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This tutorial is for users who already know which Data App to use. You first choose and test the app in the catalog, then copy that app’s install prompt and let Codex use it as a fixed tool.
This page follows the “pick the app first, then connect” pattern. If you do not know which app to choose yet and want to connect the MCP first and let the agent search, use General connection: choose an app inside the agent instead.
This page uses a company enrichment Data App as the example, which returns industry, headcount, and headquarters for a company name. If you choose a different Data App, the page name, input parameters, and returned fields will differ, but the connection method is the same.

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What you can do afterwards

After this tutorial, you can describe a data need directly in Codex, have Codex call the Data App on Data Hub, and get structured results back. You never write MCP configuration by hand.

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Before you start

Have the following ready:
  • An Octoparse account you can sign in to.
  • Codex installed and signed in.
  • A clear, small test target, such as “enrich three company names with industry, headcount, and HQ”.
An API key is an account credential. Never put a real key in project files, code repositories, public screenshots, or group chats. Provide it only when Codex explicitly asks for a credential.

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Step 1: choose and test the Data App

Before connecting the agent, confirm in the browser that the Data App meets your needs. If a later call fails, you can then quickly tell whether the problem is the data parameters or the Codex configuration.
1

Open Octoparse Data Hub and sign in

Go to the Octoparse Data Hub and sign in through the account entry in the top-right corner.
2

Find the Data App you need

Use search or category filters to find the target app. On the detail page, read the capability description, input parameters, output fields, and price first. Do not judge fit by the app name alone.
3

Run online with a small amount of data

Click Try It Now and fill in the required parameters. Request only a small amount of data the first time. When the run completes, check the status, record count, and key fields.
If the browser run returns no results, adjust the input parameters or switch to another Data App first. Do not rush to connect Codex.

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Step 2: copy the Codex install prompt

On the Data App detail page, open Integration, choose MCP, and click Copy install prompt. Copy the complete content the page generates. Copy MCP URL only gives you the server address, which is enough if you prefer to add the server by hand. Do not rewrite the server address by hand.
When you need only one capability, connect a single Data App. Codex picks the right tool more easily, and troubleshooting is simpler.

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Step 3: create an Octoparse API key

1

Open the API key page

Go to the Octoparse account center and create a new key.
2

Store the new key temporarily

A key is usually shown in full only at creation time. Save it in a trusted password manager. After configuration, do not keep it in a plain text file.
The specific-app configuration generated on the Data App detail page uses an API key. The Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY> line in the configuration is simply the header format for the API key. The general connection also supports OAuth. Do not mix configuration snippets from the two tutorials.

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Step 4: let Codex complete the connection

1

Send the install prompt to Codex

Start a new Codex conversation, paste the complete install prompt you copied, and send it. Codex reads the server address and configuration requirements, then tells you what it needs next.
2

Provide the API key when asked

Provide the key you just created only when Codex explicitly asks for a credential. Confirm that Codex is editing the current user’s MCP configuration, not a shared file in the project.
3

Confirm the configuration result

When Codex finishes, it tells you which configuration file it wrote and the name of the new server. Normally it edits the user-level config.toml and prompts you to reload MCP or restart Codex.
4

Reload Codex

Reload MCP as Codex suggests. If the interface has no reload option, close and reopen Codex. Then continue with the verification below.

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Step 5: make the first real call

Tell Codex in natural language what you want to query, and give it a clear scope. Limit the quantity on the first call. For example:
1

Confirm that Codex called the Data App

Watch the tool calls in the conversation. Only when a Data Hub tool call appears has Codex really used the Data App, instead of answering from its own knowledge.
2

Check the returned results

Check whether the record count, fields, and content match the browser test. An empty field does not always mean failure. Check first whether the source data provides that field for the record.

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Optional: let Codex use several Data Apps

Create a multi-app toolset only when one workflow really needs several data capabilities.
1

Open MCP connection in the Open Platform

From Data Hub, open the Open Platform, click MCP connection, then open the custom toolset section.
2

Choose the Data Apps you need

Add only the apps the current workflow really needs. Some app detail pages also offer a Related Data Apps bundle.
3

Copy and send the multi-app install prompt

Save the toolset, copy the install prompt the page generates, send it to Codex, and reload MCP when prompted.
4

Verify the tools one by one

First ask Codex to list the data capabilities that are available, then test one app at a time. Once all pass, let several apps work together on a complex task.

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FAQ

Reload MCP or restart Codex. If tools still do not appear, have Codex check that the server address and headers in the user-level config.toml are complete, and confirm it is reading the same user configuration.
Make sure the key has no missing characters, spaces, or line breaks, and that it is still valid. This page uses the API key configuration generated on the specific-app page. If you need OAuth, use the configuration generated on the general connection page instead.
Write “use the Data Hub tool you just connected” explicitly in the question, and give the parameters that the app supports. You can also ask Codex to list the available tools first to confirm the server is loaded.
Compare with the parameters that worked in the browser. Check the server address, API key, parameter format, and Codex logs one by one. Keep the request scope small for the first verification so a timeout is not mistaken for a connection failure.
After saving the new toolset, copy the current install prompt again, have Codex update the configuration, then reload MCP. Clients do not sync toolset changes automatically.

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Checklist

  • You ran the Data App successfully in the browser with a small amount of data.
  • You copied the install prompt from the app’s current Integration section.
  • The API key is stored only in a trusted local configuration or credential tool.
  • Codex reloaded MCP and the Data Hub tool appears.
  • You completed one real tool call and checked the record count and key fields.

General connection

Do not pick an app first. Connect, then let the agent search for and run the right data capability.

Claude Code: connect a specific app

If you use Claude Code, see the full specific-app flow for that client.