feat: MCP server implementation #1

jirispilka · 2025-01-10T13:54:13Z

Future work

document LibreChat client
provide examples with superinterface.ai
add tools dynamically

- add ability to load actors in standby mode

* Update docs and update apify-client-js with fixes for Actor definition

fnesveda

Cool! Very cool usage of a Standby Actor. I had a few comments, if you want, we can discuss the Standby architecture tomorrow in the office 🙂

README.md

fnesveda · 2025-01-13T10:05:20Z

README.md

+
+The Actor runs in [**Standby mode**](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/standby) with an HTTP web server that receives and processes requests.
+
+Start server with default Actors. To use the Apify MCP Server with set of default Actors,


This is a bit problematic, Actor Standby doesn't have a concept of "starting a server". It just starts an Actor run when it receives the first requests to its Standby URL, the run will run until the idle timeout, and then it's shut down. So with this scenario this could happen:

user "starts" the Actor with specified Actors through the ?actors=... parameter

user uses the MCP server on the /sse path, everything works

user waits a bit, Actor run started in 1 gets shut down

user tries to use the MCP server again, but now it's not "started", and the specific Actors are not loaded

Or, if the user uses the MCP server a lot, an additional run is started to handle the requests, and that is not prepared with the specific Actors.

It also doesn't give the user an option how to load different Actors after the run is started.

What would work is one of these two options:

specify Actors in every request to the /sse endpoint

specify Actors in the Standby Actor input, and when users would want to use different Actors in the MCP server, they'd create an Actor task which would override the Actor input, and use the task's standby URL instead of the Actor standby URL

Ohhh 💡, this didn't occur to me. Thanks Franto!

specify Actors in every request to the /sse endpoint

This is a bit problematic as it depends on the MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop, LibreChat). These clients do not pass parameters to the SSE endpoint

specify Actors in the Standby Actor input, and when users would want to use different Actors in the MCP server, they'd create an Actor task which would override the Actor input, and use the task's standby URL instead of the Actor standby URL

This seems to be the easiest and quickest solution.

There is one more option.

The MCP server can dynamically load Actors. Basically, based on the use case, the MCP will include a tool to search for Actors and "load" them (i.e., add them as a tool). I've already experimented with this in the [feat/internal-tools]() branch. It "works", but I encountered some issues and haven’t had much time to fix them yet.

README.md

package.json

fnesveda · 2025-01-13T14:42:42Z

src/actorDefinition.ts

+        // Extract default build label
+        const tag = actor.defaultRunOptions?.build || '';
+        const buildId = actor.taggedBuilds?.[tag]?.buildId || '';


The default build is not necessarily tagged, you can specify any build number as default build.

ok, let's discuss this tomorrow

fnesveda · 2025-01-13T14:46:52Z

src/examples/clientStdio.ts

+dotenv.config({ path: '../../.env' });
+
+const SERVER_PATH = '../../dist/index.js';
+const NODE_PATH = execSync('which node').toString().trim();


Will this work on Windows?

Nope, I was too lazy. I'll fix it

Co-authored-by: František Nesveda <[email protected]>

Also limit number of Actors used to avoid rate limiting.

… is APIFY_TOKE)

jirispilka · 2025-01-15T15:46:07Z

Major changes since the last review:

The Standby Actor now starts with default Actors. To use a different set of Actors, a task must be created.
Fixed relative path for Windows.
Attempted to implement clientSse.ts to replace the need for Python but encountered issues with it.
Renamed the environment variable APIFY_API_TOKEN to APIFY_TOKEN (as used on the platform).
Limited the size of responses for a tool.

fnesveda

Cool! Two small suggestions, but nothing major.

.actor/input_schema.json

src/main.ts

Co-authored-by: František Nesveda <[email protected]>

… input.

jirispilka and others added 27 commits January 3, 2025 08:58

first version

959e421

Change logger, simplify fetching of Actor input

9b06472

Change env variable APIFY_API_TOKEN to APIFY_TOKEN

672d79e

Push data into Apify dataset

1d27199

Fix standby mode

cbc172a

Improve log messages

7dd8fb2

- rename actorNames to actors

b4d3bd9

- add ability to load actors in standby mode

Update README.md

e1984a0

Ability to initiate SSE with a selected actors

0c792d5

Update README.md, remove defaults.

65f6e41

Remove query parameters from SSE

552cedd

Update README.md

5cf7c00

Add eventsource

ff4ec05

Add example clients

f516fe2

Load 5 default Actors as a tool, to simplify onboarding

76bf0fb

Update README.md

1655d70

Add chat stdio

259e1c4

Improve error handling

8a9cad3

Update clientStdioChat.ts

405f70c

Update README.md

af4d696

Change env variable

1c92990

Clean up ts-config

19bb130

Update package.json and add github workflow from apify-eslint-config

22ac5ed

Fix lint issues in before-beta-release.js

147f7a8

Remove dead code

7e975e5

docs: Update documentation (#2)

d2bc65a

* Update docs and update apify-client-js with fixes for Actor definition

Update section title

c6128c3

jirispilka self-assigned this Jan 10, 2025

jirispilka added 2 commits January 10, 2025 22:45

Update docs

c676bc2

Update docs

7ced4a4

Update README.md

1f5c841

jirispilka requested a review from fnesveda January 13, 2025 07:52

fnesveda requested changes Jan 13, 2025

View reviewed changes

jirispilka and others added 20 commits January 13, 2025 21:37

Update README.md

a857a74

Co-authored-by: František Nesveda <[email protected]>

Update README.md

472be0c

Co-authored-by: František Nesveda <[email protected]>

Update README.md

036c6b3

Co-authored-by: František Nesveda <[email protected]>

Apply suggestions from code review

e1a0c6a

Co-authored-by: František Nesveda <[email protected]>

Update README.md

34ecf25

Co-authored-by: František Nesveda <[email protected]>

Replace APIFY-API-TOKEN by APIFY_API_TOKEN

50e3d85

Update package-lock.json

364f49d

Fix clientStdio.ts for win

1e7d6f8

Fix clientStdio.ts for win

5233088

Update mcp typescript sdk to the newest version.

5c9d89d

Fix clientStdio.ts

57af156

Add roadmap to README.md

0aae5c6

Start Standby server with Actors provided at input

c8b2da4

Truncate tool output and limit tool response.

e12cf8e

Also limit number of Actors used to avoid rate limiting.

Limit number of default Actors

2d474ce

Rename APIFY_API_TOKEN to APIFY_TOKEN (env variable at Apify platform…

ca69a88

… is APIFY_TOKE)

Minor changes, add clientSse.ts

b84651e

Update README.md with task changes.

479e9be

Add explanation to Actor definition

f39dfc5

Fix lint issues

d6e03fc

jirispilka requested a review from fnesveda January 15, 2025 15:46

fnesveda approved these changes Jan 16, 2025

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jirispilka and others added 2 commits January 16, 2025 11:52

Update .actor/input_schema.json

3a5be34

Co-authored-by: František Nesveda <[email protected]>

Add log message to explain users how to add Actors. Simplify handling…

fc40b59

… input.

jirispilka merged commit 5e2c9f0 into master Jan 16, 2025
2 checks passed

jirispilka deleted the feat/implementation branch January 21, 2025 14:03

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feat: MCP server implementation #1

feat: MCP server implementation #1

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jirispilka commented Jan 15, 2025

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		The Actor runs in [Standby mode](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/standby) with an HTTP web server that receives and processes requests.

		Start server with default Actors. To use the Apify MCP Server with set of default Actors,

feat: MCP server implementation #1

feat: MCP server implementation #1

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