforge.dev with your Zed version, Node.js version, and the relevant lines from Zed.log.

Successfully integrated?

Explore all available tools, or follow the step-by-step walkthrough for Zed AI.

View All Tools Zed AI Walkthrough

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