Wick — Claude Code MCP server: what it does, how to install
A local MCP server that bypasses anti-bot defenses using Chrome's networking pipeline. It returns scraped pages as markdown straight to your AI agent.
claude mcp add wick -- npx -y wick-mcpWhat Wick does
Standard HTTP libraries in Python or Node give away their identity during the TLS handshake. Bot protection systems spot those signatures immediately. Wick takes a different path. It runs Chrome's internal Cronet and BoringSSL stack locally, keeping your residential IP while presenting a genuine browser fingerprint.
The server packages tools for single-page retrieval, site crawling, sitemap mapping, and web searches. Content arrives formatted as markdown, though raw HTML or text remains available. It can also grab video or audio streams through an integrated yt-dlp tool.
Keep the engine tiers in mind. Full JavaScript execution requires the paid Pro version with patched Chromium, so the free build relies strictly on static network responses.
What it helps with
- bypass anti-bot barriers like Cloudflare or Akamai during web scraping
- fetch clean markdown representations of web pages for agent context
- crawl websites and map URL structures automatically
- download audio and video files from supported platforms via yt-dlp
Example prompts for the agent
- Fetch
https://www.nytimes.comusing thewick_fetchtool and display it in markdown. - Crawl
https://docs.example.comwithwick_crawlup to depth 2 and summarize the articles. - Map all internal URLs on
https://example.comusingwick_mapwith a limit of 50 links.
How to install Wick
Platform CLI
claude mcp add wick -- npx -y wick-mcpPlatform CLI
codex mcp add wick -- npx -y wick-mcpConfig file
{
"mcpServers": {
"wick": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"wick-mcp"
]
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"wick": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"wick-mcp"
]
}
}
}Platform CLI
gemini mcp add wick npx -y wick-mcpStep by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about Wick
How to install Wick in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add wick -- npx -y wick-mcp in your terminal. This registers the server tools directly in your assistant.
What does the Wick MCP server do?
It retrieves web pages using Chrome's actual networking stack, bypassing anti-bot blockers and returning clean markdown text.
Can Wick run as a standalone local HTTP API?
Yes, start it with wick serve --api. It exposes a local REST API at http://127.0.0.1:8090 accessible via curl, Python, or external automation tools.
