Brave Search MCP Server

premium

An MCP server that enables AI assistants to perform real-time web searches using the Brave Search API. It exposes search capabilities over Model Context Protocol so tools like Claude Desktop and Cursor can retrieve up-to-date web results in a privacy-focused way.

Submitted by Merwyn Mohankumar · Community

Installation Instructions →
Category: Search / Web RetrievalCompany: Brave Search API
Compatible Tools:
Claude (Primary)Cursor
Install MCPGitHubWebsite

Example Configurations

For stdio Server (Brave Search MCP Server Example):
https://github.com/mikechao/brave-search-mcp
For SSE Server:
URL: http://example.com:8080/sse

Brave Search MCP Server Specific Instructions

1. Get a Brave Search API key:
https://brave.com/search/api/
2. Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/mikechao/brave-search-mcp
3. Install dependencies:
npm install
4. Set the required environment variable:
export BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY=your_api_key
5. Start the MCP server:
npm start
6. Register the server in your MCP client configuration.
7. Restart the MCP client to enable Brave Search.

Usage Notes

Help other developers understand when this MCP works best and where to be careful.

Best for:
Real-time web search, fresh sources, and research inside Claude.
Works well when:
You need up-to-date information or clean, structured search results for follow-up reasoning.
Limitations:
Requires a Brave Search API key. Each search consumes additional context.
Tool behavior:
Stable in Claude Desktop. Works in Cursor with explicit prompts.
Tips:
Use narrow, explicit queries to reduce context usage and improve result quality.
Not ideal for:
Bulk scraping, background crawling, or tight context budgets.
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