MCP server · Docs and web search

Brave Search MCP server

Lets an assistant search the web, news, images, videos and local places through the Brave Search API.

Maintainer: Brave (official)
Licence: MIT
Runs: Locally (npx)
Sign-in: A token or API key
Registry version: 2.1.3 (updated 2026-08-20)
Last activity: 2026-10-05
Source: github.com/brave/brave-search-mcp-server

Overview

What it does

This is Brave’s own MCP server for the Brave Search API. It replaced the older Brave server that once sat in the MCP reference repository, which is now archived. It runs locally through npx or Docker, uses stdio by default and can also serve HTTP. Every call goes to Brave’s API with your key.

It covers web search with filters for country, language, freshness and safe search, plus news, image and video search, local business and place search, an LLM context tool that returns pre-extracted page content for grounding, and a summariser that turns a web search into an AI summary. Some features, such as full local search and extra snippets, need a Pro plan. You can limit which tools load with BRAVE_MCP_ENABLED_TOOLS or BRAVE_MCP_DISABLED_TOOLS. Pick it when you want an independent search index and a clear, documented tool set.

Tools

What the assistant can do

Web search with country, language, freshness and safe search filters
News, image and video search
Local business and point-of-interest search
LLM context: pre-extracted web content for grounding
AI summaries of web search results
Tool allow and block lists

Install

Install Brave Search MCP server in your app

You need:

Node.js with npx
A Brave Search API account and API key

Run in your project. --scope local keeps the servers private to you in this project; use user for every project.

Terminal

claude mcp add --env BRAVE_API_KEY="${BRAVE_API_KEY}" --scope local brave-search -- npx -y @brave/brave-search-mcp-server --transport stdio

Native Windows (PowerShell)

claude mcp add --env BRAVE_API_KEY="$env:BRAVE_API_KEY" --scope local brave-search -- cmd /c npx -y '@brave/brave-search-mcp-server' --transport stdio

Set BRAVE_API_KEY first, e.g. export BRAVE_API_KEY=… in your shell. The command saves the value, not the variable.

Project root. Commit it to share the servers with your team; each person sets the variables in their own shell.

.mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server",
        "--transport",
        "stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "${BRAVE_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

On native Windows (not WSL), the reference servers’ READMEs start npx through `cmd /c`: if a server won’t start, use "command": "cmd" with "args": ["/c", "npx", …].

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Settings → Developer → Edit Config). Restart Claude after saving.

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server",
        "--transport",
        "stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "<BRAVE_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop doesn’t read variables in this file: replace <BRAVE_API_KEY> with the real values.
This file contains your keys once filled in. It lives in your user folder; never commit or share it.

In your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for every project.

mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server",
        "--transport",
        "stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "${env:BRAVE_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

In your workspace. VS Code asks for each secret the first time a server starts and stores it securely.

mcp.json

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "brave-api-key",
      "description": "BRAVE_API_KEY",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server",
        "--transport",
        "stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "${input:brave-api-key}"
      }
    }
  }
}

macOS/Linux: ~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\devin\mcp_config.json. Read by the default Devin Local agent and by the legacy Cascade agent.

mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server",
        "--transport",
        "stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "${env:BRAVE_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Devin’s docs confirm ${env:…} references for the legacy Cascade agent; for the default Devin Local agent they only document them in OAuth settings. If a server can’t authenticate, check Devin’s MCP docs.

Want it alongside other servers? Open Brave Search MCP Server in the MCP config generator and add the rest; it writes one file per app. The snippets follow the setup in the server’s README, checked on 2026-10-14.

Before you install

Queries go to Brave’s API and count against your plan; it has no access to local files.
The HTTP mode is unauthenticated and binds to 127.0.0.1 by default; only set BRAVE_MCP_HOST to 0.0.0.0 on a trusted network.
Use BRAVE_API_KEY_FILE to read the key from a mounted secret instead of an environment variable.
A local MCP server runs with your user account’s permissions. Install it only from the source linked above. See how to choose a safe server.

Why it’s listed

Why we list it

The official server for an independent web index, actively released by Brave and listed in the MCP Registry.

All MCP servers MCP config generator Guide: MCP servers in Claude Code Guide: what is MCP?

What it does

What the assistant can do

Install Brave Search MCP server in your app

Before you install

Why we list it

More MCP servers