webclaw
Local-first Rust tool for web extraction: scrape, crawl and structured data for LLMs, with a CLI, REST API and MCP server
Medium risk
We rate an entry medium when the tool runs code, makes network calls or reads project files. Check what exactly it does before installing.
Why this level
- Fetches content from the network
- Runs code on the local machine
Install
Manual install
{
"mcpServers": {
"webclaw": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@webclaw/mcp"]
}
}
}MCP hookup with no source build.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
webclaw pulls page content and turns it into markdown or structured data for language models. It runs locally in Rust, so requests do not go through a third-party service. There are three ways to use it: a terminal command, a REST API and an MCP server for agents. The MCP mode connects via npx with no source build, and create-webclaw detects installed AI tools and writes their configs for you.
Who it is for. For developers and analysts who need local web content collection for agents and pipelines.
Good fit when
- You need page content as markdown for an agent
- You need local scraping without an external service
- You want to add web extraction to an MCP client
Not a fit when
- You want a managed cloud scraping service with support
- Target sites require bypassing anti-bot protection
Example request
Scrape these competitor pages into markdown and compare the pricesLimitations
Building from source needs Rust and system libraries, and a first build takes several minutes. The prebuilt ZIP and the npx launcher are the easiest path. The AGPL-3.0 license imposes conditions on derived products.
How to disable. Remove the webclaw entry from your MCP config, and remove the installed CLI the way you installed it (brew, cargo or deleting the ZIP).
Security check
- Fetches content from the network
- Runs code on the local machine
README in short
The README describes a fast local Rust tool for web content extraction for LLMs. Install via npx create-webclaw, brew, a prebuilt ZIP, cargo or Docker. It returns markdown and structured data and works as a CLI, REST API and MCP server. For a zero-install agent hookup you point your MCP config at the @webclaw/mcp npx launcher. AGPL-3.0 licensed.
FAQ
Do I need Rust for the MCP mode?
No, the MCP server runs via npx with no build. Rust is only needed to build the CLI from source.
Does data leave to a third-party server?
No, extraction runs locally on your machine.
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