How to integrate Apify MCP with Pydantic AI

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Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Apify to Pydantic AI using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Apify agent that can create a new dataset for scraped results, fetch items from a specific apify dataset, get details of my latest apify actor, set up webhook for actor task completion through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your Pydantic AI agent real control over a Apify account through Composio's Apify MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:
  • How to set up your Composio API key and User ID
  • How to create a Composio Tool Router session for Apify
  • How to attach an MCP Server to a Pydantic AI agent
  • How to stream responses and maintain chat history
  • How to build a simple REPL-style chat interface to test your Apify workflows

What is Pydantic AI?

Pydantic AI is a Python framework for building AI agents with strong typing and validation. It leverages Pydantic's data validation capabilities to create robust, type-safe AI applications.

Key features include:

  • Type Safety: Built on Pydantic for automatic data validation
  • MCP Support: Native support for Model Context Protocol servers
  • Streaming: Built-in support for streaming responses
  • Async First: Designed for async/await patterns

What is the Apify MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Apify MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Apify account. It provides structured and secure access to your web scraping and automation workflows, so your agent can create actors, manage datasets, fetch scraped data, schedule tasks, and maintain webhooks on your behalf.

  • Automated Actor Creation and Management: Easily instruct your agent to programmatically create, configure, or delete Apify actors for custom web automation or scraping jobs.
  • Dataset Handling and Data Retrieval: Let your agent spin up new datasets, organize scraped results, and pull items from datasets for downstream analysis or reporting.
  • Task Scheduling and Automation: Have your agent create and manage recurring actor tasks, making it simple to automate data extraction or browser automation at set intervals.
  • Webhook Integration and Event Handling: Direct your agent to set up or remove webhooks for actor tasks, enabling real-time notifications or downstream integrations when a task completes or fails.
  • Actor and Build Metadata Access: Empower your agent to fetch detailed metadata about actors, including build information and configuration details, for monitoring or troubleshooting purposes.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Create ActorTool to create a new actor with specified configuration.
Create DatasetTool to create a new dataset.
Create Actor TaskTool to create a new actor task with specified settings.
Create Task WebhookTool to create a webhook for an actor task.
Delete ActorTool to delete an actor permanently.
Delete WebhookTool to delete a webhook by its id.
Get Actor DetailsTool to get details of a specific actor.
Get all webhooksTool to get a list of all webhooks created by the user.
Get dataset itemsTool to retrieve items from a dataset.
Get Default BuildTool to get the default build for an actor.
Get Key-Value RecordTool to retrieve a record from a key-value store.
Get list of buildsTool to get a list of builds for a specific actor.
Get list of runsTool to get a list of runs for a specific actor.
Get list of task runsTool to get a list of runs for a specific actor task.
Get list of tasksTool to fetch a paginated list of tasks belonging to the authenticated user.
Get list of task webhooksTool to get a list of webhooks for a specific actor task.
Get logTool to retrieve logs for a specific actor run or build.
Get OpenAPI DefinitionTool to get the openapi definition for a specific actor build.
Get Task InputTool to retrieve the input configuration of a specific task.
Resurrect RunTool to resurrect a finished actor run.
Run Actor AsynchronouslyTool to run a specific actor asynchronously.
Run Actor SyncTool to run a specific actor synchronously with input and return its output record.
Run Actor Sync & Get Dataset ItemsTool to run an actor synchronously and retrieve its dataset items.
Run Task AsynchronouslyTool to run a specific actor task asynchronously.
Store Data in DatasetTool to store data items in a dataset.
Store Data in Key-Value StoreTool to create or update a record in a key-value store.
Update Key-Value StoreTool to update a key-value store's properties.
Update Task InputTool to update the input configuration of a specific actor task.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Tool Router?

Composio's Tool Router helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Tool Router

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Tool Router works

The Tool Router follows a three-phase workflow:

  1. Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
  2. Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
  3. Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Python 3.9 or higher
  • A Composio account with an active API key
  • Basic familiarity with Python and async programming

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

OpenAI API Key
  • Go to the OpenAI dashboard and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models, or you can connect to another model provider.
  • Keep the API key safe.
Composio API Key
  • Log in to the Composio dashboard.
  • Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
  • Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.

Install dependencies

bash
pip install composio pydantic-ai python-dotenv

Install the required libraries.

What's happening:

  • composio connects your agent to external SaaS tools like Apify
  • pydantic-ai lets you create structured AI agents with tool support
  • python-dotenv loads your environment variables securely from a .env file

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's happening:

  • COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates your agent to Composio's API
  • USER_ID associates your session with your account for secure tool access
  • OPENAI_API_KEY to access OpenAI LLMs

Import dependencies

python
import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from composio import Composio
from pydantic_ai import Agent
from pydantic_ai.mcp import MCPServerStreamableHTTP

load_dotenv()
What's happening:
  • We load environment variables and import required modules
  • Composio manages connections to Apify
  • MCPServerStreamableHTTP connects to the Apify MCP server endpoint
  • Agent from Pydantic AI lets you define and run the AI assistant

Create a Tool Router Session

python
async def main():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")
    if not api_key or not user_id:
        raise RuntimeError("Set COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID in your environment")

    # Create a Composio Tool Router session for Apify
    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=user_id,
        toolkits=["apify"],
    )
    url = session.mcp.url
    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Composio session did not return an MCP URL")
What's happening:
  • We're creating a Tool Router session that gives your agent access to Apify tools
  • The create method takes the user ID and specifies which toolkits should be available
  • The returned session.mcp.url is the MCP server URL that your agent will use

Initialize the Pydantic AI Agent

python
# Attach the MCP server to a Pydantic AI Agent
apify_mcp = MCPServerStreamableHTTP(url, headers={"x-api-key": COMPOSIO_API_KEY})
agent = Agent(
    "openai:gpt-5",
    toolsets=[apify_mcp],
    instructions=(
        "You are a Apify assistant. Use Apify tools to help users "
        "with their requests. Ask clarifying questions when needed."
    ),
)
What's happening:
  • The MCP client connects to the Apify endpoint
  • The agent uses GPT-5 to interpret user commands and perform Apify operations
  • The instructions field defines the agent's role and behavior

Build the chat interface

python
# Simple REPL with message history
history = []
print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")
print("Try asking the agent to help you with Apify.\n")

while True:
    user_input = input("You: ").strip()
    if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit", "bye"}:
        print("\nGoodbye!")
        break
    if not user_input:
        continue

    print("\nAgent is thinking...\n", flush=True)

    async with agent.run_stream(user_input, message_history=history) as stream_result:
        collected_text = ""
        async for chunk in stream_result.stream_output():
            text_piece = None
            if isinstance(chunk, str):
                text_piece = chunk
            elif hasattr(chunk, "delta") and isinstance(chunk.delta, str):
                text_piece = chunk.delta
            elif hasattr(chunk, "text"):
                text_piece = chunk.text
            if text_piece:
                collected_text += text_piece
        result = stream_result

    print(f"Agent: {collected_text}\n")
    history = result.all_messages()
What's happening:
  • The agent reads input from the terminal and streams its response
  • Apify API calls happen automatically under the hood
  • The model keeps conversation history to maintain context across turns

Run the application

python
if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())
What's happening:
  • The asyncio loop launches the agent and keeps it running until you exit

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Apify and Pydantic AI:

import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from composio import Composio
from pydantic_ai import Agent
from pydantic_ai.mcp import MCPServerStreamableHTTP

load_dotenv()

async def main():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")
    if not api_key or not user_id:
        raise RuntimeError("Set COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID in your environment")

    # Create a Composio Tool Router session for Apify
    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=user_id,
        toolkits=["apify"],
    )
    url = session.mcp.url
    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Composio session did not return an MCP URL")

    # Attach the MCP server to a Pydantic AI Agent
    apify_mcp = MCPServerStreamableHTTP(url, headers={"x-api-key": COMPOSIO_API_KEY})
    agent = Agent(
        "openai:gpt-5",
        toolsets=[apify_mcp],
        instructions=(
            "You are a Apify assistant. Use Apify tools to help users "
            "with their requests. Ask clarifying questions when needed."
        ),
    )

    # Simple REPL with message history
    history = []
    print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")
    print("Try asking the agent to help you with Apify.\n")

    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()
        if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit", "bye"}:
            print("\nGoodbye!")
            break
        if not user_input:
            continue

        print("\nAgent is thinking...\n", flush=True)

        async with agent.run_stream(user_input, message_history=history) as stream_result:
            collected_text = ""
            async for chunk in stream_result.stream_output():
                text_piece = None
                if isinstance(chunk, str):
                    text_piece = chunk
                elif hasattr(chunk, "delta") and isinstance(chunk.delta, str):
                    text_piece = chunk.delta
                elif hasattr(chunk, "text"):
                    text_piece = chunk.text
                if text_piece:
                    collected_text += text_piece
            result = stream_result

        print(f"Agent: {collected_text}\n")
        history = result.all_messages()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())

Conclusion

You've built a Pydantic AI agent that can interact with Apify through Composio's Tool Router. With this setup, your agent can perform real Apify actions through natural language. You can extend this further by:
  • Adding other toolkits like Gmail, HubSpot, or Salesforce
  • Building a web-based chat interface around this agent
  • Using multiple MCP endpoints to enable cross-app workflows (for example, Gmail + Apify for workflow automation)
This architecture makes your AI agent "agent-native", able to securely use APIs in a unified, composable way without custom integrations.

How to build Apify MCP Agent with another framework

FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Apify MCP?

With a standalone Apify MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Apify tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Apify and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Pydantic AI?

Yes, you can. Pydantic AI fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Apify tools.

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Apify while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Apify scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Apify data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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