CatchAll (by NewsCatcher)
CatchAll is a web search API built for comprehensive event retrieval — not ranked results, but all matching records.
Documentation
CatchAll MCP server
Connect CatchAll to any MCP-compatible client for structured web research.
The MCP server exposes CatchAll API tools to any MCP-compatible client. It handles authentication, tool routing, and response formatting so the client can submit jobs, poll status, retrieve results, manage monitors, configure webhooks, build company watchlists with datasets and entities, and organize work into projects.
Before you start
- CatchAll API key from platform.newscatcherapi.com
- MCP-compatible client (Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Zed, Warp, Gemini CLI, Roo Code, or any client that supports remote MCP)
Authentication
The MCP server resolves your API key from multiple sources:
x-api-keyHTTP request header — recommended for all client configurations?apiKey=YOUR_KEYURL query parameter — used by Claude.ai because its connector UI does not support custom request headersAuthorization: Bearer <key>HTTP request headerCATCHALL_API_KEYenvironment variable on the server host
Most client configurations use option 1 (the x-api-key header). Claude.ai
uses option 2 (the apiKey query parameter) automatically. The tools
check_health and get_version do not require authentication.
To rotate your key, update your client configuration with the new key and restart the client.
When you pass the key through a `--header` flag (Claude Code, `mcp-remote`), use the `header-name:value` format with no space after the colon — for example `x-api-key:YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY`. A space or a missing colon is the most common reason a connection silently fails to authenticate. Your configuration file contains your API key in plain text. Treat it as a secret and do not share it or commit it to version control.Connect to Claude
Go to [claude.ai/customize/connectors](https://claude.ai/customize/connectors). Click **+** and select **Add custom connector**. <Step title="Configure connection">
Fill in the **Add custom connector** dialog:
* **Name**: `CatchAll`
* **Remote MCP server URL**:
```
https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp?apiKey=YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY
```
</Step>
<Step title="Add and verify">
Click **Add**. Verify that CatchAll appears under **Web** in your connectors list.
</Step>
<Step title="Test connection">
Open a new chat and ask Claude to run `check_health`. This tool needs no API key, so a successful response confirms the connection itself works — isolating connection problems from key problems. Then try a real query, for example: "Find AI company acquisitions in the last 7 days, limit 10". Claude should call the CatchAll tools and return structured results.
</Step>
</Steps>
<Tip>
For Claude-specific features like the SKILL file and Python agents, see [Claude integration](/web-search-api/integrations/claude).
</Tip>
Alternatively, you can configure it via a JSON config file. This approach does not support native remote MCP, so it requires `mcp-remote` as a proxy.
<Steps>
<Step title="Install Node.js">
Run `node --version` to check if Node.js is installed. If the command fails, download and install it from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org) before continuing.
</Step>
<Step title="Fix npm permissions (once)">
Run this once to avoid permission errors when using `npx`:
```bash theme={null}
sudo chown -R $(whoami) ~/.npm
```
</Step>
<Step title="Install mcp-remote">
```bash theme={null}
npm install -g mcp-remote
```
</Step>
<Step title="Open configuration file">
<Tabs>
<Tab title="macOS">
```txt theme={null}
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
```
</Tab>
<Tab title="Windows">
```txt theme={null}
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
```
</Tab>
</Tabs>
Or open it from Claude Desktop: **Settings > Developer > Edit Config**.
</Step>
<Step title="Add CatchAll entry">
Paste the following into the file:
```json theme={null}
{
"mcpServers": {
"catchall": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp",
"--header",
"x-api-key:YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY"
]
}
}
}
```
Write the header value as `x-api-key:YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY` with no space after the colon (see [Authentication](#authentication)).
<Note>
On Windows, `npx` often cannot be launched directly from this config.
If the server fails to start, wrap it with `cmd`: set `"command":
"cmd"` and prepend `"/c", "npx"` to the `args` array.
</Note>
</Step>
<Step title="Restart Claude Desktop">
Save the file and quit Claude Desktop completely, then relaunch it. Claude Desktop loads MCP tools on startup.
</Step>
<Step title="Verify connection">
Go to **Settings > Developer**. Next to **catchall**, the status should show **running**. To confirm end to end, open a new chat and ask Claude to run `check_health` — it needs no API key, so a clean response proves the connection works.
</Step>
</Steps>
<Tip>
For Claude-specific features like the SKILL file and Python agents, see [Claude integration](/web-search-api/integrations/claude).
</Tip>
```bash theme={null}
claude mcp add --transport http catchall \
"https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp" \
--header "x-api-key:YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY"
```
Keep the colon tight: `x-api-key:YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY` with no space after the colon, or the header is sent malformed (see [Authentication](#authentication)).
</Step>
<Step title="Verify connection">
Run `claude mcp list` and confirm `catchall` is listed, or type `/mcp` inside a Claude Code session to see it marked as connected.
</Step>
<Step title="Test connection">
In a session, ask Claude to run `check_health`. This tool needs no API key, so a successful response confirms the connection works before you spend credits on a real query. Then try: "Find AI company acquisitions in the last 7 days, limit 10".
</Step>
</Steps>
<Tip>
For Claude-specific features like the SKILL file and Python agents, see [Claude integration](/web-search-api/integrations/claude).
</Tip>
Connect to other clients
[](https://cursor.com/en/install-mcp?name=catchall\&config=eyJuYW1lIjoiY2F0Y2hhbGwiLCJ0eXBlIjoiaHR0cCIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY2F0Y2hhbGwtbWNwLm5ld3NjYXRjaGVyYXBpLmNvbS9tY3A/YXBpS2V5PVlPVVJfQ0FUQ0hBTExfQVBJX0tFWSJ9)Or add to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` manually:
```json theme={null}
{
"mcpServers": {
"catchall": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp?apiKey=YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY"
}
}
}
```
Restart Cursor after saving.
Or add to `.vscode/mcp.json` in your project root manually:
```json theme={null}
{
"servers": {
"catchall": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp?apiKey=YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY"
}
}
}
```
Restart VS Code after saving.
```json theme={null}
{
"mcpServers": {
"catchall": {
"serverUrl": "https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp",
"headers": {
"x-api-key": "YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY"
}
}
}
}
```
Restart Windsurf after saving.
```json theme={null}
{
"context_servers": {
"catchall": {
"url": "https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp",
"headers": {
"x-api-key": "YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY"
}
}
}
}
```
Restart Zed after saving.
```json theme={null}
{
"catchall": {
"url": "https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp",
"headers": {
"x-api-key": "YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY"
}
}
}
```
```json theme={null}
{
"mcpServers": {
"catchall": {
"httpUrl": "https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp",
"headers": {
"x-api-key": "YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY"
}
}
}
}
```
Restart Gemini CLI after saving.
```json theme={null}
{
"mcpServers": {
"catchall": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp",
"headers": {
"x-api-key": "YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY"
}
}
}
}
```
Restart Roo Code after saving.
```json theme={null}
{
"mcpServers": {
"catchall": {
"url": "https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp",
"headers": {
"x-api-key": "YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY"
}
}
}
}
```
If your client does not support remote MCP servers natively, use `mcp-remote` as a proxy:
```json theme={null}
{
"mcpServers": {
"catchall": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://catchall-mcp.newscatcherapi.com/mcp",
"--header",
"x-api-key:YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY"
]
}
}
}
```
Write the header value as `x-api-key:YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY` with no space after the colon (see [Authentication](#authentication)).
Restart your client after saving the configuration.
Available tools
Each tool maps to a CatchAll API endpoint. For request and response schemas, see the API reference.
The server ships usage guidance to the client automatically, so Claude already
knows the job lifecycle — submit_query creates a job, get_job_status polls
it, and pull_results retrieves records once it completes. You do not need to
explain this flow yourself.
**Datasets**
| Tool | Description |
| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `create_dataset` | Create a new dataset from a list of entity IDs |
| `list_datasets` | List all datasets for the authenticated user |
| `get_dataset` | Get dataset details and metadata |
| `update_dataset` | Update dataset name or description |
| `add_dataset_entities` | Add entities to an existing dataset |
| `remove_dataset_entities` | Remove entities from a dataset |
| `list_dataset_entities` | List all entities in a dataset |
| `get_dataset_status` | Check dataset enrichment progress and health score |
| `create_dataset_from_csv` | Create a new dataset by uploading CSV content — pass raw CSV text or base64 in the `file` parameter (inline content only, 10 MB cap; server-side file paths are not accepted) |
| `append_csv_to_dataset` | Append entities to an existing dataset from CSV content — same `file` format as `create_dataset_from_csv` |
| `delete_dataset` | Delete a dataset (entities are preserved) |
**Entities**
| Tool | Description |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| `create_entity` | Create a single company or person entity. |
| `create_entities_batch` | Bulk-create multiple entities in one call |
| `list_entities` | List all entities for the authenticated user |
| `get_entity` | Get details for a specific entity |
| `update_entity` | Update entity name, domain, or metadata. |
| `delete_entity` | Delete an entity |
| Tool | Description |
| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| `create_project` | Create a new project container |
| `list_projects` | List all projects for the authenticated user |
| `get_project` | Get project details and metadata |
| `update_project` | Update project name or description |
| `get_project_overview` | Get a resource count breakdown by type and status |
| `add_project_resources` | Add jobs, monitors, or datasets to a project |
| `list_project_resources` | List all resources inside a project |
| `remove_project_resource` | Remove a resource from a project without deleting it |
| `delete_project` | Delete a project (resources are preserved by default) |
Troubleshooting
Restart your MCP client after updating the configuration. Most clients load MCP tools on startup and do not detect changes until restarted. Verify your API key is valid by calling an authenticated endpoint:curl -X POST "https://catchall.newscatcherapi.com/catchAll/initialize" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_CATCHALL_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"query": "test"}'
If this returns a 403 error, your key is invalid. Check it at
platform.newscatcherapi.com.