Skimlet

Skimlet provides a local Model Context Protocol (MCP) server and HTTP search API for agents doing research. It reads search engine results pages (SERPs) and extracts page content in batches using your Chrome profile. Google is the first supported source; Brave, Bing, and Reddit are planned.

Search and extraction times depend on the sites, browser, and network. Google may rate-limit requests, so a batch can contain failed searches.

Requires Node.js 22+ and Chrome 125+.

Architecture

Related MCP server: Google Search MCP Server

Setup

Choose one way to start the MCP server. Both use the separate Chrome extension described below.

Local checkout

npm ci
npm run check
npm test
npm run build

For MCP clients that use mcpServers JSON, provide an absolute path to your checkout:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skimlet": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/skimlet-final/packages/skimlet/dist/mcp/mcp.js"]
    }
  }
}

Published npm package

Run the published package with npx. No global install is required:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skimlet": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@bhoomabrsr/skimlet"]
    }
  }
}

The batch tools and HTTP API require version 0.3.0 or newer. Version 0.2.1 has the older MCP search tool. If 0.3.0 is not published yet, build this checkout.

Chrome extension

Install Skimlet from the Chrome Web Store in the Chrome profile you want to use. If you lack Store access, clone this repository, run npm ci && npm run build:extension, and load packages/extension/dist/ through Load unpacked in chrome://extensions. The relay accepts both extension IDs.

Start an MCP client, then select the Skimlet icon on a web page to attach that tab. Select it again to detach. The relay stays online when an MCP client exits. If the relay restarts, select the icon to reconnect. Skimlet closes the tabs it creates when each search finishes or is cancelled.

MCP batch tools

The MCP server exposes the batch API as three tools. batch_search submits queries without waiting for the searches to finish:

{
  "queries": ["TypeScript Playwright"],
  "includeContent": true,
  "format": "markdown",
  "maxContentBytes": 20000
}

Content extraction is off by default. The submission returns an id and accessToken. Pass both to batch_search_status; use the skip value from its next URL to read subsequent results. Pass the same credentials to batch_search_cancel to cancel a batch. The MCP server sends the bearer token in the API request header; it does not put the token in the URL.

Local search API

The built relay also serves the search API on 127.0.0.1:19989. This source checkout builds the API into the relay.

Single searches return Google listings without opening linked pages. A batch accepts up to 50 queries and returns a polling URL and bearer token without waiting for the searches to finish. Only batches support includeContent, which opens linked pages asynchronously. Jobs and results are stored in SQLite. The Workmatic worker resumes queued searches after a relay restart. The only supported provider is SKIMLET_BROWSER_PROVIDER=extension.

Scope and security

The extension requests activeTab, debugger, and tabGroups. It has no all-URL host permissions, content scripts, toolbar injection, or credential storage. The relay listens on loopback and checks the extension's Origin header against the Store ID and the unpacked build's manifest-derived ID. Loopback is not an authentication boundary: processes run by other users on this machine can also reach the relay. Non-browser clients can supply an Origin header. Use Skimlet on a trusted machine with trusted MCP clients. Browser requests can include your profile cookies, and clients receive extracted page content.

Skimlet owns its extension, relay, and browser connector. The version field at /version reports the package version. The API uses Playwright Core for searches. The relay also keeps a compatible Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) command interface for browser interactions.

A real browser can help with some bot checks, but it cannot guarantee that you will avoid CAPTCHAs.

Acknowledgements

Skimlet builds on the work of Playwriter and its maintainer, Tommaso De Rossi. Playwriter's extension and CDP design helped shape Skimlet's protocol. The current search flow has no Playwriter runtime dependency.