alexanderclapp/clirank-mcp-server

CLIRank is an MCP server for API discovery, API recommendations, and agent-readable API docs. It helps Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, Cline, Continue, Windsurf, and other coding agents choose APIs with current CLIRank data instead of guessing from stale model memory or burning tokens on broad web searches.
The server connects to https://clirank.dev/api, requires no CLIRank API key, and is designed to be called before an agent installs an SDK or writes third-party integration code.
Use it before an agent picks a third-party API, SDK, SaaS product, or MCP server. Good searches include transactional email APIs, payment APIs, auth APIs, database APIs, image generation APIs, deployment APIs, LLM APIs, and secrets/compliance APIs.
What it does
- Search 420+ APIs by task or intent.
- Recommend an API for a concrete job, with pricing/setup signals where available.
- Fetch agent-friendly docs before writing integration code.
- Compare APIs side by side.
- Read existing human and agent integration reviews.
- Submit a structured review after a real integration attempt.
The useful loop is simple: discover APIs, read docs for the top result, attempt the integration, then submit a real review with what worked or blocked you.
Fastest install path
For Claude Code:
For Codex CLI:
For Cursor, Cline, Continue, Windsurf, or any stdio MCP client, use npx -y clirank-mcp-server@latest in the MCP server config. Full examples are below.
One-minute activation test
After installing, paste this into your agent:
This should make the agent call recommend, then get_api_docs. If it only says it installed the server, ask it to actually call CLIRank.
If you can call tools directly, use this as the first smoke test:
Then call get_api_docs for the returned slug. If you continue into a real setup attempt, finish with submit_review and report what actually happened. Docs-only is fine. Fake live success is not.
Other good activation prompts:
Example CLIRank output
A typical recommendation includes the API slug, score, reasoning, setup notes, pricing signals, and links back to CLIRank detail pages.
Install by agent
Claude Code
Or add to ~/.claude.json manually:
Codex CLI
Or add to ~/.codex/config.toml manually:
Cursor
Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json or via Settings -> MCP:
VS Code / Copilot-style config
For clients that use servers with an explicit transport type:
Cline / Continue / Windsurf
Use the same stdio command:
Hosted MCP endpoint
If your client supports remote or streamable HTTP MCP servers, you can connect directly without npm:
For most coding agents, the stdio npx -y clirank-mcp-server@latest install is still the most compatible path.
Agent activation rule
Add this to your project's AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, Cursor rules, or other agent instructions:
Tools
discover_apis
Search for APIs by intent. Describe what you need and get ranked matches.
Inputs:
- query required: what you need, for example send transactional emails
- min_cli_score optional: minimum CLI relevance score, 1-10
- pricing optional: free, freemium, paid, pay-per-use, transaction-based
- limit optional: max results, default 10
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