How to Use the Censys MCP in Claude Code

Q: What's the best way to script a search for specific SSL certificates with Claude Code and Censys?

Use the searchcertificates tool with a query flag. For example: claude censys searchcertificates --query 'parsed.issuer.organization: "My Org"'. Pipe the output to jq to extract the certificate fingerprints for other commands.

Q: How do I write a bash script with Claude Code that uses Censys to find hosts with a specific service banner?

Create a script that calls claude censys searchhosts --query 'services.banner: "welcome to my server"'. You can loop through the resulting IP addresses and perform other actions.

Query the internet from your terminal. Claude Code connects your shell scripts directly to the Censys API.

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Setup Censys with Claude Code

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Integrate Censys into Your Pipelines

Add a step to your deployment pipeline that uses Claude Code to query Censys. The `get_host` tool can check a new server's public ports right after it comes online. If an unexpected port is open, the script fails the build. Pipe the JSON output from this MCP server to `jq` to parse the results and make decisions. This is how you automate security checks before they become production problems.

Run Recon from the Command Line

The `search_hosts` and `search_certificates` tools are built for scripting. Run Claude Code in a cron job to monitor for new subdomains or certificates associated with your brand. You can chain commands together in a simple shell script. Find hosts with `search_hosts`, then loop through the results and get details on each with `get_host_history`. This MCP Server makes Censys feel like a native command-line tool.

Scriptable Account and Asset Audits

Need to track your API usage? A simple script calling `get_account_info` gives you the current numbers without needing a browser. It's ideal for automated budget alerts. Use `aggregate_hosts` to quickly group your company's servers by ASN or country, then output it as clean JSON. It's perfect for quick checks or feeding data into other monitoring systems. With this MCP connection, there are no logins and no UIs, just raw data.

Setup guide

Set up Censys MCP in Claude Code

Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Run the add command

Open your terminal and run the command shown on the right. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com. Use --scope user to make it available across all projects.
2

Verify the connection

Start a Claude Code session and type /mcp to list connected servers. You should see censys-mcp with a green status indicator.
3

Start using tools

Ask Claude Code something like "Check my latest Censys transactions." It will automatically discover and invoke the available Censys tools.

Terminal

claude mcp add --transport http censys-mcp https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

Get your connection token →

Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open the config file

Create or edit .mcp.json in your project root for project-level scope, or ~/.claude.json for user-level scope.
2

Add the Censys MCP

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

Restart Claude Code

Start a new Claude Code session. Type /mcp to confirm the server is connected. The tools will be automatically available in your conversation.

.mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "censys-mcp": {
      "type": "url",
      "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 Censys. 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 Censys MCP in Claude Code

In your workflow YAML, add a step that runs a shell command: `claude censys get_host --ip 1.2.3.4 | jq '.services'`. You can then write script logic to check if any unexpected ports are in the JSON output.

Use the `search_certificates` tool with a query flag. For example: `claude censys search_certificates --query 'parsed.issuer.organization: "My Org"'`. Pipe the output to `jq` to extract the certificate fingerprints for other commands.

Yes, that's exactly what it's designed for. All tool outputs are raw JSON sent to stdout, perfect for piping into `jq`, `grep`, or any other standard command-line utility for processing.

Create a script that calls `claude censys search_hosts --query 'services.banner: "welcome to my server"'`. You can loop through the resulting IP addresses and perform other actions.

Your Censys API key is stored in the Vinkius vault, referenced by your single endpoint token. It's never stored on your local machine or in your shell's history. Each request for Censys host or certificate data is proxied through our ephemeral sandboxes, which inject the key just-in-time.

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