find-mcp-directories
Drive the ServiceGraph API (https://api.servicegraph.co) to find and
rank directories and registries where a builder can list an MCP server
(Model Context Protocol) via the product_directory dataset. The catalog has
1,000+ directories; ~20 are dedicated MCP registries (e.g.
registry.modelcontextprotocol.io, smithery.ai, mcp.so, glama.ai,
pulsemcp.com), each enriched with Domain Rating (dr), backlinks, and
organic traffic.
This is a "where to publish / where to get backlinks" skill, not a "who to
hire" skill. Each row is a registry you submit to, not a firm and not a
server. The payoff is a backlink from a high-authority domain (SEO) plus
discovery by agent builders browsing for servers.
Any HTTP client works (curl, fetch, requests). Examples below use curl.
Sibling skills — defer when the niche is broader
- General AI tools / AI agents / agent skills ("where to list my AI tool",
"agent-skills directories") →
find-ai-directories. (Several registries list
MCP servers and skills/tools — if the artifact is specifically an MCP
server, this skill is the right pick.)
- General SaaS / software / app launch ("Product Hunt alternatives") →
find-product-directories.
MCP server (preferred for authed calls)
If your harness has the ServiceGraph MCP server loaded (tool names contain
servicegraph), prefer those tools — credentials stay in the harness sandbox
via OAuth 2.1 + PKCE, no token in LLM context. Otherwise use the REST flow.
API surface (dataset id: product_directory)
Every endpoint requires the bearer (Authorization: Bearer vk_…).
| Endpoint | Cost | Use it for |
|---|
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/fields[?include_values=1&q=] | free | Filter-field catalog + DSL grammar. Call first per session. |
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/values/:field[?q=&limit=] | free | Enumerate values for one field. |
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/check?filter=… | free | Validate a filter. |
POST /v1/datasets/product_directory/translate-intent | free | {intent} → DSL filter + sanity count. |
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/search?filter=…&limit=&offset= | free | Brief cards (incl. dr) + per-row unlock hint + total. |
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/:apex | free | Single row brief; gated fields only if unlocked. |
POST /v1/datasets/product_directory/unlocks | 10 credits / row | {apexes:[...]} ≤100. Atomic; 30-day TTL; was_cached:true free. |
GET /v1/me/credits | free | Balance. |
Cost model. Discovery / search / brief reads are free — including the dr
ranking signal. Unlocking a row costs 10 credits, lasts 30 days, and
reveals the gated fields: editor_note (how to submit + whether the
listing gives a backlink), organic_traffic, and total_visits.
Auth
Tokens are vk_* API keys. Keep the token out of the LLM context — never
read .env* into context; route authed calls through a shell wrapper.
-
Try the call through a wrapper that sources .env.local:
( set -a; [ -f .env.local ] && . ./.env.local; set +a;
curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $SERVICEGRAPH_API_KEY" \
'https://api.servicegraph.co/v1/datasets/product_directory/fields' )
-
On 401, prompt the user (don't accept the key in chat):
"Open https://servicegraph.co/profile/api-keys, sign in, create a key,
and add SERVICEGRAPH_API_KEY=vk_… to .env.local (or export it). Tell me
when done — please don't paste the key into chat."
-
Retry after the user signals ready.
Filter DSL
GitHub-search-style. AND binds tighter than OR; comma list = OR within one
predicate; negation is -x / NOT x; any bareword is a keyword search
across the directory's name, title, description, listed metadata, and the
niche tag (so mcp matches dirs whose niche is "MCP servers"). Multiple
barewords AND; wrap multi-word phrases in double quotes.
mcp dr>=60
mcp OR "model context protocol"
mcp servers # → keyword:mcp AND keyword:servers
Fields that matter here
| Field | Free in brief? | Use it for |
|---|
dr | yes | Domain Rating 0–100 — the primary authority filter. Briefs come sorted by dr descending, so rank for free. |
referring_main_domains, backlinks, organic_keywords | yes (when populated) | Backlink-source strength signals. |
organic_traffic, total_visits | gated | Real reach. Filterable while hidden (organic_traffic>=1000); value shows after unlock. |
editor_note | gated | Submission instructions + backlink yes/no. |
industry, has | yes | Coarse refiners; for MCP the mcp keyword on niche is sharpest. |
Because dr is free and briefs are pre-sorted by it, rank a shortlist by
authority for zero credits — unlock only to reveal submission notes + traffic.
Identifying rows — apex
Keyed by apex domain (smithery.ai, not a full URL; subdomains like
registry.modelcontextprotocol.io are kept as-is when that's the catalog
key). Strip user-supplied URLs before :apex or unlock calls.
Recipes
A. The MCP registry shortlist
User: "Where should I list our new MCP server?"
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/search?filter=mcp&limit=20
# → registry.modelcontextprotocol.io (dr 90), smithery.ai (75), glama.ai (72),
# mcp.so (72), cursor.directory (69), pulsemcp.com (68), … sorted by dr desc
Present the top N by dr (free).
B. High-authority only (backlink quality)
User: "Only the registries with real domain authority for SEO."
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/search?filter=mcp+dr>=60&limit=15
# → the ~7 strongest MCP registries by DR
C. Rank by real reach (organic traffic)
organic_traffic is gated but filterable — gate to surface high-traffic
registries, then unlock to see the numbers:
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/search?filter=mcp+organic_traffic>=2000&limit=15
D. Broaden — MCP + agent tooling
Some registries list MCP servers alongside agent skills/tools. Cast wider
when the strict-MCP pool is thin:
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/search?filter=mcp OR "model context protocol" OR (agent skills)&limit=20
If the user's artifact is broader than MCP (general AI tool / agent skill),
defer to find-ai-directories.
E. Unlock submission instructions for the picks
# Present briefs ranked by dr (free). "Unlocking 6 = 60 credits, 30-day TTL —
# reveals each one's submission note (how + backlink yes/no) and traffic."
POST /v1/datasets/product_directory/unlocks
{ "apexes": ["smithery.ai", "mcp.so", "glama.ai", "pulsemcp.com", "cursor.directory", "registry.modelcontextprotocol.io"] }
Surface each editor_note verbatim — MCP registries vary a lot in submission
mechanics (some take a CLI/PR, some a web form) and in whether the listing
actually grants a backlink. The note tells the user before they spend effort.
F. BYO apex list — score MCP registries I already have
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/:apex per domain — free brief with dr
(404 = not in catalog, no charge). Flag misses, rank hits by dr.- User picks N.
POST /unlocks (10×N credits, atomic) reveals notes + traffic.
- Within 30-day TTL, repeat unlocks are free.
Gotchas
- Rows are registries, not firms or servers. Building an MCP server →
find-software-developer / find-ai-consultancy. "How does MCP work" is a
DIY question, not this dataset.
dr is free and briefs are pre-sorted by it — rank for zero credits.- Gated fields are still filterable (
organic_traffic>=1000).
- Catalog is global, not US-only. Don't refuse non-US asks.
- The strict-MCP pool is small (~20). If the user wants more reach, broaden
to agent-skill/AI-tool registries (Recipe D) or defer to
find-ai-directories.
- Multi-word phrases must be quoted.
model context protocol = three AND'd
keywords; "model context protocol" is one phrase.
- Unlock is atomic (402 charges nothing) and within-TTL re-views are free.
Errors
JSON envelope: {"error": {"code": "...", "message": "..."}}.
| Status | Code | What to do |
|---|
| 400 | filter_parse_error | position included; fix and re-validate with /check. |
| 400 | field_not_in_dataset | Drop the field. |
| 400 | invalid_apex | Re-normalize to apex. |
| 401 | unauthorized | Re-prompt for a fresh vk_…. |
| 402 | insufficient_credits | needed/balance in payload; nothing charged. |
| 404 | not_found / not_in_dataset | Apex not in dataset. Skip; not charged. |
| 429 | rate_limited | Honor Retry-After. |
End-to-end example
User: "We just shipped an MCP server. Find the highest-authority registries to
list it on, and tell me how to submit to the top five."
# 1. Discover (once per session)
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/fields?include_values=1
# 2. Validate + scope (free)
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/check?filter=mcp+dr>=50
# 3. Search briefs (free) — pre-sorted by dr desc
GET /v1/datasets/product_directory/search?filter=mcp+dr>=50&limit=20
# 4. User picks 5. "Unlocking 5 = 50 credits, 30-day TTL — reveals submission
# notes (how + backlink yes/no) and traffic."
# 5. Atomic unlock (charges 50 credits)
POST /v1/datasets/product_directory/unlocks
{ "apexes": ["smithery.ai", "mcp.so", "glama.ai", "pulsemcp.com", "cursor.directory"] }
# 6. Surface each editor_note verbatim + traffic so the user can prioritize.