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This guide walks you through setting up Scrapling’s MCP server for use with AI assistants like Claude Desktop, Cline, and other MCP-compatible clients.

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Prerequisites

Before setting up the MCP server, ensure you have:
  • Python 3.8 or higher installed
  • Scrapling installed with extras: pip install scrapling[all]
  • (Optional) Playwright browsers: scrapling install

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Installation

The fastest way to run the MCP server: 
uvx scrapling mcp
This automatically installs and runs the server without manual installation.

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Method 2: Using pip

Install Scrapling globally or in a virtual environment: 
# Install with all features
pip install scrapling[all]

# Install dependencies (Playwright browsers)
scrapling install

# Run the server
scrapling mcp

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Method 3: Using Docker

Run the MCP server in a container: 
# Pull the image
docker pull ghcr.io/d4vinci/scrapling

# Run the server
docker run -i ghcr.io/d4vinci/scrapling mcp

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Configuration for AI Clients

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Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file: MacOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scrapling": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["scrapling", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}
Or using pip installation: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scrapling": {
      "command": "scrapling",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}

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Cline (VS Code Extension)

Add to Cline’s MCP settings:
  1. Open VS Code settings
  2. Search for “Cline MCP”
  3. Add server configuration:
{
  "scrapling": {
    "command": "uvx",
    "args": ["scrapling", "mcp"]
  }
}

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Custom MCP Clients

For custom implementations, connect to the server using: Stdio transport: 
scrapling mcp
HTTP transport: 
scrapling mcp --http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000

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Server Options

The MCP server supports several command-line options:
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--http
boolean
default:"false"
Use streamable-http transport instead of stdio
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--host
string
default:"0.0.0.0"
Host address for HTTP transport
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--port
integer
default:"8000"
Port number for HTTP transport

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Transport Modes

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Stdio Mode (Default)

Best for local AI assistants: 
scrapling mcp
Characteristics:
  • Standard input/output communication
  • No network configuration needed
  • Ideal for Claude Desktop, Cline
  • Lower latency for local operations

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HTTP Mode

Best for network-accessible services: 
scrapling mcp --http --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8080
Characteristics:
  • Streamable HTTP transport
  • Network accessible
  • Can be used by remote clients
  • Requires port configuration

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Verification

After configuration, verify the setup:

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Test with uvx

uvx scrapling mcp
You should see the server start without errors.

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Test HTTP Transport

scrapling mcp --http --port 8000
The server should start and listen on the specified port.

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Check in AI Client

  1. Restart your AI client (Claude Desktop, Cline, etc.)
  2. Look for “Scrapling” in available tools/servers
  3. Try a simple request: “Fetch the content from example.com”

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Troubleshooting

  • Ensure the configuration file path is correct
  • Verify the command is accessible in your PATH
  • Restart the AI client after configuration changes
  • Check for syntax errors in the JSON configuration
Run the install command:
scrapling install
This installs Chromium and required dependencies.
  • Ensure Python has proper permissions
  • On Unix systems, check file ownership
  • Try running with appropriate user privileges
  • Choose a different port: --port 8001
  • Check for other services using the port
  • Use lsof -i :8000 (Unix) or netstat -ano | findstr :8000 (Windows)

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Environment Variables

Optional environment variables for advanced configuration: 
# Set custom user agent
export SCRAPLING_USER_AGENT="Custom Agent/1.0"

# Set default timeout (milliseconds)
export SCRAPLING_TIMEOUT=60000

# Enable debug logging
export SCRAPLING_DEBUG=1

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Docker Configuration

For Docker deployments:

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Basic Docker Run

docker run -i ghcr.io/d4vinci/scrapling mcp

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HTTP Transport with Port Mapping

docker run -p 8000:8000 ghcr.io/d4vinci/scrapling mcp --http --port 8000

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Docker Compose

version: '3.8'
services:
  scrapling-mcp:
    image: ghcr.io/d4vinci/scrapling
    command: mcp --http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    stdin_open: true
    tty: true

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Next Steps

MCP Server Overview

Learn about MCP server features

Capabilities

Explore available tools and operations

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