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mcp_canadiantire

by sstepanovvl
README.md
# mcp-canadiantire

[![License: PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-PolyForm--Noncommercial--1.0.0-blue.svg)](./LICENSE.md)
[![Node](https://img.shields.io/badge/node-%3E%3D18-brightgreen.svg)](https://nodejs.org)
[![MCP](https://img.shields.io/badge/Model%20Context%20Protocol-server-orange.svg)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)

A [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) server for **Canadian Tire**
(canadiantire.ca). It exposes the store's catalogue — product search, product detail,
store-level stock and a store finder — to MCP clients such as Claude and Cursor.

> **Unofficial.** This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by
> Canadian Tire Corporation. It reads publicly available endpoints of canadiantire.ca
> for personal, noncommercial use. Respect Canadian Tire's terms of service and use
> responsibly.

## Tools

| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `ct_search` | Product search / listings by keyword. Returns products (SKU, name, brand, model, price + sale price, rating, in-store & online stock, URL, image), total count, facets and sort options. Follows category redirects automatically. |
| `ct_product` | Full product card by SKU: name, brand, model, description, features, images, rating/reviews, warranty, categories, specifications, and per-variant price + in-store stock with shelf/aisle location, online stock and fulfillment options. |
| `ct_store_availability` | In-store stock of a SKU across nearby stores, sorted in-stock first then nearest. Per store: name, address, phone, coordinates, distance, stock quantity, shelf/aisle location, pickup availability. Plus online stock. |
| `ct_stores` | Find stores nearest to a postal code or coordinates (distance-sorted with `distanceKm`). Per store: id, name, address, town, province, postal code, phone, coordinates, URL, services, fulfillment eligibility. |

### `ct_search`

| Param | Type | Default | Notes |
|-------|------|---------|-------|
| `query` | string | — | Search keyword (required). |
| `store` | string | `676` | Store id for store-specific stock/pricing. |
| `lang` | `en` \| `fr` | `en` | Response language. |
| `sort` | `relevance` \| `price-asc` \| `price-desc` \| `newest` \| `rating` \| `bestseller` | `relevance` | Sort order. |
| `page` | int | `1` | 1-indexed page. |
| `pageSize` | int (1–100) | `24` | Results per page. |

### `ct_product`

| Param | Type | Default | Notes |
|-------|------|---------|-------|
| `sku` | string | — | Product code (required), e.g. `0542448P` or `054-2448-6`. |
| `postalCode` | string | — | Postal code, e.g. `M5V 2T6`; uses the nearest store (overrides `storeId`). |
| `storeId` | string | `676` | Store id for store-specific price/stock/shelf. Override default with `CT_DEFAULT_STORE`. |
| `lang` | `en` \| `fr` | `en` | Response language. |

### `ct_store_availability`

| Param | Type | Default | Notes |
|-------|------|---------|-------|
| `sku` | string | — | Product code (required). |
| `postalCode` | string | — | Postal code; nearby stores are taken around it (overrides `storeId`). |
| `storeId` | string | `676` | Reference store; nearby stores are taken around it. |
| `lang` | `en` \| `fr` | `en` | Response language. |
| `limit` | int (1–25) | `10` | Max number of stores to check. |

> **Default store:** product/availability tools default to store `676` (Edmonton Windermere, AB).
> Set `CT_DEFAULT_STORE`, or pass `storeId` / `postalCode`, to use your local store.
> Use `ct_stores` with a postal code to find the right store id.

### `ct_stores`

| Param | Type | Default | Notes |
|-------|------|---------|-------|
| `postalCode` | string | — | Canadian postal code, e.g. `M5V 2T6`. Geocoded, then distance-sorted. |
| `latitude` / `longitude` | number | — | Alternative to `postalCode` for proximity. |
| `lang` | `en` \| `fr` | `en` | Response language. |
| `limit` | int (1–50) | `20` | Max stores to return. |

> The store API geosorts by coordinates only (no postal-code search), so a postal code is
> first geocoded via `api.zippopotam.us` (free, no key). `distanceKm` is returned by Canadian Tire.

## How it talks to Canadian Tire

`canadiantire.ca/api/*` is gated by an **Azure API Management subscription key** — the
`ocp-apim-subscription-key` header. With that key, requests succeed over a plain Node
`fetch`: no cookies, no Akamai `_abck`, and no TLS (JA3) fingerprinting to work around
(unlike some other retailers). So this server talks to the API directly with `fetch` —
no `curl` subprocess required.

The key is a public client key embedded in the site's JavaScript. If Canadian Tire rotates
it (calls start returning `401`), set a new one via the `CT_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY` env var —
re-scrape it from the `ocp-apim-subscription-key` request header of any search XHR on
canadiantire.ca.

## Build & run

```bash
npm install
npm run build
npm start          # runs the MCP server on stdio
```

Quick smoke test of the search layer:

```bash
node --input-type=module -e 'import {search} from "./dist/search.js"; console.log(await search({query:"drill", pageSize:3}))'
```

Inspect with the MCP Inspector:

```bash
npm run inspect
```

## Connecting a client

Add to your MCP client config (e.g. Claude Desktop `claude_desktop_config.json`),
pointing at the built entrypoint:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "canadiantire": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp_canadiantire/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "CT_DEFAULT_STORE": "676",
        "CT_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY": "<only if the bundled key stops working>"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Both env vars are **optional**:

- `CT_DEFAULT_STORE` — default store id for the product/availability tools (defaults to
  `676`, Edmonton Windermere, AB).
- `CT_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY` — overrides the bundled Azure APIM subscription key. See below.

### About the subscription key

Every `canadiantire.ca/api/*` request needs an `ocp-apim-subscription-key` header. This is
a **public client key** embedded in the site's own JavaScript — not a personal secret — and
this server ships with a working value baked in, so it works out of the box with no setup.

If Canadian Tire rotates the key (requests suddenly start returning **HTTP 401**), grab a
fresh one and pass it via `CT_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY`:

1. Open <https://www.canadiantire.ca> and run any search.
2. In the browser dev tools **Network** tab, find a request to `/api/v1/search/v2/search`.
3. Copy the value of its `ocp-apim-subscription-key` request header.
4. Set it as `CT_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY` (env var or the client config `env` block above).

## Project layout

```
src/
  index.ts    MCP server + tool registration (stdio)
  ct.ts       fetch transport for canadiantire.ca (APIM key + headers)
  search.ts   ct_search implementation + response mapping
  product.ts  ct_product + ct_store_availability (productFamily + PriceAvailability APIs)
  stores.ts   ct_stores (store finder + postal-code geocode → nearest)
```

## License

[PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0](./LICENSE.md) — free to use, modify and share
for **noncommercial** purposes. Commercial use requires a separate license from the author.

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Scored across 4 tools

Disambiguation5/5

Each tool has a clearly distinct purpose: ct_product fetches full product details for a specific SKU at a store, ct_search queries products by keyword, ct_store_availability checks stock across stores for a SKU, and ct_stores finds nearby stores. No overlap in functionality.

Naming Consistency5/5

All tool names follow a consistent 'ct_' prefix followed by a descriptive noun or noun phrase: product, search, store_availability, stores. The naming pattern is uniform and predictable.

Tool Count5/5

With 4 tools, the server is well-scoped for a retail product and store information domain. Each tool serves a necessary function without redundancy or gap, covering search, details, stock, and store localization.

Completeness5/5

The tool set provides a complete surface for typical Canadian Tire interactions: product search, full product card retrieval, store stock lookup, and store finder. No obvious missing operations like category browsing or list management, which are likely out of scope.

Maintenance

ActivityInactive
ResponsivenessNo issues