How do I get Censys API credentials?

Sign up for a free account at [**censys.io**](https://censys.io), go to your account page and generate API credentials. Free tier includes limited queries per day.

What kind of hosts can I find?

Censys scans the entire IPv4 space regularly. You can find web servers, databases, SSH servers, mail servers, IoT devices, industrial control systems and any internet-facing service.

What query syntax is supported?

Censys supports powerful query syntax: service name (services.service_name: HTTP), port (services.port:443), certificate fields (parsed.subject.country: US), OS detection (metadata.os: Linux), ASN, geographic location and boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).

Censys MCP Server for CrewAI 9 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Censys
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

docs.crewai.com/mcp/overview

Built by Vinkius GDPR 9 Tools Framework

Connect your CrewAI agents to Censys through Vinkius, pass the Edge URL in the `mcps` parameter and every Censys tool is auto-discovered at runtime. No credentials to manage, no infrastructure to maintain.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

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Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

python

from crewai import Agent, Task, Crew

agent = Agent(
    role="Censys Specialist",
    goal="Help users interact with Censys effectively",
    backstory=(
        "You are an expert at leveraging Censys tools "
        "for automation and data analysis."
    ),
    # Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
    mcps=["https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"],
)

task = Task(
    description=(
        "Explore all available tools in Censys "
        "and summarize their capabilities."
    ),
    agent=agent,
    expected_output=(
        "A detailed summary of 9 available tools "
        "and what they can do."
    ),
)

crew = Crew(agents=[agent], tasks=[task])
result = crew.kickoff()
print(result)

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* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About Censys MCP Server

Connect to Censys and explore the world's largest internet scanning platform through natural conversation.

When paired with CrewAI, Censys becomes a first-class tool in your multi-agent workflows. Each agent in the crew can call Censys tools autonomously, one agent queries data, another analyzes results, a third compiles reports, all orchestrated through Vinkius with zero configuration overhead.

What you can do

Host Search — Search internet-facing hosts by service, port, OS, location and more
Host Details — Get comprehensive info on any IP including all services and certificates
Host History — View how a host's services and ports have changed over time
Certificate Search — Find SSL/TLS certificates by issuer, subject, validity and more
Certificate Details — Get full parsed certificate data by fingerprint
Certificate Hosts — Find all hosts using a specific certificate
Aggregation — Analyze distributions of services, countries and ASNs
Host Diff — Compare two hosts to identify infrastructure differences

The Censys MCP Server exposes 9 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to CrewAI in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect Censys to CrewAI via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Censys MCP Server with CrewAI.

Install CrewAI

Run pip install crewai

Replace the token

Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your Vinkius token from cloud.vinkius.com

Customize the agent

Adjust the role, goal, and backstory to fit your use case

Run the crew

Run python crew.py. CrewAI auto-discovers 9 tools from Censys

Why Use CrewAI with the Censys MCP Server

CrewAI Multi-Agent Orchestration Framework provides unique advantages when paired with Censys through the Model Context Protocol.

Multi-agent collaboration lets you decompose complex workflows into specialized roles, one agent researches, another analyzes, a third generates reports, each with access to MCP tools

CrewAI's native MCP integration requires zero adapter code: pass Vinkius Edge URL directly in the `mcps` parameter and agents auto-discover every available tool at runtime

Built-in task delegation and shared memory mean agents can pass context between steps without manual state management, enabling multi-hop reasoning across tool calls

Sequential and hierarchical crew patterns map naturally to real-world workflows: enumerate subdomains → analyze DNS history → check WHOIS records → compile findings into actionable reports

Censys + CrewAI Use Cases

Practical scenarios where CrewAI combined with the Censys MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Automated multi-step research: a reconnaissance agent queries Censys for raw data, then a second analyst agent cross-references findings and flags anomalies. all without human handoff

Scheduled intelligence reports: set up a crew that periodically queries Censys, analyzes trends over time, and generates executive briefings in markdown or PDF format

Multi-source enrichment pipelines: chain Censys tools with other MCP servers in the same crew, letting agents correlate data across multiple providers in a single workflow

Compliance and audit automation: a compliance agent queries Censys against predefined policy rules, generates deviation reports, and routes findings to the appropriate team

Censys MCP Tools for CrewAI (9)

These 9 tools become available when you connect Censys to CrewAI via MCP:

aggregate_hosts

Groups results by a specified field (e.g. "services.port", "location.country", "autonomous_system.name") and returns bucket counts. Useful for understanding the distribution of services, countries or ASNs matching a query. Aggregate host search results by a specific field

get_account_info

Useful for checking remaining API quota and account limits. Get your Censys account information

get_certificate

Returns the full parsed certificate including subject, issuer, validity, key info, extensions, CT logs and raw PEM data. Get detailed info for a specific certificate by fingerprint

get_certificate_hosts

Useful for finding all domains sharing a certificate (SANs). Returns IP addresses, ports and timestamps. Pagination via cursor. Get hosts using a specific certificate

get_host

Returns all open ports, service banners, TLS certificates, operating system detection, geolocation, autonomous system info and last updated timestamps. Get detailed info for a specific IP address

get_host_history

Shows how the host's services, ports and certificates have changed over time. Returns timestamps, services observed and changes detected. Pagination via cursor. Get historical scan data for a specific IP

search_certificates

Supports query syntax: issuer names, subject fields, serial numbers, validity dates, key algorithms, certificate transparency logs and more. Returns fingerprints, subjects, issuers, validity periods and key info. Search for SSL/TLS certificates

search_hosts

Supports powerful query syntax: service names (e.g. "nginx"), ports (e.g. "services.port:443"), protocols, operating systems, autonomous systems, geographic locations and more. Returns IP addresses, open ports, services, banners and locations. Pagination via cursor. Search for internet-connected hosts

view_host_diff

Useful for identifying changes between hosts or finding similar infrastructure. Compare two hosts to see differences

Example Prompts for Censys in CrewAI

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your CrewAI agent to start working with Censys immediately.

"Find all nginx servers in Brazil."

"Get details for IP 8.8.8.8."

"Find certificates issued by Let's Encrypt expiring this month."

Troubleshooting Censys MCP Server with CrewAI

Common issues when connecting Censys to CrewAI through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not discovered

Ensure the Edge URL is correct. CrewAI connects lazily when the crew starts. check console output.

Agent not using tools

Make the task description specific. Instead of "do something", say "Use the available tools to list contacts".

Timeout errors

CrewAI has a 10s connection timeout by default. Ensure your network can reach the Edge URL.

Rate limiting or 429 errors

Vinkius enforces per-token rate limits. Check your subscription tier and request quota in the dashboard. Upgrade if you need higher throughput.

Censys + CrewAI FAQ

Common questions about integrating Censys MCP Server with CrewAI.

How does CrewAI discover and connect to MCP tools?

CrewAI connects to MCP servers lazily. when the crew starts, each agent resolves its MCP URLs and fetches the tool catalog via the standard tools/list method. This means tools are always fresh and reflect the server's current capabilities. No tool schemas need to be hardcoded.

Can different agents in the same crew use different MCP servers?

Yes. Each agent has its own mcps list, so you can assign specific servers to specific roles. For example, a reconnaissance agent might use a domain intelligence server while an analysis agent uses a vulnerability database server.

What happens when an MCP tool call fails during a crew run?

CrewAI wraps tool failures as context for the agent. The LLM receives the error message and can decide to retry with different parameters, fall back to a different tool, or mark the task as partially complete. This resilience is critical for production workflows.

Can CrewAI agents call multiple MCP tools in parallel?

CrewAI agents execute tool calls sequentially within a single reasoning step. However, you can run multiple agents in parallel using process=Process.parallel, each calling different MCP tools concurrently. This is ideal for workflows where separate data sources need to be queried simultaneously.

Can I run CrewAI crews on a schedule (cron)?

Yes. CrewAI crews are standard Python scripts, so you can invoke them via cron, Airflow, Celery, or any task scheduler. The crew.kickoff() method runs synchronously by default, making it straightforward to integrate into existing pipelines.