How to Use the Apify MCP in Claude

Q: How do I connect the Apify MCP Server to my Claude Desktop app?

Open your claudedesktopconfig.json file and add the server configuration under the mcpServers key. Save the file and restart Claude Desktop to see the new tools.

Q: How do I handle large datasets when running Apify on Claude Desktop?

Use the getdatasetitems tool with pagination parameters like limit and offset. This prevents your chat context from getting flooded with too much raw JSON at once.

Q: Can Claude Desktop stop a runaway Apify scraper?

Yes, you can call abortrun with the active run ID to stop the actor immediately and preserve whatever data was already scraped.

Run Apify web scrapers and pull structured datasets directly into your Claude Desktop chat window.

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Connect Apify MCP to Claude Desktop

Create your Vinkius account to connect Apify to Claude Desktop and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup Apify with Claude Desktop

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Trigger and track Apify actors from Claude Desktop

The `run_actor` tool kicks off any Apify scraper asynchronously right from your chat prompt. You pass the actor ID and your custom JSON input parameters directly to the tool, which instantly returns a run ID. To avoid sitting around waiting for massive crawls, you can use `get_run` to poll the status of your active scraper while you continue chatting about other things. If you're running short, quick tasks that take less than five minutes, `run_actor_sync` blocks the execution and returns the finished run object immediately. When a scraper goes rogue or eats up too many resources, you can halt it instantly by calling `abort_run` to save your budget.

Pull clean dataset JSON into your Claude Desktop window

The `get_dataset_items` tool fetches structured JSON data from your completed scraper runs directly into your active conversation. You feed it the dataset ID, and the tool pulls the raw scraped records, supporting pagination parameters like limit and offset to handle massive data payloads. For unstructured or binary outputs like screenshots and configuration files, `get_key_value_store` retrieves specific items using keys like OUTPUT or SCREENSHOT. This lets your agent analyze actual page captures and raw files without leaving the chat interface.

Control your scraping infrastructure via this MCP Server

The `list_actors` tool queries your Apify account to show every scraper you own or have saved from the store. This makes it easy to find the exact actor ID you need before launching a new crawl. You can also inspect your event-driven setups with `list_webhooks` to see which URLs get notified when runs succeed or fail. To keep tabs on your budget, `get_account_limits` checks your compute unit usage and subscription constraints before you trigger heavy jobs. If you're running a dynamic crawl, you can feed new URLs on the fly using `push_to_queue` to expand your scraper's target list during execution.

Setup guide

Set up Apify MCP in Claude Web or Desktop

1

Open Claude Settings

Go to claude.ai, click your profile icon, then navigate to Customize → Connectors.
2

Add Custom Connector

Click the "+" button and select Add custom connector. Paste your Vinkius endpoint URL: https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your token from cloud.vinkius.com. For OAuth-protected servers, expand Advanced settings to add credentials.
3

Start a conversation

Open a new chat. The Apify MCP tools are available immediately — no restart needed.

Endpoint URL

https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

No configuration file needed — paste the URL directly in the Claude web interface.

Available on Free (1 connector), Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Prerequisites

Claude Desktop installed (macOS or Windows)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Click the menu icon at the top-left corner, go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config. This opens claude_desktop_config.json in your default text editor.
2

Paste the Apify MCP configuration

Copy the JSON snippet on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen the application. Claude needs a full restart to load new MCPs — refreshing a conversation is not enough.
4

Verify the connection

Open a new conversation. Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the message input. You should see tools listed under apify-mcp.

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by Apify. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about Apify MCP in Claude Desktop

Open your `claude_desktop_config.json` file and add the server configuration under the `mcpServers` key. Save the file and restart Claude Desktop to see the new tools.

Yes, you can add it as a custom connector in the claude.ai browser settings. Paste the remote HTTPS URL provided by Vinkius and authenticate to access the tools instantly.

Use the `get_dataset_items` tool with pagination parameters like limit and offset. This prevents your chat context from getting flooded with too much raw JSON at once.

Yes, you can call `abort_run` with the active run ID to stop the actor immediately and preserve whatever data was already scraped.

Vinkius runs the server in an isolated, zero-trust V8 sandbox that handles all authentication securely. Your scraped JSON data and account limits are never stored on Vinkius servers, keeping your scraping pipeline private.

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