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Troubleshooting & Q&A
Remote (HTTP)
The server only answers at https://mcp.apifreaks.com/mcp. The bare domain, or a path like /sse, returns "not found".
The server doesn't accept SSE. If your client asks for a transport, pick Streamable HTTP, sometimes shown as http.
MCP clients pass the key as Authorization: Bearer your_apikey_here. The X-apiKey header you may use with our REST API is rejected here.
Resetting your API key signs out every OAuth connection made with the old key. Sign in again, or put the new key in your header.
Local (stdio)
Check with node -v. The server starts through npx, so older Node versions fail before any tool loads.
When you add a module, paste the full list again, not just the new name. If the list is empty, you'll only see list_modules.
Claude Desktop, Cursor and most other clients read MCP config only at startup. Closing the window isn't enough.
| Problem | Applies to | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude can't connect, or the sign-in page doesn't open | Remote | The URL is wrong, or on a Team or Enterprise plan an owner hasn't added the connector | Check the URL ends in /mcp. Remove the connector and add it again. On Team and Enterprise, ask an owner to add it. |
| The sign-in page says "That API key isn't valid." | Remote | The key was copied with extra characters, or it was reset | Copy the key again from your dashboard. If you reset it, use the new one. |
| Authentication error on every call | Remote | The sign-in expired, the header is missing or wrong, or the key was reset | With OAuth, sign in again. With your API key, check the header reads Authorization: Bearer your_apikey_here and restart. |
| Your client asks you to sign in again | Remote | You reset your API key, or the sign-in expired after a long break | Sign in again with your current key. |
| A tool you need isn't listed | Remote | PDF, scraper, email and phone validation, and timezone tools are on the local server only | Add the local server alongside the remote one. |
Only list_modules shows up | Local | ENABLE_MODULES is missing or empty | Call list_modules, then set a full comma-separated list and restart the client. |
| Authentication error on every call | Local | APIFREAKS_API_KEY is missing, wrong or inactive | Copy the key again from your dashboard, update the config, and restart the client. |
command not found, or the server won't start | Local | Node.js is missing or too old | Install Node.js 20 or higher and check it with node -v. |
| Rate limit reached (429) | Both | Too many requests in a short time | Slow the requests down or move to a plan with a higher limit. |
| Credit limit reached | Both | Your plan's credits are used up | Add credits or upgrade from your billing page. |
Check the URL is exactly https://mcp.apifreaks.com/mcp. Remove the connector, add it again, and click Connect. On a Team or Enterprise plan, only an owner can add a custom connector.
Quit the app completely, not just the window, then open it again. Check the JSON for a missing comma.
Run claude mcp list to confirm it's registered, then start a fresh session. A server added without --scope user only works in the project folder you added it from.
Switch from Chat mode to Agent mode.
Run Chat: Open Customizations, open MCP Servers, and start apifreaks. If your entry is still in .vscode/mcp.json, move it to ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json. VS Code is phasing out the old file format.
Check the entry is in ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json, then open the MCP panel in Cascade and press refresh.
Codex reads your key from APIFREAKS_API_KEY when it starts. Make sure the variable is set in the shell you start Codex from, then open a new session.
Check your entry has "type": "streamableHttp". Without it, Cline tries an older connection type that this server doesn't use.
MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect to outside tools and data. The APIFreaks MCP server uses it to give your assistant access to our APIs.
Use the remote server if you want nothing to install, or if you use Claude on the web, where local servers can't run. Every tool is ready as soon as you connect. Use the local server if you'd rather run it on your own machine, or want to work with files on your computer, like PDFs. Both use the same API key, and you can run both at once.
Yes, for both servers. Create one free from your dashboard. On the remote server, you either sign in with it through OAuth or add it to your client config as a header. On the local server, you pass it as APIFREAKS_API_KEY.
Both MCP servers are free. The data they fetch spends credits from your APIFreaks plan, the same as any API call you would make yourself, so cost depends on your usage. See APIFreaks pricing for plan details.
The API is for code you write. The MCP server lets your assistant make those same calls for you, from a plain-language request, with no integration to build. Same data, no code.
No. Describe what you want and the assistant picks the right tool, runs it, and answers.
Only the local server uses it. The local server covers many APIs, and listing all of them at once would fill your client's context window, so you opt in to the modules you need. The remote server doesn't need it. It groups each product into a single tool, so the full set stays small.
On the remote server with OAuth, you paste your key once on an APIFreaks sign-in page, and your client gets a sign-in token, not your key. If you add the key as a header instead, it sits in your client config and is sent over HTTPS to mcp.apifreaks.com.
On the local server, the server runs on your machine and your key stays in your own client config. Requests go straight from your machine to the APIFreaks API, with nothing routed through a third party.
Any MCP-compatible client, including Claude, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, Windsurf, Cline and OpenCode. Claude on the web works with the remote server only. See the installation guide for each client's steps.
Yes. Add each one under its own name, such as apifreaks for the remote server and apifreaks-local for the local one. To keep your tool list short, turn on only the local modules the remote server doesn't have, for example ENABLE_MODULES=pdf,scraper,email-validation.
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Once it's connected, browse the tools and start asking questions.