mcporter

Expose a curated set of upstream free MCP servers to the runtime AI through the mcporter router, so autosearch's Chinese UGC / web-search surface area extends beyond the paid TikHub fallback without introducing per-provider Python wrappers.

Architecture (why there is no Python file in this skill)

This skill is documentation-only. The runtime AI invokes MCP tools directly through its MCP client — autosearch does not wrap them. The skill exists so the runtime AI knows:

1. Which free MCP servers are available through mcporter.
2. How to install and configure them.
3. Where each one fits in autosearch's channel / fetch decision chain.

Install

Register with your MCP client. For Claude Code, prefer claude mcp add (writes to ~/.claude.json); for project-scoped config use <project>/.mcp.json. Cursor reads ~/.cursor/mcp.json; Zed reads <project>/.zed/mcp.json. Schema for any of them:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcporter": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mcporter/mcp-router"]
    }
  }
}

On first run, npx downloads @mcporter/mcp-router. Individual upstream servers (Exa, Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, LinkedIn) are registered through mcporter's own config file — see upstream docs. No API keys required for the free providers listed below; some (Douyin / LinkedIn) require the user to ship a browser cookie once.

Servers Routed (free, no API key)

| Upstream MCP | What it returns | Autosearch equivalent | Relationship | |---|---|---|---| | Exa web search | Semantic web results, supports site:-style filtering | search-exa (paid) / search-ddgs (keyword) | Use when you want semantic relevance without paying for Exa — lighter, free tier. | | Weibo MCP | Hot search, timeline, topic, user posts, comments | search-weibo (free native + TikHub fallback) | Free path when autosearch native Weibo is rate-limited or TikHub key is absent. | | Douyin MCP | Video metadata, no-watermark URL, search | search-douyin (TikHub paid) | Free alternative to TikHub for Douyin; requires browser cookie. | | Xiaohongshu MCP | Note search, read, comment, post | search-xiaohongshu (TikHub paid) | Free alternative to TikHub for XHS; requires browser cookie and login. | | LinkedIn MCP | Profile detail, company page, job search | search-linkedin (paid) | Free alternative; requires browser session. |

Decision Chain (how the runtime AI should choose)

For Chinese UGC platforms (Weibo / Douyin / Xiaohongshu):

1. Try autosearch native channel skill (search-weibo, search-douyin, search-xiaohongshu) — cheapest, no setup.
2. If rate-limited or content blocked: try the corresponding free mcporter-routed MCP (this skill).
3. If free MCP fails (quota, cookie expired, upstream flaky): reach for TikHub paid fallback via the channel skill.
4. If TikHub is unavailable and content cannot be had: report failure to the user.

For generic web search:

1. search-ddgs (free, no key, simple keyword).
2. mcporter-routed Exa (free semantic tier, via this skill).
3. search-exa / search-tavily (paid) if deeper semantic coverage is needed.

When to Use

• User does not have a TikHub key and needs Chinese UGC data.
• Free-tier semantic web search that outperforms raw DDGS keyword matches.
• Quick fallback when a native autosearch channel is temporarily rate-limited.

When NOT to Use

• Mission-critical content with hard deadlines — free community MCPs can go flaky; pay for TikHub.
• Platform-specific deep extraction that the free MCP does not expose (only TikHub covers the full API).
• If the upstream mcporter is not installed or the MCP client is not configured.

Limits

• Free MCPs are community-maintained and can regress without notice. Autosearch does not pin versions.
• Cookie-based providers (Douyin / Xiaohongshu / LinkedIn) need one-time browser-session export from the user.
• mcporter runs as a subprocess under the MCP client; resources (Node.js, memory) scale with how many upstream servers the user registers.
• Language and regional restrictions of each upstream MCP still apply.

Downgrade / Upgrade Chain

• Below: native autosearch channel skills (cheapest, no setup).
• Above: TikHub paid fallback via the channel skills (reliable, broader API).

This tool does not produce a summary. The runtime AI reads the MCP results directly; autosearch only provides the routing catalog in this SKILL.md.

Quality Bar

• Evidence items have non-empty title and url.
• No crash on empty or malformed API response.
• Source channel field matches the channel name.