ApiTap
CLI, MCP server, and npm library that turns any website into an API — no docs, no SDK, no browser.
What is ApiTap?
ApiTap is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to cli, mcp server, and npm library that turns any website into an api — no docs, no sdk, no browser.
CLI, MCP server, and npm library that turns any website into an API — no docs, no SDK, no browser.
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- CLI, MCP server, and npm library that turns any website into
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx apitapConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use ApiTap
ApiTap is a CLI, MCP server, and npm library that turns any website into a structured API without requiring documentation, an SDK, or a browser running during invocation. It works by capturing HTTP traffic from websites via a Chrome extension or Playwright browser automation, recording the discovered API endpoints as 'skill files', and then allowing AI agents to replay those calls on demand. With 12 MCP tools including `apitap_browse`, `apitap_capture`, `apitap_replay`, and `apitap_read`, AI assistants can extract data from any site at token-efficient costs and replay previously captured API calls in bulk.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 20 or higher installed
- The `@apitap/core` npm package installed globally
- Chrome browser (optional, for extension-based API capture)
- Playwright with Chromium (optional, for headless capture: `npx playwright install chromium`)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
Install ApiTap globally
Install the @apitap/core package globally to make the `apitap` CLI available system-wide.
npm install -g @apitap/coreAdd ApiTap as an MCP server (Claude Code)
For Claude Code users, the simplest setup is the built-in MCP add command. This registers ApiTap as a user-scoped MCP server.
claude mcp add -s user apitap -- apitap mcpOr configure manually in Claude Desktop
For Claude Desktop, add ApiTap to your claude_desktop_config.json. No environment variables are required by default.
{
"mcpServers": {
"apitap": {
"command": "apitap",
"args": ["mcp"]
}
}
}Capture a website's private API
Use the `apitap capture` command to open a browser session, navigate the site, and record the API calls made. The captured endpoints are saved as skill files for later replay.
# Capture API traffic from a site
apitap capture https://example.com
# Then replay a discovered endpoint
apitap replay example.com get-items limit=10Import public APIs and verify setup
Test your installation by importing from the public APIs.guru directory. This should immediately populate ApiTap with hundreds of known APIs ready to replay.
apitap import --from apis-guru --limit 20ApiTap Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration to run ApiTap as an MCP server with all 12 MCP tools available.
{
"mcpServers": {
"apitap": {
"command": "apitap",
"args": ["mcp"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Use ApiTap through Claude to fetch web content efficiently, discover APIs, and replay captured endpoints.
- "Read the content of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Node.js at low token cost"
- "Browse https://example.com and discover what APIs it uses"
- "Capture the API calls made when I browse polymarket.com"
- "Replay the polymarket get-events endpoint with limit=5"
- "Search my imported APIs for anything related to weather"
- "Import the top 10 APIs from APIs.guru and list them"Troubleshooting ApiTap
apitap command not found after installation
Ensure the npm global bin directory is on your PATH. Run `npm config get prefix` to find where global packages are installed, then add `<prefix>/bin` to your PATH. On macOS with nvm you may need to run `nvm use` first.
Capture fails or records no traffic
For browser-based capture, install Playwright's Chromium browser: `npx playwright install chromium`. If using Chrome extension capture, load the unpacked extension from `apitap/extension` into Chrome at `chrome://extensions` with Developer Mode enabled, then start Chrome with `--remote-debugging-port=9222` and use `apitap attach`.
SSRF or blocked URL errors when replaying endpoints
ApiTap's SSRF protection blocks requests to private IPs, localhost, `.internal` domains, and cloud metadata endpoints. This is a security feature. If you need to test against a local server, use a public tunnel (e.g. ngrok) to expose it at a public URL before capturing.
Frequently Asked Questions about ApiTap
What is ApiTap?
ApiTap is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that cli, mcp server, and npm library that turns any website into an api — no docs, no sdk, no browser. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install ApiTap?
Follow the installation instructions on the ApiTap GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with ApiTap?
ApiTap works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is ApiTap free to use?
Yes, ApiTap is open source and available under the NOASSERTION license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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