switch402

npx add-mcp 'https://api.switch402.com/mcp'

How to Add Web Scraping to Claude Desktop with a Remote MCP Server

Connect Claude Desktop to switch402's remote MCP endpoint so Claude can see its nine tools: scrape, scrape_lite, map, metadata, screenshot, screenshot_full, search, pdf and quote. Read the payment note first: paid tools need an x402-capable client.

Payment note: switch402 speaks MCP Streamable HTTP at https://api.switch402.com/mcp with no sign-in. The free quote tool works in any MCP client. The paid tools (scrape $0.008, scrape_lite $0.003, map $0.001, metadata $0.001, screenshot $0.008, screenshot_full $0.012, search $0.008, pdf $0.008) answer an unpaid call with x402 payment terms; a client that cannot pay x402 will show those terms instead of the page. To get pages, use an x402-capable MCP client or wrapper that retries with params._meta["x402/payment"], or call the HTTP API from code with an x402 library.

Steps

1. Open Connectors. In Claude Desktop open Settings, then Connectors (per the MCP docs at modelcontextprotocol.io, checked Oct 29, 2026). If your menus differ, check Claude's own docs.
2. Add a custom connector. Click Add, choose "Add custom connector" and enter https://api.switch402.com/mcp. switch402 needs no sign-in.
3. Try the free tool. Ask Claude to use the switch402 quote tool on a URL. It returns our price, healthy-provider count and estimated latency.
4. Paid scraping. Every tool except quote is paid and returns x402 payment terms unless the client pays them. Use an x402-capable MCP client or wrapper, or the HTTP API from code.

Code

Check the endpoint yourself (curl)

# 1) initialize
curl -s -X POST https://api.switch402.com/mcp \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'Accept: application/json, text/event-stream' -H 'User-Agent: my-agent/1.0' \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":0,"method":"initialize","params":{"protocolVersion":"2025-06-18","capabilities":{},"clientInfo":{"name":"test","version":"1"}}}'

# 2) list tools: scrape, scrape_lite, map, metadata, screenshot, screenshot_full, search, pdf, quote
curl -s -X POST https://api.switch402.com/mcp \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'Accept: application/json, text/event-stream' -H 'User-Agent: my-agent/1.0' \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/list"}'

# 3) free quote
curl -s -X POST https://api.switch402.com/mcp \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'Accept: application/json, text/event-stream' -H 'User-Agent: my-agent/1.0' \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":2,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"quote","arguments":{"url":"https://example.com"}}}'

You pay only for the pages you actually fetch: $0.008 per standard page on /v1/scrape, $0.003 per lite call on /v1/scrape/lite, in USDC on Base and charged only on success. No subscription or unused credits; optional prepaid packs and a $10 monthly plan.

FAQ

Which MCP transport does switch402 use?

MCP Streamable HTTP (JSON-RPC, stateless) at https://api.switch402.com/mcp, protocol version 2025-06-18.

Will Claude Desktop pay for scrapes by itself?

Not unless your setup can pay x402. A standard client shows the payment terms returned by the paid tools; the free quote tool works without payment.

Does the connector need a login or API key?

No. switch402 has no accounts; payment is per call over x402. An optional prepaid key can be sent as an Authorization: Bearer header instead.