Paperboy for Roo Code
Roo Code can read your search queries, write the article, fact check it and wait for your approval, all inside VS Code.
Set up
You will add a paperboy entry of type streamable-http, with an Authorization header, to Roo Code's global or project MCP settings file.
In Paperboy, open Settings and create an API key. It starts with pb_live_.
In the Roo Code pane, click the settings icon in the top navigation and scroll to the bottom.
Click Edit Global MCP to open mcp_settings.json, or Edit Project MCP to open or create .roo/mcp.json for one project.
Add the paperboy entry under mcpServers, using type streamable-http, and save the file. Do not commit a project file that holds the key.
Ask Roo Code to call one Paperboy tool, such as get_sites, and approve the call when it asks.
{
"mcpServers": {
"paperboy": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://paperboyseo.com/mcp",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer pb_live_YOUR_KEY"
},
"alwaysAllow": [],
"disabled": false
}
}
}Replace pb_live_YOUR_KEY with a key from Settings, API keys, and never commit it. The MCP docs list every client we cover.
How to tell it worked
Open the MCP servers section of Roo Code's settings and check that paperboy is listed with its tools, then ask Roo Code to call get_sites.
How to remove it
In the MCP servers list, use the delete button next to paperboy and confirm. The toggle next to the server name disables it without removing it. You can also delete the entry from the JSON file.
What you get
Eight tools, the same engine as the dashboard. Reads are free. A pack is $20 for 100 credits; see how credits work.
get_sitesLists your sites with plan, publishing method and whether Search Console is connected. Every other call starts from a site id.
suggest_topicsReturns the next articles to write, each with the search data that is the reason for it.
write_articleStarts a fact-checked article and returns an id at once. The run takes a few minutes. It does not publish unless you pass publish: true.
get_articleReturns the article's status, its fact-check verdict and every source. Poll it after write_article until it reads published or needs_review.
check_claimsFact checks any public URL or pasted Markdown and returns each cited claim with the sources it was compared against.
publish_articlePublishes an article that passed the fact check to the site's publishing target. It changes the live site, so the agent should ask first.
get_performanceSearch Console clicks, impressions and average position for a site, by day and by article.
get_queriesThe queries a site, or one article, appears for in Search Console. This is where page-two keywords show up.
Try it
Plain requests. The tools each one uses are listed under it.
“Use Paperboy to list my sites, suggest topics for the main one, and write an article for the best topic. Show me the draft before saving anything.”
Uses get_sitessuggest_topicswrite_article
“Call get_article for my newest Paperboy draft, run check_claims on it, and write the flagged claims into a checklist file in this project.”
Uses get_articlecheck_claims
“Use get_queries and get_performance to find pages that slipped this month, then ask me which one to refresh.”
Uses get_queriesget_performance
Why
Roo Code reads MCP servers from a global mcp_settings.json or a project .roo/mcp.json, and both have an edit button at the bottom of its settings. Set the type to streamable-http and add a headers object for the key. The project file wins when names overlap, so keep the key out of anything you commit.
Roo Code asks before it runs an MCP tool, and alwaysAllow is the list that skips the question. Reading tools such as get_performance and get_queries are fair candidates. Keep publish_article off it, and write_article too while you learn what a run costs.
Compare
Same engine, two ways in. Pick the one that fits how you already work.
| Feature | Dashboard | Roo Code | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you work | paperboyseo.com/app: sites, calendar, fact checks | AI coding agent for VS Code with modes and MCP server support. | Roo Code docs: Using MCP in Roo CodeRead Oct 30, 2026 |
| How it connects | Sign in and paste your site address. The first article is free. | Remote MCP. Roo Code supports remote Streamable HTTP servers with a type of streamable-http, a url and an optional headers object, set in global mcp_settings.json or a project .roo/mcp.json. | Roo Code docs: Using MCP in Roo CodeRead Oct 30, 2026 |
| Does it publish without asking? | Your choice: autopilot, or approve each article by email. | No. write_article defaults to publish: false, and the tool descriptions tell the agent to ask first. | MCP docsPaperboy docs |
| Fact check | Every number and cited sentence is compared with the saved text of its source. An article that fails gets one rewrite, then is held for you. | The same engine and the same check. The verdict comes back to the agent: verified, or held with the reason. | How the check worksPaperboy docs |
| What it costs | Plans from $49 a month per site. The first article is free, no card. | Credits: 12 per article, 1 per topic suggestion, 2 per fact check. $20 buys 100. | CreditsPaperboy docs |
| Search Console | Optional read-only Search Console connection. It picks topics from your impressions and reports clicks per article. | get_performance and get_queries return the same read-only data, by day, by article and by query. | Security and dataPaperboy docs |
Facts about Roo Code come from the pages linked in the Source column, read on the date shown. Tools change their docs, so confirm there if a step does not match.
Honest notes
Quirks of this client that can cost you an afternoon.
Set "type": "streamable-http" yourself. The docs describe Streamable HTTP as the recommended transport for remote servers and SSE as the legacy option.
Project settings in .roo/mcp.json take precedence over global settings when server names overlap. Keep the API key out of any project file you commit.
Roo Code asks before it runs an MCP tool. The alwaysAllow list and the Always allow checkbox skip that, and the checkbox only works after the global MCP auto-approval option is on. Keep write_article and publish_article off it.
The default tool timeout is 60 seconds and can be set per server from 1 to 3600 seconds. write_article is built to return an id quickly, so poll get_article for the result.
FAQ
In the headers object of the paperboy entry in mcp_settings.json or .roo/mcp.json, as an Authorization header with the value Bearer pb_live_YOUR_KEY.
Use streamable-http. The Roo Code docs call it the recommended transport for remote servers and list SSE as the legacy option.
Either works. Global settings in mcp_settings.json apply across workspaces. A project .roo/mcp.json takes precedence when names overlap, but it sits in your repository, so keep the key out of anything you commit.
The docs describe the ${env:VARIABLE_NAME} syntax for arguments, but do not say it works inside headers. Write the key literally in the file unless you have tested the variable form.
By default it asks before running an MCP tool. Only tools in alwaysAllow, or ticked as Always allow with global MCP auto-approval on, skip the prompt.
The tools that read cost nothing. Suggesting topics costs 1 credit, writing a fact-checked article costs 12 credits (refunded if the run fails) and a fact check on its own costs 2 credits. A pack is $20 for 100 credits.
Only if you let it. write_article defaults to publish: false, so a finished article waits for a human, and the tool descriptions tell the agent to ask before publishing. You can also give the agent a read-only key.
Sources
Everything about Roo Code comes from the pages below, read on Oct 30, 2026. Tools change their docs, so check there if a step does not match. If we got something wrong, write to hello@paperboyseo.com.
Keep going
Add the MCP server, ask for a topic, and read the fact check before anything goes live.
claude mcp add --transport http paperboy https://paperboyseo.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer pb_live_..."npx @paperboyseo/cli coming soonPrefer the dashboard? Write my first article free. Prefer to run it yourself? Self-host it (repo coming soon).