Web scraping in Codex

Set it up

Three steps give Codex the tools, the know-how to write Spicrawl code, and rules for using both. Or do all three with spicrawl init --client codex.

1. Set your API key:

   bash

   export SPICRAWL_API_KEY=spicrawl_live_...   # add to your shell profile

2. Add the MCP server. Codex reads the key from SPICRAWL_API_KEY each time it connects, so the key never lands in a file:

   bash

   codex mcp add spicrawl --url https://mcp.spicrawl.com/mcp --bearer-token-env-var SPICRAWL_API_KEY

   This writes the same thing as this config:

   ~/.codex/config.toml

   [mcp_servers.spicrawl]
   url = "https://mcp.spicrawl.com/mcp"
   bearer_token_env_var = "SPICRAWL_API_KEY"

   For one project only, put the table in .codex/config.toml. Codex reads it only in trusted projects.

3. Install the skill:

   bash

   mkdir -p .agents/skills/spicrawl
   curl -fsSL https://app.spicrawl.com/skill.md -o .agents/skills/spicrawl/SKILL.md

4. Paste this section into AGENTS.md at the project root:

   AGENTS.md

   ## Web data (Spicrawl)
   
   Use Spicrawl to read web pages: the spicrawl_* MCP tools, the `spicrawl` CLI, or
   POST https://api.spicrawl.com/v1/scrape with `Authorization: Bearer $SPICRAWL_API_KEY` in code.
   Docs: https://docs.spicrawl.com/llms.txt (append .md to any page URL for Markdown).
   
   - Ask for markdown: `response_format: "markdown"` (API default is html); on spicrawl_scrape, `format: "markdown"`.
   - Check the site's status, not only the HTTP status: `X-Target-Status` header, or `status`
     in the JSON envelope (spicrawl_scrape with `format: "json"`). 200 is the page; 404/410
     mean it does not exist; 403/429/503 mean the site refused, so escalate.
   - On an error, switch on `code`. Retry only when `retryable` is true, after
     `retry_after_seconds`. Read `diagnostics.hint` and change what it names first.
     Never retry ERR::REQUEST::*, ERR::AUTH::* or ERR::LIMIT::QUOTA_EXCEEDED.
   - Escalate one step at a time and stop at the first that works:
     plain fetch (1 credit) -> `js_render: true` (3) -> add the user's own `proxy`
     if they have one. Empty or skeleton content means render; ERR::UPSTREAM::CHALLENGE
     or a 403 target status means retry once, then the user's own proxy.
   - Set `max_cost` on every request to the price of the step you intend.
   - Keep the cache on (default). Set `cache: false` only for prices, stock or other live data.
   - Trim tokens with `main_content_only` (on by default for markdown), `include_tags`, `exclude_tags`.
   - For more than 20 URLs, use a batch job (spicrawl_batch_submit / POST /v1/batch).
     Batch items return html, markdown or text (spicrawl_batch_submit defaults to markdown,
     POST /v1/batch to html). Extraction, screenshots, actions and sessions are refused
     with a 400 before anything is charged: scrape those URLs one by one.
   - With the CLI, read stdout as JSON and branch on the exit code: 3 auth, 4 bad request,
     5 limit, 6 site refused or failed, 7 proxy, 8 engine or extraction, 10 network.
   - Never print or commit SPICRAWL_API_KEY. Log `X-Request-Id` for failures.

5. Check it with codex mcp list, or /mcp in a session. You should see 25 spicrawl_* tools.

Or use the CLI

Codex works in a shell, so the spicrawl CLI works with no config at all. It prints JSON when piped and exits with a stable code:

spicrawl scrape https://example.com/pricing --format markdown --max-cost 3 | jq -r .content

In Codex cloud, do not count on the MCP server. Use the CLI or plain HTTP. Set SPICRAWL_API_KEY as an environment variable, not a secret, and allow api.spicrawl.com in the agent’s internet access.

A first task to try

Start codex in the project and ask:

Use Spicrawl to read https://example.com/pricing as markdown. List each plan with its monthly price.
If the page comes back empty, retry with rendering.

What it can do

The server gives the agent 25 spicrawl_* tools. Each call runs under your API key, with the same limits and credits as a direct API call.

• Read one page: spicrawl_scrape returns Markdown (the default), text, HTML, JSON or PDF.
• Read many pages: spicrawl_batch_submit queues up to 10,000 URLs. Follow it with spicrawl_batch_status and spicrawl_batch_results.
• Pages behind a login: spicrawl_session_create keeps cookies and storage across calls.
• Debug a failure: spicrawl_requests_list and spicrawl_request_get.
• Check usage: spicrawl_usage_summary and the other usage tools. These need a key with the read scope.
• Look things up: spicrawl_docs_search and spicrawl_docs_read search and read the Spicrawl docs.

One tool, spicrawl_browser_connect_url, is listed but coming soon. On spicrawl_scrape, the rendering argument is render, not the API’s js_render.

Good to know

• No crawling. Spicrawl does not follow links or find pages. Give the agent the URLs.
• Credits per request. A plain fetch is 1 credit. JavaScript rendering is 3. Full-browser rendering is 8.
• Failures are free. A failed request costs 0 credits.
• The cache saves time, not credits. A cache hit costs the same as the fetch that stored it.
• Cap each call. Set max_cost, and a request that could cost more is refused before it runs.
• Coming soon: managed proxies, stealth mode, a remote browser and AI extraction from a plain-language prompt. Today you can bring your own proxy.