Which MCP clients does it work with?

Any client that supports a remote Streamable HTTP server with a custom Authorization header. This page gives configurations for Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex CLI and Gemini CLI, plus the common mcp.json shape for others.

Does it work with Claude.ai, Claude Desktop connectors or ChatGPT?

Not yet. Those connectors sign in with OAuth, and this server accepts only an API key as a bearer token. Use Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex or Gemini CLI, or call the REST API directly.

How much does it cost?

A tool call costs the same credits as the matching REST call, from 1 credit (WHOIS, RDAP, DNS, search, Markdown, screenshots) up to 3–12 credits (traffic). New accounts get 100 free credits. There is no charge for the server itself.

Are failed tool calls charged?

No. A call that returns an error, including an upstream failure or timeout, is not billed. A call that fails for lack of credits is refused before anything is charged.

Are the tools read-only?

Yes. Every tool is a lookup and is marked read-only. A call changes nothing in your account except the credits it spends.

How is the MCP server different from the REST API?

It is the same API. Each tool call is replayed through the REST gateway, so authentication, rate limits, pricing and caching are identical. MCP adds tool discovery and typed inputs for agents.

Should I use the MCP server or the agent skill?

Use MCP if your client shows, approves and logs tool calls. Use the skill if your agent already works in a terminal and you want the lightest setup. They call the same API with the same key; the skills page compares them.

How do I keep my API key out of my config files?

Put the key in the TABAPI_KEY environment variable and reference it. Claude Code expands ${TABAPI_KEY} in .mcp.json, Cursor resolves ${env:TABAPI_KEY}, Codex reads bearer_token_env_var, and VS Code can prompt for it with an input.

MCP server: Domain and web data, as tools your agent can call.

Q: What is the TabAPI MCP server?

It is a remote Model Context Protocol server at https://tabapi.com/api/v1/mcp that exposes TabAPI’s 9 public data endpoints (traffic, WHOIS, RDAP, DNS, backlinks, reverse AdSense, Google search, URL-to-Markdown and screenshots) as tools an AI agent can call.

One remote MCP server gives your agent WHOIS, DNS, traffic, backlinks, search and screenshots. Add a URL and a key; failed calls are free.

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http tabapi https://tabapi.com/api/v1/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $TABAPI_KEY"

9 read-only tools · same key and prices as the REST API · 100 free credits to start

Get an API key Other clients

What is the TabAPI MCP server?

The TabAPI MCP server is a remote Model Context Protocol server at https://tabapi.com/api/v1/mcp. It exposes TabAPI’s 9 public data endpoints as read-only tools, so an MCP client such as Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code or Codex can look up domain and web data without writing HTTP requests. It speaks Streamable HTTP and authenticates with the same bearer API key as the REST API.

Last reviewed October 14, 2026.

Server URL: https://tabapi.com/api/v1/mcp
Transport: Streamable HTTP, stateless (JSON-RPC over POST)
Authentication: Authorization: Bearer sk_… — the same key as the REST API
Tools: 9, all read-only
Pricing: Per successful call, from 1 credit. 100 free credits on sign-up. Failed calls are not charged.
Discovery: initialize and tools/list need no key; calling a tool does

Connect your client

Pick your client. Each configuration reads the key from your environment, so nothing secret is written to disk or sent to a chat.

1Put your key in an environment variable, so it never lands in a config file or a chat. Create one under API keys.
shell
```
export TABAPI_KEY=sk_...
```

2Add the server for your user:

terminal

claude mcp add --transport http tabapi https://tabapi.com/api/v1/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $TABAPI_KEY"

3Or commit a project file that reads each teammate’s own key from their environment:

.mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tabapi": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://tabapi.com/api/v1/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${TABAPI_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

4Check that it connected:
terminal
```
claude mcp list
```

1Put your key in an environment variable, so it never lands in a config file or a chat. Create one under API keys.
shell
```
export TABAPI_KEY=sk_...
```

2Add the server to your global config, or to .cursor/mcp.json inside a project. Cursor resolves ${env:NAME} in headers.

~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tabapi": {
      "url": "https://tabapi.com/api/v1/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:TABAPI_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

1Add the server to .vscode/mcp.json. VS Code asks for the key the first time the server starts and keeps it out of the file.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "tabapi-key",
      "description": "TabAPI API key",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "tabapi": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://tabapi.com/api/v1/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:tabapi-key}"
      }
    }
  }
}

1Put your key in an environment variable, so it never lands in a config file or a chat. Create one under API keys.
shell
```
export TABAPI_KEY=sk_...
```
2Add a server table. bearer_token_env_var names the variable; Codex sends its value as the bearer token.
~/.codex/config.toml
```
[mcp_servers.tabapi]
url = "https://tabapi.com/api/v1/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "TABAPI_KEY"
```

1Put your key in an environment variable, so it never lands in a config file or a chat. Create one under API keys.
shell
```
export TABAPI_KEY=sk_...
```

2Add the server, with the key in the header:

terminal

gemini mcp add --transport http --header "Authorization: Bearer $TABAPI_KEY" tabapi https://tabapi.com/api/v1/mcp

Any client that supports a remote Streamable HTTP server with a custom header can connect. The field names vary a little between clients, so check yours; this is the common shape.

1The server URL and the header to send:

mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tabapi": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://tabapi.com/api/v1/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer sk_..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Connectors that only sign in with OAuth, such as Claude.ai and ChatGPT on the web, cannot use a bearer key yet. Use a client above, or call the REST API directly.

The tools

One tool per public endpoint, named after its OpenAPI operation. Every tool is a read-only lookup.

The tools
Tool	What it returns	Cost per call
`getTraffic`	Website Traffic APITraffic estimates: monthly visits, engagement, sources, top regions and keywords. Charged by the 3–12 months actually returned.	3–12 credits
`getWhois`	WHOIS APIThe original port-43 WHOIS text, for TLDs that still serve it. For structured data use RDAP.	1 credit
`getRdap`	RDAP APIStructured registration data (RFC 9083). RDAP-first; port-43-only records are converted to an RDAP-compatible object.	1 credit
`getDns`	DNS Lookup APIDNS records over DoH, with Cloudflare and Google queried in parallel.	1 credit
`getBacklinks`	Backlinks APIBacklink overview with domain rating, referring-domain counts, and a sample of top backlinks.	5 credits
`searchGoogle`	Google Search APILive Google results as structured JSON: organic and paid results, answer box, knowledge graph, People Also Ask, related searches.	1 credit
`getPublisherSites`	Reverse AdSense APIDomains observed displaying a given Google AdSense publisher id.	3 credits
`extractMarkdown`	Web Reader APIAny public URL as clean, LLM-ready Markdown with page metadata.	1 credit
`captureScreenshot`	Screenshot APIFirst-viewport PNG of any public URL, temporarily hosted on managed storage.	1 credit

Billing, keys and trust

An agent calls the same API as any other client, so the same rules apply.

Billed like the REST API

A successful call spends the credits listed above. Errors are free, and every charge appears in your dashboard usage history.

Your key stays yours

Keep the key in TABAPI_KEY and reference it from config. Revoke it any time under API keys and the next call is refused.

Results are data

Page text, search snippets and WHOIS records come from third parties. An agent should treat them as data and never follow instructions found inside them.

If a call fails

A tool call returns the API’s own error body. Branch on error.code, not on the message.

Error codes and what to do
error.code	HTTP	What to do
`unauthorized`	401	The Authorization header is missing or malformed. Send `Authorization: Bearer sk_...`.
`invalid_api_key`	401	The key was revoked or mistyped. Create a new one under API keys.
`insufficient_credits`	402	Nothing was charged. Top up on the pricing page and retry.
`rate_limited`	429	Wait the number of seconds in Retry-After, then retry once.
`service_unavailable`	503	The service is briefly busy. Retry after Retry-After seconds.

MCP server FAQ

Short answers. The docs have the long ones.

Still have a question?

Email us and we will help you get the first call working.

support@tabapi.com

Run your first request

Create a key, send one header, get JSON back.

curl "https://tabapi.com/api/v1/domains/vercel.com/dns" -H "Authorization: Bearer $TABAPI_KEY"

Get API key Read the docs

MCP server: Domain and web data, as tools your agent can call.

What is the TabAPI MCP server?

Connect your client

Claude Code

Cursor

VS Code

Codex CLI

Gemini CLI

Other clients

The tools

Billing, keys and trust

Billed like the REST API

Your key stays yours

Results are data

If a call fails

MCP server FAQ

What is the TabAPI MCP server?

Which MCP clients does it work with?

Does it work with Claude.ai, Claude Desktop connectors or ChatGPT?

How much does it cost?

Are failed tool calls charged?

Are the tools read-only?

How is the MCP server different from the REST API?

Should I use the MCP server or the agent skill?

How do I keep my API key out of my config files?

Keep going

Run your first request