essentras

AI agent setup

Essentras in Claude Code

Claude Code can search 3,800+ outlets, price a basket and run free reputation checkers through Essentras, all from your terminal. The server is remote and public at https://essentras.com/api/mcp, with no account, no API key and no OAuth step. Claude Code finds and prices outlets, then gives you a checkout link to open and pay.

Quick start

  1. Add the server

    Run the command below in any terminal. It uses HTTP transport and local scope.

  2. Check it

    Run claude mcp list and look for Connected, or type /mcp in a session. Then ask for outlets, a quote or a free check.

  3. Share or widen it

    Add --scope project to write .mcp.json for your team, or --scope user for every project.

MCP configuration

Local scope, the default, stores it in ~/.claude.json for the current project.

BASH
claude mcp add --transport http essentras https://essentras.com/api/mcp

Or commit this .mcp.json at the project root.

JSON
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "essentras": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://essentras.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Example prompts

  • Search Essentras for fintech outlets under $500 with dofollow links.
  • Quote business-insider and yahoo-finance and print the checkout URL.
  • Check how ready our company is for a Google Knowledge Panel.
  • What is the lawful route to remove an old news article about me from Google?
  • My Instagram account was hacked. What is the official recovery path?

What it can do here

10 read-only tools. None takes payment.

search_outlets

Find outlets by country, topic, price, authority or link policy

get_outlet

Read 1 outlet in full

quote_placements

Price a basket and get the checkout link

list_services

List every service beyond placements, with its price

quote_service

Price 1 service and get the page where the buyer pays

check_review_removability

Is this Google review removable under a named Google rule?

check_knowledge_panel_readiness

How ready is this person or brand for a Google Knowledge Panel?

check_wikipedia_notability

Does each source count toward Wikipedia notability?

find_removal_route

What is the lawful route to remove a result about a person from Google?

check_instagram_recovery_path

What is the official recovery route for a hacked, disabled or locked Instagram account?

Common workflows

Budget search to quote

Ask for outlets by country, price cap and link policy. Claude Code calls search_outlets, then quote_placements, and prints the line items and checkout_url. Open it, review the basket and pay.

No config change

Prefer not to edit config? Ask Claude Code to use curl against https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1. GET /outlets searches, and POST /quote returns the same checkout_url.

Diagnose, then decide

Describe a case, such as a review you want removed. Claude Code passes fixed choices to the checker and reports the verdict with the rule behind it. Any service price comes after the free route.

Tips for success

  • Allow every Essentras tool with the permission rule mcp__essentras__*. All 8 only read, search or price.
  • Tool search is on by default, so only tool names load at session start.
  • Keep limit small in searches. Claude Code warns when 1 tool result passes 10,000 tokens.
  • Ask for a fresh quote if the basket changed.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to log in or pass a header?▾

No. Essentras is a remote HTTP server with no authentication, so claude mcp add needs no header and you never run the /mcp login flow. That flow is for servers that ask you to sign in, and the OAuth options in the Claude Code docs do not apply here.

Which scope should I choose?▾

Local, the default, keeps Essentras private to you in the current project. Project writes .mcp.json so your team shares it, and Claude Code asks for approval before using it. User makes Essentras available in all your projects, still private to you.

Can Claude Code buy a placement?▾

No. Its job ends at the checkout_url from quote_placements. You open the link and authorize payment on essentras.com. The card is charged when the order is placed, and the order is refunded if the placement is not published or the turnaround is missed.

Does a connector from claude.ai show up here?▾

Yes, if you log in to Claude Code with your claude.ai account. Connectors you added on claude.ai appear in /mcp with a claude.ai indicator. A server you add with claude mcp add takes precedence over a connector at the same URL.

Troubleshooting

claude mcp list shows Failed to connect

Run claude mcp get essentras. It prints an Issue line with the HTTP status or error code. Check the URL is exactly https://essentras.com/api/mcp.

MCP server has a url but no type

Add "type": "http" to the entry. Claude Code skips a url-only entry.

Error 429 or rate_limited

Essentras allows 120 MCP requests per IP per minute. Wait about 60 seconds, then ask again.

Reference

Ready to price media and services with Claude Code?

Search 3,800+ outlets, price a basket or a service, and hand the buyer the checkout. No account needed.

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