Fast News MCP Server
Real-time news search, trending headlines, topic categories, and local news — exposed as MCP tools so your AI agent can query news in plain language. No HTTP boilerplate required.
The server is hosted by RapidAPI and connects via mcp-remote. All you need is a RapidAPI subscription and your API key.
Demo
See the Fast News API in action: the-dispatcher-demo.vercel.app
Get an API Key
- Subscribe on RapidAPI (free tier available)
- Your API key appears on the Endpoints tab
Every request needs two headers:
| Header | Value |
|---|
x-rapidapi-key | Your API key |
x-rapidapi-host | fast-news-with-previews.p.rapidapi.com |
Quick Start
Prerequisites: Node.js (for npx) and a free RapidAPI subscription.
Add the following to your AI agent's MCP server configuration. Replace YOUR-API-KEY with your RapidAPI key.
{
"mcpServers": {
"fast-news": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://mcp.rapidapi.com",
"--header",
"x-api-host: fast-news-with-previews.p.rapidapi.com",
"--header",
"x-api-key: YOUR-API-KEY"
]
}
}
}
The mcp-remote package is installed automatically by npx. You don't need to install anything manually.
See the per-agent setup instructions below for client-specific details.
Alternative: npm package (secondary option)
Prefer the Quick Start above. Use this only if your setup specifically benefits from a single published package.
This repository is also published as the npm package @wllrdev/fast-news-mcp. It's a thin wrapper around mcp-remote that reads your key from the RAPIDAPI_KEY environment variable instead of the command line:
{
"mcpServers": {
"fast-news": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@wllrdev/fast-news-mcp"],
"env": {
"RAPIDAPI_KEY": "YOUR-API-KEY"
}
}
}
}
Once connected, your AI agent has access to these tools:
| Tool | Description |
|---|
| search_news | Search any topic with filters for language, country, and timeframe. Supports source diversity and built-in deduplication. |
| advanced_search | Like search_news but with post-fetch controls — include/exclude specific sources, require thumbnails, and change sort order. |
| trending_headlines | Top headlines auto-translated into 40+ languages. Optionally filter by country and timeframe. |
| topic_categories | Browse 11 predefined categories: world, national, business, technology, entertainment, sports, science, health, politics, economy, environment. Combine two categories in one request. |
| local_news | News about a specific city, region, or area. |
For full parameter documentation, see the API reference.
Setup for Your AI Agent
Find your client below and expand it for setup steps.
Claude Code (docs)
Option A — CLI command:
claude mcp add fast-news -- npx mcp-remote https://mcp.rapidapi.com --header "x-api-host: fast-news-with-previews.p.rapidapi.com" --header "x-api-key: YOUR-API-KEY"
Add --scope user to make it available globally across all projects.
Option B — Manual config:
Add the Quick Start config to your Claude Code MCP settings.
Claude Desktop (docs)
- Open Claude Desktop settings
- Navigate to Developer > Edit Config
- Paste the Quick Start config into
claude_desktop_config.json
- Restart Claude Desktop
Cursor (docs)
- Open Cursor Settings > MCP > New MCP Server
- Paste the Quick Start config
- Replace
YOUR-API-KEY with your key
- Enable the server
VS Code Copilot (docs)
Add the following to your .vscode/mcp.json:
{
"servers": {
"fast-news": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://mcp.rapidapi.com",
"--header",
"x-api-host: fast-news-with-previews.p.rapidapi.com",
"--header",
"x-api-key: YOUR-API-KEY"
]
}
}
}
Windsurf (docs)
Add the Quick Start config to your Windsurf MCP config file (~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json).
Cline (docs)
- Open Cline settings
- Go to MCP > Add New MCP Server
- Select Local and paste the Quick Start config
Continue (docs)
Add the Quick Start config to your ~/.continue/config.json under the mcpServers key.
OpenCode (docs)
Add the following to your opencode.json:
{
"mcp": {
"fast-news": {
"type": "remote",
"url": "https://mcp.rapidapi.com",
"headers": {
"x-api-host": "fast-news-with-previews.p.rapidapi.com",
"x-api-key": "YOUR-API-KEY"
}
}
}
}
Codex CLI (docs)
codex mcp add fast-news -- npx mcp-remote https://mcp.rapidapi.com --header "x-api-host: fast-news-with-previews.p.rapidapi.com" --header "x-api-key: YOUR-API-KEY"
Usage Examples
Once connected, try these prompts in your AI agent:
- "What are the trending headlines right now?"
- "Search for news about artificial intelligence"
- "Find local news about Tokyo"
- "Show me the latest technology news from the past week"
- "Search for climate news from BBC and Reuters only, sorted by newest first"
- "Get trending headlines in German"
- "Find sports and business news combined"
- "Show me health news with thumbnails only from the last 7 days"
The agent will use the MCP server to call the appropriate endpoint and return formatted results.
API Documentation
For full endpoint documentation, parameters, response formats, and code examples:
Key Features
- Source diversity — no single domain dominates your feed (max 25% per domain)
- Built-in deduplication — near-identical articles are collapsed automatically
- 40+ languages — trending and topic searches auto-translate into local queries
- Clean previews — up to 250-character excerpts with thumbnail URLs
- Timeframe filters — last hour, 24h, 7 days, 30 days
Links
License & API Terms
The configuration and documentation in this repository are MIT licensed.
The Fast News API itself is a commercial service hosted on RapidAPI — usage
is subject to the RapidAPI Terms of Service and
your subscription plan. The MIT license does not grant access to the API.
License
MIT