AI agents (MCP)

Agents can use every endpoint through our MCP server, over Streamable HTTP:

https://api.perceptlayer.com/mcp

It has three tools, so the agent searches the catalogue instead of loading every endpoint into its context:

Tool	What it does	Cost
`search_endpoints`	Finds endpoints for a site or kind of data, such as “airbnb listing”.	Free
`get_endpoint`	Lists one endpoint’s parameters, with an example and its credit cost.	Free
`call_endpoint`	Runs an endpoint and returns its JSON.	The endpoint’s credits

call_endpoint needs your key. Send it as Authorization: Bearer sk_live_....

Connect a client

Claude Code
Cursor
VS Code

claude mcp add --transport http perceptlayer https://api.perceptlayer.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY"

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json, or .cursor/mcp.json in a project:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perceptlayer": {
      "url": "https://api.perceptlayer.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer sk_live_..." }
    }
  }
}

Add to .vscode/mcp.json. VS Code asks for the key once and stores it:

{
  "inputs": [
    { "type": "promptString", "id": "perceptlayer-key", "description": "Perceptlayer API key", "password": true }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "perceptlayer": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.perceptlayer.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:perceptlayer-key}" }
    }
  }
}

Other clients that support remote MCP servers need the same URL and header.

Limits

Calls through MCP follow the same rules as the API: failed calls are free, rate limits apply, and restricted endpoints need the terms.
Responses longer than 100,000 characters are cut short. Use an endpoint’s paging or limit parameters for large results.
Connect from a desktop app, a command-line tool or your own server. MCP clients that run in a web browser aren’t supported yet.

Get started

Using the API

AI agents

Connect a client

Limits

​Connect a client

​Limits

Connect a client

Limits