Setting Up Apify MCP Integration

This guide walks you through configuring the Apify MCP server to access Tomba.io tools in VS Code and other MCP-compatible environments.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Apify Account: Sign up at apify.com if you don't have an account
• Apify API Token: Generate your API token from the Apify Console
• VS Code: Install Visual Studio Code or another MCP-compatible client
• MCP Extension: Install the appropriate MCP extension for your environment

VS Code Configuration

1. Install Required Extensions

First, install the Model Context Protocol extension in VS Code:

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for "Model Context Protocol" or "MCP"
4. Install the official MCP extension

2. Configure MCP Settings

Add the following configuration to your VS Code settings or MCP configuration file:

Code
 
{
    "inputs": [
        {
            "type": "promptString",
            "id": "apify-token",
            "description": "Apify API token",
            "password": true
        }
    ],
    "servers": {
        "apify": {
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,tomba-io/email-enrichment,tomba-io/technology-finder,tomba-io/email-finder,tomba-io/phone-validator,tomba-io/email-verifier,tomba-io/domain-search,tomba-io/linkedin-finder,tomba-io/email-count,tomba-io/clearbit-combined,tomba-io/clearbit-person,tomba-io/author-finder,tomba-io/phone-finder,tomba-io/similar-finder,tomba-io/clearbit-company",
            "headers": {
                "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:apify-token}"
            }
        }
    }
}

3. Get Your Apify API Token

1. Log in to your Apify Console
2. Navigate to Settings → Integrations
3. Find the API tokens section
4. Click Create new token
5. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "MCP Integration")
6. Copy the generated token

4. Configure Authentication

When prompted by VS Code:

1. Enter your Apify API token when the apify-token input prompt appears
2. The token will be securely stored and used for authentication
3. Verify the connection by testing one of the available tools

Alternative Configurations

Claude Desktop App

For Claude Desktop app integration:

Code
 
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify-tomba": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "@modelcontextprotocol/server-web",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,tomba-io/email-enrichment,tomba-io/technology-finder,tomba-io/email-finder,tomba-io/phone-validator,tomba-io/email-verifier,tomba-io/domain-search,tomba-io/linkedin-finder,tomba-io/email-count,tomba-io/clearbit-combined,tomba-io/clearbit-person,tomba-io/author-finder,tomba-io/phone-finder,tomba-io/similar-finder,tomba-io/clearbit-company"
            ],
            "env": {
                "APIFY_TOKEN": "your-apify-token-here"
            }
        }
    }
}

Other MCP Clients

For other MCP-compatible clients, use the server URL directly:

Code
 
https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,tomba-io/email-enrichment,tomba-io/technology-finder,tomba-io/email-finder,tomba-io/phone-validator,tomba-io/email-verifier,tomba-io/domain-search,tomba-io/linkedin-finder,tomba-io/email-count,tomba-io/clearbit-combined,tomba-io/clearbit-person,tomba-io/author-finder,tomba-io/phone-finder,tomba-io/similar-finder,tomba-io/clearbit-company

With authentication header:

Code
 
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN

Usage Examples

Example 1: Journalist Contact Research

Find contact information for journalists who wrote specific articles:

Code
 
I need to find contact information for journalists who wrote the following articles:

- https://techcrunch.com/article-1
- https://wired.com/article-2
- https://forbes.com/article-3

Please:
1. Use the tomba-io/author-finder tool for each article URL
2. For each author found, use the tomba-io/email-verifier tool to verify their email
3. Try to find phone numbers using the tomba-io/phone-finder tool
4. Create a summary table with:
   - Article URL
   - Author name
   - Email address
   - Phone number (if found)
   - Verification status
5. Provide any additional insights about the journalists

Example 2: Lead Generation for Tech Companies

Research and enrich leads in the technology sector:

Code
 
I need to research potential leads for our B2B software company. Please help me:

1. Use tomba-io/domain-search to find all emails at these competitor domains:
   - salesforce.com
   - hubspot.com
   - pipedrive.com

2. For the decision-makers found, use tomba-io/email-enrichment to get detailed profiles

3. Use tomba-io/technology-finder to analyze what technologies these companies use

4. Use tomba-io/similar-finder to discover other companies similar to these

5. Compile a comprehensive lead list with:
   - Company name
   - Contact person
   - Verified email
   - Job title
   - Company technologies
   - Similar companies to target

Example 3: Content Creator Outreach

Find and verify influencer contact information:

Code
 
I'm planning an influencer marketing campaign. Help me find contact information for content creators:

1. Use tomba-io/linkedin-finder with these LinkedIn profiles:
   - linkedin.com/in/techinfluencer1
   - linkedin.com/in/marketer2
   - linkedin.com/in/entrepreneur3

2. For each contact found:
   - Verify emails with tomba-io/email-verifier
   - Find phone numbers with tomba-io/phone-finder
   - Enrich profiles with tomba-io/clearbit-person

3. Create an outreach list with:
   - Name and social media handle
   - Verified contact information
   - Professional background
   - Engagement strategy recommendations

Example 4: Market Research Analysis

Comprehensive company and contact analysis:

Code
 
I need to analyze our target market. Please help with:

1. Use tomba-io/domain-search to map out key contacts at these target companies:
   - company1.com
   - company2.com
   - company3.com

2. Use tomba-io/technology-finder to understand their tech stack

3. Use tomba-io/clearbit-company to get detailed company information

4. Use tomba-io/similar-finder to identify other companies in this space

5. Generate a market analysis report including:
   - Company profiles and contact hierarchies
   - Technology adoption patterns
   - Market size and opportunity assessment
   - Recommended entry strategies

Example 5: Email List Validation

Clean and enrich existing contact databases:

Code
 
I have a list of email addresses that need validation and enrichment:

email1@company.com
email2@startup.io
email3@enterprise.org

Please:
1. Use tomba-io/email-verifier to check deliverability of each email
2. Use tomba-io/email-enrichment to add detailed contact information
3. For any invalid emails, use tomba-io/email-finder to find alternative contacts at those companies
4. Create a cleaned and enriched contact list with validation status

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Authentication Errors

• Verify your Apify API token is correct and has proper permissions
• Check that the token hasn't expired
• Ensure the Authorization header is properly formatted

Connection Issues

• Confirm your internet connection is stable
• Verify the MCP server URL is correct
• Check if your firewall is blocking the connection

Tool Not Found Errors

• Ensure you're using the correct tool names (e.g., tomba-io/email-finder)
• Verify the tool is included in your server URL configuration
• Check the Apify platform for tool availability

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the Apify documentation
2. Apify MCP Apify MCP
3. Review the MCP specification
4. Contact Apify support for server-related issues
5. Reach out to Tomba.io support for tool-specific questions

Security Best Practices

• Never hardcode API tokens in configuration files
• Use environment variables or secure input prompts for tokens
• Regularly rotate your API tokens
• Monitor usage through the Apify Console
• Restrict token permissions to only necessary scopes
• Keep your MCP client updated to the latest version

Next Steps

• Explore the complete list of available tools →
• Learn about tool capabilities and parameters →
• See advanced usage patterns and workflows →