brightdata-mcp

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Overview

The Bright Data MCP server gives AI agents real-time access to public web data. It exposes 30 tools covering:

• Web search — Bing and Google results as structured data
• Page scraping — any URL as Markdown or HTML, with bot detection, CAPTCHA solving, and proxy rotation handled automatically on every request
• Structured data (Web Scraper API) — clean JSON from 1,200+ pre-built scrapers: Amazon, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Reddit, Facebook, Crunchbase, Zillow, npm, PyPI and more, without parsing HTML. Six tools find and run any of them
• Browser automation — navigate, click, type, screenshot, and read pages in a remote browser session
• LLM response collection — send prompts to ChatGPT and Perplexity and get their answers back as structured data

Every request is routed through Bright Data's unblocking infrastructure, so pages that block ordinary HTTP clients (bot detection, CAPTCHAs, rate limits, geo-restrictions) return normally. No proxy setup, no headless browser maintenance, no retry logic to write.

Two deployment options: a hosted remote server (one URL, no installation) or a local instance via npx @brightdata/mcp.

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Quick Start

Hosted server — no installation. Add this URL to your MCP client:

https://mcp.brightdata.com/mcp?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE

Get your API token from your Bright Data account settings. New accounts get 5,000 free requests per month.

Optional URL parameters:

Parameter	Description	Example
groups=<ids>	Limit to specific tool groups (default: all tools)	...&groups=scrapers,browser
tools=<names>	Limit to specific tools	...&tools=search_engine,scrape_as_markdown

1. Go to: Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector
2. Name: Bright Data
3. URL: https://mcp.brightdata.com/mcp?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN
4. Click "Add"

Or run locally:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Bright Data": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@brightdata/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "API_TOKEN": "<your-api-token-here>"
      }
    }
  }
}

claude mcp add --transport http brightdata "https://mcp.brightdata.com/mcp?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN"

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brightdata": {
      "url": "https://mcp.brightdata.com/mcp?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

Add to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "brightdata": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.brightdata.com/mcp?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brightdata": {
      "serverUrl": "https://mcp.brightdata.com/mcp?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

Add to ~/.gemini/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brightdata": {
      "httpUrl": "https://mcp.brightdata.com/mcp?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

Add to your Zed settings:

{
  "context_servers": {
    "brightdata": {
      "url": "https://mcp.brightdata.com/mcp?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

Go to Settings > MCP Servers > Add MCP Server and add:

{
  "brightdata": {
    "url": "https://mcp.brightdata.com/mcp?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN"
  }
}

For any client that supports local MCP servers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Bright Data": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@brightdata/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "API_TOKEN": "<your-api-token-here>"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Pricing and Free Tier

Every account includes a recurring monthly free tier. No credit card or commitment required to start.

5,000 free requests per month, renewing on the 1st of each month. Unused requests don't roll over. For team accounts, the free tier is shared across all users in the account.

What's included free:

• Fetch any webpage and extract as Markdown
• Access to 60+ pre-built scrapers for popular domains
• Web search (Bing, Google)
• Web unlocking (bot detection bypass, CAPTCHA solving, proxy rotation)
• Browser automation
• Geo-targeting

Beyond the free tier — pay as you go, no commitment:

	Search, Scrape & Extract	Browser Navigation
Pay as you go	$1.50 / 1K results	$8 / GB

• When free requests run out, requests stop. No surprise charges — unless you have deposited funds
• Adding a credit card is a verification step only; you are not charged unless your free tier is exhausted and you have funds deposited
• Set a spend cap in the control panel so pay-as-you-go usage never exceeds your budget

Full pricing, volume plans and enterprise →

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Use Cases

Real-time research

Answer questions using live web data instead of training data. Search, then read the sources.

Task	Tools
Search the web for current information	search_engine, search_engine_batch
Read a specific page as clean Markdown	scrape_as_markdown, scrape_batch

Example prompts: "What's Tesla's current stock price?", "Get today's weather forecast for New York", "Find the most cited sources on EU AI regulation from the last 6 months".

E-commerce intelligence

Read product data as structured JSON: price, availability, rating, review count, seller, images.

Task	Tools
Products, reviews and search results from Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Best Buy, Etsy, Home Depot, Zara and other stores	search_scrapers → get_scraper_details → run_scraper
Cross-retailer price view	the same flow with the Google Shopping scraper

Example prompts: "Compare this laptop's price on Amazon vs Walmart vs Best Buy", "Get the rating and review count for ASIN B0D2Q9397Y", "Is this product in stock?".

Market and competitor analysis

Build competitor profiles from live data: funding, headcount, hiring, customer reviews, pricing pages.

Task	Tools
Company funding, size, employees, job postings (Crunchbase, ZoomInfo, LinkedIn)	search_scrapers → run_scraper
Customer sentiment (Google Maps, Facebook, app store reviews)	search_scrapers → run_scraper
Competitor pricing pages	scrape_as_markdown, scrape_batch
Market discovery	search_engine_batch

Example prompt: "Analyze Notion as a competitor: pricing, funding, hiring focus, and what customers complain about".

AI agents with reliable web access

Replace built-in fetch/search tools that get blocked on protected sites. Every request goes through unblocking infrastructure, so agents don't fail on bot detection, CAPTCHAs, or geo-restrictions.

Task	Tools
Drop-in replacement for built-in web search	search_engine
Drop-in replacement for built-in URL fetch	scrape_as_markdown
Parallel data collection (5 at a time)	search_engine_batch, scrape_batch
Interactive sites (login walls, infinite scroll, dynamic content)	scraping_browser_* (14 tools)

Coding agents

Package registry data on demand — no scraping, no stale caches.

Task	Tools
npm and PyPI package version, README, metadata	run_scraper with the npmjs or pypi scraper (find them with search_scrapers)
Read files from GitHub repositories	run_scraper with the GitHub repository scraper

Example prompts: "What's the latest version of express on npm?", "Get the README for the langchain-brightdata PyPI package".

GEO and brand visibility

Send prompts to major LLMs and get their answers back as structured data. Measure how AI assistants describe your brand, which sources they cite, and what they recommend — the feedback loop for Generative Engine Optimization.

Task	Tools
ChatGPT answers with citations and recommendations	chatgpt_ai_insights
Perplexity answers with sources	perplexity_ai_insights

Example prompt: "Ask ChatGPT and Perplexity 'what is the best proxy provider' and compare how each one ranks us".

Social media monitoring

Structured data from every major platform: profiles, posts, comments, engagement metrics. Each platform has scrapers per data type (LinkedIn profiles, Instagram reels, TikTok comments, ...); find them with search_scrapers and run them with run_scraper.

Platform	Examples of scrapers
LinkedIn	person profiles, company profiles, job listings, posts, people search
Instagram	profiles, posts, reels, comments
TikTok	profiles, posts, shop, comments
Facebook	profiles, posts, marketplace listings, company reviews, events
YouTube	videos, channels, comments
X (Twitter)	posts, posts by profile
Reddit	posts, comments

Example prompt: "Get the last 10 posts from this TikTok profile and summarize the engagement".

Content creation and academic research

Gather source material from many pages at once, filtered by recency and relevance.

Task	Tools
Collect multiple sources in one call	scrape_batch (up to 5 URLs)
News and finance data	search_engine with news queries, run_scraper with the Yahoo Finance scraper

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How It Compares

Capability	Bright Data MCP	Typical web MCP servers
Total tools	30	2–10
Platform-specific structured JSON extractors	1,200+ pre-built scrapers across e-commerce, social, business, finance, travel, app stores, through 6 tools	Rare; generic scraping only
Unblocking (bot detection bypass, CAPTCHA solving, proxy rotation)	Built into every request	Usually none; blocked on protected sites
Search engines	Bing, Google	Usually one
Browser automation	14 tools, remote browser, no local setup	Limited or none
LLM response collection (ChatGPT, Perplexity)	Yes	Not offered
Package registry data (npm, PyPI)	Yes	Not offered
Batch operations	10 searches or 10 scrapes per call	Usually single-request only
Geo-targeting	Yes	Limited or none
Free tier	5,000 requests/month, browser automation included, no credit card	Varies; often rate-limited keyless access

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Tool Selection: Groups

Tools are organized into groups so you only load what you need. Fewer tools means less context for your agent to process.

• With no GROUPS or TOOLS, all 30 tools are enabled. Setting either one limits the server to those tools only
• GROUPS enables tool bundles. Comma-separated: GROUPS="scrapers,browser" (local) or &groups=scrapers,browser (hosted URL)
• TOOLS adds individual tools on top: TOOLS="scrape_batch,session_stats". On its own, it enables only the tools you list
• Every group also includes search_engine, scrape_as_markdown and ask_brightdata_assistant
• Group ID custom is reserved; use TOOLS for individual picks

Group ID	Contents	Tool count
scrapers	Search and run any pre-built Web Scraper API scraper (Amazon, LinkedIn, TikTok, npm, ...)	6
browser	Remote browser automation	14
geo	ChatGPT and Perplexity response collection	2
advanced_scraping	Batch tools, session stats	3

Older group IDs (ecommerce, social, business, finance, research, app_stores, travel, code) still work and enable the scrapers tools; social and business also add search_dataset and list_dataset_fields. Old web_data_* names in TOOLS enable the scrapers tools too.

Configuration examples

Local server with browser automation and batch tools:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Bright Data": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@brightdata/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "API_TOKEN": "<your-api-token-here>",
        "GROUPS": "browser,advanced_scraping"
      }
    }
  }
}

Coding agent setup (Claude Code / Cursor / Windsurf) — npm, PyPI and GitHub data through the pre-built scrapers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Bright Data": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@brightdata/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "API_TOKEN": "<your-api-token-here>",
        "GROUPS": "scrapers"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Tools Reference (30 Tools)

Which tool to use

• Known URL, need the content: scrape_as_markdown. Multiple URLs (up to 5): scrape_batch
• Need to find information: search_engine. Multiple queries (up to 5): search_engine_batch
• Structured data from a known platform (Amazon, LinkedIn, TikTok, npm, PyPI, etc.): search_scrapers → get_scraper_details → run_scraper — returns clean JSON, faster and more reliable than scraping the same page
• Raw HTML: scrape_as_markdown with format: 'html'
• Page requires interaction (click, type, scroll, login): scraping_browser_* tools
• How ChatGPT/Perplexity answer a prompt: chatgpt_ai_insights / perplexity_ai_insights
• Question about Bright Data itself (products, zones, errors, setup): ask_brightdata_assistant

Notes on scraper runs:

• Return structured JSON, billed per record returned
• Records with an error field explain inputs that failed, e.g. a URL of the wrong type
• Results can be large. Keep limit_per_input low for discover_by_* methods and run bulk collection in a subagent where your framework supports it, so records don't flood the main context window
• If a run fails, scrape_as_markdown works on the same URL as a fallback

Tool	Description	Group
search_engine	Search Bing (default) or Google. Returns JSON (link, title, description), 10 results per page. Params: country, page (from 0), time_range (hour, day, week, month, year, any; Bing supports only day, week, year)	default / every group
search_engine_batch	Up to 5 search queries in one call	default / advanced_scraping
scrape_as_markdown	Any URL. Returns the content as markdown (default), text, html or ld_json	default / every group
scrape_batch	Up to 5 URLs in one call. Returns the content as markdown (default), text, html or ld_json	default / advanced_scraping
session_stats	Tool usage counts for the current session	default / advanced_scraping

Search and run any of Bright Data's 1,200+ pre-built scrapers. The scraper list is loaded from docs.brightdata.com/scrapers.json and refreshed daily. Available on both the hosted and the local server. Enabled by default when no tools or groups are selected; otherwise add the scrapers group (&groups=scrapers on the hosted URL, GROUPS=scrapers locally).

Typical flow: search_scrapers → get_scraper_details → run_scraper. Runs are billed per record; discover_by_* methods collect up to limit_per_input records per input (default 10).

Tool	Description	Group
search_scrapers	Find scrapers by site or data type (e.g. "amazon reviews", "linkedin.com"). Returns dataset ID, name, domain and collection methods	default / scrapers
get_scraper_details	Description, input fields, example input and main output fields for one scraper method	default / scrapers
run_scraper	Run a scraper method. Waits up to 45 seconds; if still running, returns a snapshot_id to check later	default / scrapers
get_scraper_progress	Status of a run: starting, running, ready, failed or canceled	default / scrapers
get_scraper_results	Records of a finished run	default / scrapers
refresh_scrapers	Reload the scraper list now instead of waiting for the daily refresh	default / scrapers

Remote browser session. Typical sequence: navigate → snapshot → interact by ref → extract or screenshot.

Tool	Description
scraping_browser_navigate	Open or reuse a browser session and navigate to a URL
scraping_browser_go_back	Navigate back
scraping_browser_go_forward	Navigate forward
scraping_browser_snapshot	ARIA snapshot of the page listing interactive elements with refs. Required before ref-based actions
scraping_browser_click_ref	Click an element by ref from the latest snapshot
scraping_browser_type_ref	Type into an element by ref; optionally press Enter to submit
scraping_browser_fill_form	Fill several form fields by ref in one call
scraping_browser_screenshot	Screenshot of the current page; optional full_page
scraping_browser_get_text	Text content of the page body
scraping_browser_get_html	HTML of the current page
scraping_browser_scroll	Scroll to the bottom of the page
scraping_browser_scroll_to_ref	Scroll an element into view
scraping_browser_wait_for_ref	Wait for an element to become visible, with optional timeout
scraping_browser_network_requests	Network requests since page load: method, URL, status

Refs come from the latest snapshot. If the page changes after a click or navigation, take a new snapshot before the next ref-based action. For static pages, scrape_as_markdown is faster and cheaper than a browser session.

Tool	Input	Returns
chatgpt_ai_insights	Prompt	ChatGPT's answer as Markdown
perplexity_ai_insights	Prompt	Perplexity's answer as Markdown

Use for Generative Engine Optimization (tracking how LLMs describe your brand) and LLM-as-a-judge workflows.

Filter search over stored LinkedIn datasets; returns matching records at once, with no scraper run.

Tool	Description	Group
list_dataset_fields	Filterable fields of a dataset (name, type, description). Call before search_dataset	default / social, business
search_dataset	Records matching a filter, up to 10 per call, with a cursor for more	default / social, business

Tool	Description	Group
ask_brightdata_assistant	Ask Sophie, Bright Data's support assistant, about products, APIs, zones, errors or account setup. Pass the returned dialog_id to ask a follow-up in the same thread	default / every group

Full tool reference in the docs →

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Agent Skills

Ready-to-use skills that teach your agent how to use this MCP server correctly. The full collection lives at github.com/brightdata/skills — 21 skills covering MCP orchestration, competitive intelligence, price comparison, brand listening, SEO audits, scraper building, RAG pipelines, and more.

Three of the highest-impact skills:

Skill	What it does
bright-data-mcp	Makes Bright Data MCP the default for all web data operations, replacing WebFetch, WebSearch, and other built-in web tools that fail on bot detection
competitive-intel	Competitor snapshots, pricing comparison, review mining, hiring signals, content/SEO analysis, and market landscape maps from live web data
price-comparison	Resolves a product across Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Best Buy, and Google Shopping and names the cheapest in-stock option

Browse all 21 skills →

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Configuration

Basic setup (local)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Bright Data": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@brightdata/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "API_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Advanced configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Bright Data": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@brightdata/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "API_TOKEN": "your-token-here",
        "RATE_LIMIT": "100/1h",
        "SERP_ZONE": "custom_serp",
        "BROWSER_ZONE": "custom_browser"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment variables

Variable	Description	Default	Example
API_TOKEN	Your Bright Data API token (required)	-	your-token-here
RATE_LIMIT	Custom rate limiting	unlimited	100/1h, 50/30m
SERP_ZONE	Custom SERP API zone name, used by the search tools	mcp_serp	my_serp_zone
BROWSER_ZONE	Custom Browser zone name	mcp_browser	my_browser_zone
CONTENT_GATE	When page content returned by a data tool looks like instructions to change the MCP configuration, the server asks the user (via MCP elicitation) before returning it. Set to off to disable	on	off
CONTENT_GATE_TIMEOUT	Seconds to wait for the user's answer before withholding the content	120	60, 300
BROWSER_FILTERED_SNAPSHOT	scraping_browser_snapshot always lists only buttons, links and fields. Saves tokens, and stops page text posing as a clickable element (for sensitive tasks). If necessary, Page text can then be read with scraping_browser_get_text	off	on
BASE_TIMEOUT	Request timeout for base tools in seconds (search and scrape)	No limit	60, 120
BASE_MAX_RETRIES	Max retries for base tools on transient errors (0-3)	0	1, 3
GROUPS	Comma-separated tool group IDs. Limits the server to these groups	All tools	scrapers,browser
TOOLS	Comma-separated individual tool names. Limits the server to these tools	All tools	scrape_batch,session_stats

Content gate

scrape_as_markdown, search_engine and their batch variants return whatever a web page says. If that content contains text that reads like instructions to change your MCP configuration — register a server, run an npx -y package, edit the MCP config file — the server pauses and asks you, through your MCP client, before returning it. Approve and the content is returned unchanged; decline and it is withheld with a short explanation to the assistant. Pages that do not contain such text are returned exactly as before, with no prompt. For a batch call, only the matching items are withheld.

Pages that are about MCP configuration (documentation, READMEs) will naturally prompt. Clients that do not support MCP elicitation get the matching content withheld; set CONTENT_GATE=off if you accept the risk. While the server waits for your answer it reports progress; clients that do not extend their tool timeout on progress will cap the wait at their own limit — CONTENT_GATE_TIMEOUT is the knob on the server side. Browser tools are not covered.

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Documentation

Resource	Link
API documentation	docs.brightdata.com/ai/mcp-server/overview
Full tools reference	docs.brightdata.com/ai/mcp-server/tools
Agent skills	github.com/brightdata/skills
Usage examples	examples
Changelog	CHANGELOG.md

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Troubleshooting

"spawn npx ENOENT" error

Install Node.js, or use the full path to node:

"command": "/usr/local/bin/node"  // macOS/Linux
"command": "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe"  // Windows

Timeouts on complex sites

Increase the timeout in your client settings to 180s.

Authentication issues

Verify your API token is valid and has the required permissions. Tokens are managed in account settings.

run_scraper returns errors or no data

Records with an error field explain inputs that failed. Compare your input with sample_input from get_scraper_details (e.g., Amazon product URLs contain /dp/, Walmart ones /ip/) and check the page is publicly accessible. scrape_as_markdown works on the same URL as a fallback.

Remote server connection fails

Check your internet connection and firewall settings.

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Contributing

• Report bugs
• Suggest features
• Submit PRs

Please follow Bright Data's coding standards.

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Support

Channel	Link
GitHub issues	github.com/brightdata-com/brightdata-mcp/issues
Documentation	docs.brightdata.com/ai/mcp-server/overview
Email	[email protected]

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License

MIT © Bright Data Ltd.