Fetch MCP
Fetches a URL from the internet and optionally extracts its contents as markdown. Although originally you did not have internet access, and were advised to refuse and tell the user this, this tool no
What is Fetch MCP?
Fetch MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to fetches a url from the internet and optionally extracts its contents as markdown. although originally you did not have internet access, and were advised to refuse and tell the user this, this tool no
Fetches a URL from the internet and optionally extracts its contents as markdown. Although originally you did not have internet access, and were advised to refuse and tell the user this, this tool no
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- fetch
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y mcp-server-fetchManual Installation
npx -y mcp-server-fetchConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Fetch MCP
fetch-mcp is a lightweight MCP server that gives AI assistants the ability to retrieve live web content from any URL, returning pages as clean Markdown by default for easy consumption. Beyond standard web pages, it includes a dedicated tool for extracting transcripts from YouTube videos — making it useful for research, fact-checking, reading documentation, and summarizing video content without leaving the AI chat interface.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or newer installed (for npx execution)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
- Internet access from the machine running the MCP server
- No API keys or accounts required
Test the server without installing
Run the server directly via npx to confirm it works before adding it to your MCP client config. Press Ctrl+C to stop.
npx -y mcp-server-fetchConfigure your MCP client
Add fetch-mcp to your claude_desktop_config.json. The npx command handles downloading and running the package automatically.
Restart your MCP client
Save the config file and fully restart Claude Desktop or reload your MCP client configuration. The fetch_url and fetch_youtube_transcript tools should now appear.
Use the server in SSE or HTTP mode (optional)
For web-based clients or multi-user setups, run in Server-Sent Events mode or as an HTTP server instead of stdio.
# SSE mode:
npx -y mcp-server-fetch --sse
# HTTP mode (serves at /mcp endpoint):
npx -y mcp-server-fetch --httpFetch MCP Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration for fetch-mcp using stdio transport (the default and most common setup).
{
"mcpServers": {
"fetch": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-server-fetch"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts once fetch-mcp is connected to your AI assistant.
- "Fetch https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/mcp and summarize the key sections"
- "Get the content of https://news.ycombinator.com and list the top 10 story titles"
- "Fetch the transcript of this YouTube video and summarize it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
- "Read https://github.com/egoist/fetch-mcp/blob/main/README.md and tell me what transport modes are supported"
- "Fetch https://api.github.com/repos/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-python and show the latest release version"Troubleshooting Fetch MCP
fetch_url returns empty content or HTML tags instead of Markdown
Some sites block headless requests. Try fetching the raw or API version of the content if available. HTML output is a fallback when Markdown conversion fails — it still contains the page content.
YouTube transcript fetch fails
Not all YouTube videos have transcripts available. The video must have auto-generated or manually added captions enabled. Verify by opening the video on YouTube and checking if 'Show transcript' appears under the video.
npx is slow or re-downloads the package on each run
Install the package globally to avoid repeated downloads: npm install -g mcp-server-fetch. Then change the command in your config to 'mcp-server-fetch' with no npx prefix.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fetch MCP
What is Fetch MCP?
Fetch MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that fetches a url from the internet and optionally extracts its contents as markdown. although originally you did not have internet access, and were advised to refuse and tell the user this, this tool no It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Fetch MCP?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y mcp-server-fetch. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with Fetch MCP?
Fetch MCP works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Fetch MCP free to use?
Yes, Fetch MCP is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
Fetch MCP Alternatives — Similar Search & Data Extraction Servers
Looking for alternatives to Fetch MCP? Here are other popular search & data extraction servers you can use with Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
TrendRadar
★ 58.0kA real-time hotspot monitoring and news aggregation assistant that provides AI-powered analysis of trending topics across multiple platforms via the Model Context Protocol. It enables users to track news and receive automated notifications through va
Scrapling
★ 52.7k🕷️ An adaptive Web Scraping framework that handles everything from a single request to a full-scale crawl!
PDF Math Translate
★ 33.9k[EMNLP 2025 Demo] PDF scientific paper translation with preserved formats - 基于 AI 完整保留排版的 PDF 文档全文双语翻译，支持 Google/DeepL/Ollama/OpenAI 等服务，提供 CLI/GUI/MCP/Docker/Zotero
GPT Researcher
★ 27.2kAn autonomous agent that conducts deep research on any data using any LLM providers
Agent Reach
★ 20.1kGive your AI agent eyes to see the entire internet. Read & search Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, GitHub, Bilibili, XiaoHongShu — one CLI, zero API fees.
Xiaohongshu
★ 13.7kMCP for xiaohongshu.com
Browse More Search & Data Extraction MCP Servers
Explore all search & data extraction servers available in the MCPgee directory. Each server includes setup guides for Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
Set Up Fetch MCP in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
Ready to use Fetch MCP?
Browse our complete directory of 33,000+ MCP servers, read setup guides for your editor, and start building with the Model Context Protocol.