@readfetch/mcp-x402-proxy

readfetch_probe

Read-only

Inspect a public URL for free before extracting its text: get HTTP status, content type, byte size, title, language, bot-wall detection, and a short text preview to confirm the page is fetchable.

Instructions

FREE — no payment or wallet: Free preflight on a URL: HTTP status, content type, byte size, title, language, and whether a bot wall is waiting (challenge). When the response is HTML and not a challenge page, the JSON includes preview: up to 400 characters of the text /v1/text would return (same extractor). Optional preview only — not the full article. Plain HTTP (no browser render).

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`url`	Yes	Public http(s) URL to inspect.
`timeout_s`	No	Total budget for the whole call in seconds.
`accept_language`	No	Accept-Language header, e.g. 'de-DE,de;q=0.9'. Defaults to en-US.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`url`	No
`bytes`	No
`title`	No
`billed`	No
`status`	No
`preview`	No
`language`	No
`challenge`	No
`redirected`	No
`status_code`	No
`content_type`	No
`requested_url`	No
`content_sha256`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedv0.1.13Nov 1, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "billed": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "bytes": {
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "challenge": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "content_sha256": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "content_type": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "language": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "preview": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "redirected": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "requested_url": {
+      "format": "uri",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "status": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "status_code": {
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "title": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "url": {
+      "format": "uri",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedv0.1.0Nov 1, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations only declare readOnlyHint and openWorldHint; the description adds the operational facts an agent actually needs: no payment required, plain HTTP without browser rendering (so JS-heavy pages may look different than a rendered fetch), detection of bot walls via 'challenge', and a hard 400-character cap on preview text.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The cost qualifier and tool identity are front-loaded, then the returned fields, then the preview caveat with its limit. Dense but every clause carries information an agent would otherwise have to guess.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists and annotations cover the safety profile, so the description's remaining job is scoping (free, metadata-only, no rendering, capped preview) — all of which it covers. Nothing needed to decide whether to call or to interpret the result is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100% with only three parameters, so the schema already documents url, timeout_s and accept_language thoroughly. The description adds no format or syntax detail about any parameter, so it neither compensates nor detracts — baseline 3 applies.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('free preflight on a URL') and enumerates exactly what comes back: HTTP status, content type, byte size, title, language, challenge detection. It also separates itself from content-returning siblings by noting the preview is 'not the full article' and that this is plain HTTP with no browser render.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The 'FREE — no payment or wallet' framing and 'preflight' label clearly position it as the cheap check to run before a paid/extraction call, and 'same extractor as /v1/text' implies where to go for full content. It stops short of an explicit when-to-use/when-not statement naming siblings like readfetch_text or readfetch_fetch.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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