Search the npm package registry by name, keywords, or description via x402 micropayment.
What it does
The Scout npm endpoint (`/scout/npm`) is part of the Scout Multi-source Intelligence API hosted at scout.hugen.tokyo. It searches the npm package registry by name, keywords, or description and returns package name, version, description, and quality/popularity/maintenance scores. The endpoint is pay-per-call at $0.005 per request (USDC on Base via the x402 protocol), though the probe's 402 challenge showed a $0.01 price — the OpenAPI spec lists $0.005.
The endpoint accepts a required `q` query parameter and an optional `per_page` parameter (1–50, default 10). It is part of a larger Scout API that covers 19+ platforms including GitHub, Hacker News, Stack Overflow, arXiv, PyPI, X/Twitter, Product Hunt, Dev.to, Semantic Scholar, and more. Scout also offers aggregated multi-source reports and AI-synthesized deep research endpoints at higher price tiers.
Payment can be made directly via x402 wallet integration, through a broker service (API key from discovery.hugen.tokyo with $0.05 free credit), via MCP transport, or using the `x402-pay` Python SDK. The endpoint returned a live 402 challenge with a sample npm search result for "mcp server" showing `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk` version 1.26.0 with a quality score of 0.95, confirming the endpoint is operational.
Capabilities
Use cases
- —AI agents discovering npm packages matching specific capabilities or keywords
- —Automated dependency research — finding alternative packages by description
- —Building toolchains that evaluate npm package quality and maintenance scores
- —Programmatic package discovery for code generation or scaffolding tools
- —Comparing npm packages by popularity and quality metrics
Fit
Best for
- —AI agents needing programmatic npm search without API keys or rate-limit hassles
- —Developers building automated package evaluation pipelines
- —x402-native workflows that pay per call with USDC on Base
Not for
- —Bulk downloading the entire npm registry (max 50 results per call)
- —Installing or publishing npm packages — this is search only
- —Free-tier usage with no budget for micropayments
Quick start
# Using the x402-pay Python SDK
pip install x402-pay
import x402_pay
result = x402_pay.get('https://scout.hugen.tokyo/scout/npm?q=mcp+server&per_page=5')
print(result.json())Example
Request
{
"url": "https://scout.hugen.tokyo/scout/npm?q=mcp+server&per_page=5",
"method": "GET"
}Response
{
"count": 1,
"query": "mcp server",
"source": "npm",
"results": [
{
"name": "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk",
"quality": 0.95,
"version": "1.26.0",
"description": "MCP SDK"
}
]
}Endpoint
Quality
Full OpenAPI schema with parameter details and a live 402 challenge returning a sample npm result. Docs pages (e.g., /docs, /pricing) return 404, so detailed response schemas and field-level documentation are missing. Pricing is documented in the OpenAPI spec ($0.005) though the 402 challenge showed $0.01 — minor discrepancy.
Warnings
- —Price discrepancy: OpenAPI spec says $0.005 per call but the 402 challenge header says $0.01. Actual charge may differ.
- —No dedicated documentation pages found — /docs, /pricing, /api all return 404.
- —Response schema is inferred from the 402 challenge sample only; full field definitions are not documented.
Citations
- —The endpoint searches npm by name, keywords, or description and returns package name, version, description, and quality/popularity/maintenance scores.https://scout.hugen.tokyo
- —Scout covers 19+ platforms including Reddit, Hacker News, GitHub, Stack Overflow, arXiv, npm, PyPI, X/Twitter, YouTube, Product Hunt, Dev.to, Qiita, Zenn, Semantic Scholar, GitLab, Hashnode, Lobsters, Lemmy, and x402 Bazaar.https://scout.hugen.tokyo
- —The 402 challenge returned a sample result for @modelcontextprotocol/sdk version 1.26.0 with quality 0.95.https://scout.hugen.tokyo/scout/npm
- —Payment can be made via broker service, MCP transport, or x402-pay Python SDK.https://scout.hugen.tokyo