About Web Scout MCP Server
Web Scout MCP Server is an MCP server that provides DuckDuckGo web search and webpage content extraction. It is aimed at users who want AI assistants to retrieve web information, and it supports batch URL extraction with memory optimizations.
Key features
- 01DuckDuckGo-based web search
- 02Readable text extraction from web pages
- 03Parallel extraction from multiple URLs
- 04Memory management and request rate limiting
- 05Error handling for reliable operation
Use cases
- 01Letting an AI assistant search for recent sources and return titles, links and snippets
- 02Extracting body text from several articles in one batch for analysis
- 03Collecting web reference material for research tasks
MCP support
This is an MCP server that exposes two tools, DuckDuckGoWebSearch and UrlContentExtractor, to MCP clients so AI assistants can run web searches and extract page content.
Configuration
Remote servers need no local install. Pick your client, then copy the config or install in one click.
https://server.smithery.ai/@pinkpixel-dev/web-scout-mcp/mcpclaude mcp add --transport http web-scout https://server.smithery.ai/@pinkpixel-dev/web-scout-mcp/mcp{"mcpServers":{"web-scout":{"type":"http","url":"https://server.smithery.ai/@pinkpixel-dev/web-scout-mcp/mcp"}}}Open in Cursor{"servers":{"web-scout":{"type":"http","url":"https://server.smithery.ai/@pinkpixel-dev/web-scout-mcp/mcp"}}}Open in VS Code{"mcpServers":{"web-scout":{"type":"http","url":"https://server.smithery.ai/@pinkpixel-dev/web-scout-mcp/mcp"}}}{"mcpServers":{"web-scout":{"serverUrl":"https://server.smithery.ai/@pinkpixel-dev/web-scout-mcp/mcp"}}}Run commands in a terminal; paste JSON into the client’s MCP config and restart. Servers that need sign-in will prompt on first connect.
https://server.smithery.ai/@pinkpixel-dev/web-scout-mcp/mcpAuth requiredTools
Details
From the project README
Web Scout MCP Server
An MCP server for web search using DuckDuckGo and content extraction, with support for multiple URLs and memory optimizations.
✨ Features
- 🔍 DuckDuckGo Search: Fast and privacy-focused web search capability
- 📄 Content Extraction: Clean, readable text extraction from web pages
- 🚀 Parallel Processing: Support for extracting content from multiple URLs simultaneously
- 💾 Memory Optimization: Smart memory management to prevent application crashes
- ⏱️ Rate Limiting: Intelligent request throttling to avoid API blocks
- 🛡️ Error Handling: Robust error handling for reliable operation
📦 Installation
Installing via Smithery
To install Web Scout for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:
npx -y @smithery/cli install @pinkpixel-dev/web-scout-mcp --client claude
Global Installation
npm install -g @pinkpixel/web-scout-mcp
Local Installation
npm install @pinkpixel/web-scout-mcp
🚀 Usage
Command Line
After installing globally, run:
web-scout-mcp
With MCP Clients
Add this to your MCP client's config.json (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.):
{
"mcpServers": {
"web-scout": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@pinkpixel/web-scout-mcp@latest"
]
}
}
}
Environment Variables
Set the WEB_SCOUT_DISABLE_AUTOSTART=1 environment variable when embedding the package and calling createServer() yourself. By default running the published entrypoint (for example node dist/index.js or npx @pinkpixel/web-scout-mcp) automatically bootstraps the stdio transport.
🧰 Tools
The server provides the following MCP tools:
🔍 DuckDuckGoWebSearch
Initiates a web search query using the DuckDuckGo search engine and returns a well-structured list of findings.
Input:
query(string): The search query stringmaxResults(number, optional): Maximum number of results to return (default: 10)
Example:
{
"query": "latest advancements in AI",
"maxResults": 5
}
Output: A formatted list of search results with titles, URLs, and snippets.
📄 UrlContentExtractor
Fetches and extracts clean, readable content from web pages by removing unnecessary elements like scripts, styles, and navigation.
Input:
url: Either a single URL string or an array of URL strings
Example (single URL):
{
"url": "https://example.com/article"
}
Example (multiple URLs):
{
"url": [
"https://example.com/article1",
"https://example.com/article2"
]
}
Output: Extracted text content from the specified URL(s).
🛠️ Development
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/pinkpixel-dev/web-scout-mcp.git
cd web-scout-mcp
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Build
npm run build
# Run
npm start
📚 Documentation
For more detailed information about the project, check out these resources:
- OVERVIEW.md - Technical overview and architecture
- CONTRIBUTING.md - Guidelines for contributors
- CHANGELOG.md - Version history and changes
📋 Requirements
- Node.js >= 18.0.0
- npm or yarn
📄 License
This project is licensed under the Apache 2.0 License.
Made with ❤️ by Pink Pixel
✨ Dream it, Pixel it ✨
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.