# Local Research MCP Server
A free, private research assistant for AI development environments that searches the web and scrapes content using DuckDuckGo and Python. This MCP server gives AI assistants the ability to access real-time information while keeping all processing local for complete privacy.
Compatible with:
- **Claude Desktop** - Anthropic's official desktop app
- **Claude Code** - Anthropic's CLI tool for developers
- **Gemini CLI** - Gemini's CLI tool
- **Cline** - VS Code extension for AI-powered coding
- **Any MCP-compatible client**
## Features
- 🔍 **Free Web Search**: Uses DuckDuckGo's search API without requiring API keys
- 📄 **Content Extraction**: Intelligently extracts clean text from web pages
- 🔒 **Privacy-First**: All processing happens locally on your machine
- ⚡ **Fast Integration**: Works seamlessly with Claude Desktop via MCP
- 🛠️ **Zero Dependencies**: No external services or subscriptions required
## Quick Start
### Prerequisites
- Python 3.10 or higher
- One of the compatible AI environments:
- Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Google CLI, Cline, or other MCP client
- Basic command line knowledge
### Installation
1. **Clone this repository:**
```bash
git clone https://github.com/Unlock-MCP/local-research-server.git
cd local-research-server
```
2. **Set up the environment:**
```bash
uv init
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
```
3. **Install dependencies:**
```bash
uv add "mcp[cli]" duckduckgo-search trafilatura
```
4. **Test the server:**
```bash
python research_server.py
```
### Configuration
Choose your AI environment:
#### Claude Desktop
Add this to your config file:
- **macOS:** `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- **Windows:** `%APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"local-researcher": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"/path/to/your/local-research-server",
"run",
"python",
"research_server.py"
]
}
}
}
```
#### Claude Code
Add this to your `CLAUDE.md` file or use the CLI:
```bash
claude --mcp-server local-researcher="uv --directory /path/to/your/local-research-server run python research_server.py"
```
#### Google AI Studio / Gemini CLI
Configure via your MCP client settings or environment variables.
#### Cline (VS Code)
Add to your Cline MCP server configuration in VS Code settings.
Replace `/path/to/your/local-research-server` with the full path to this directory.
## Usage
After configuration, restart your AI environment. Connection indicators vary by platform:
- **Claude Desktop**: Look for the plug icon (🔌)
- **Claude Code**: Server status shown in CLI output
- **Other platforms**: Check your MCP client's connection status
Ask your AI assistant research questions like:
- "What are the latest developments in AI research this week?"
- "Research current renewable energy trends in Europe"
- "Find recent cybersecurity threat reports"
Your AI assistant will automatically use the local server to fetch real-time information.
## How It Works
The server implements a single MCP tool that:
1. **Searches** the web using DuckDuckGo's free API
2. **Scrapes** content from the top search results
3. **Extracts** clean, readable text using Trafilatura
4. **Returns** formatted content to Claude for analysis
All processing happens locally with no data sent to external services except for the public web searches.
## Architecture
```
AI Client (Claude Desktop/Code/Gemini/Cline)
↓ (MCP Protocol)
Local Research Server
↓ (Search API)
DuckDuckGo Search
↓ (HTTP Requests)
Target Websites
↓ (Content Extraction)
Clean Text → AI Assistant
```
## Configuration Options
The server accepts these parameters for the research tool:
- `query` (string): The search query or research topic
- `num_results` (int): Number of search results to process (default: 3)
## Security Features
- **Input Validation**: Sanitizes search queries
- **Rate Limiting**: Polite delays between web requests
- **Error Handling**: Graceful failure handling
- **Local Processing**: No external data dependencies
## Business Applications
This research server is ideal for:
- **Content Creation**: Research-backed article writing
- **Market Analysis**: Real-time competitor and industry research
- **Due Diligence**: Company and investment research
- **Regulatory Monitoring**: Tracking compliance requirements
## Extending the Server
Consider these enhancements:
- Add RSS feed integration
- Implement search result caching
- Add domain filtering capabilities
- Include publication date extraction
- Add multiple search engine support
## Troubleshooting
### Common Issues
**Server not connecting:**
- Verify the absolute path in your AI client config
- Restart your AI environment completely
- Check that Python dependencies are installed
**No search results:**
- Verify internet connection
- Check DuckDuckGo service status
- Try different search queries
**Content extraction failing:**
- Some websites block scraping
- Try different search terms for varied sources
- Check the console output for specific errors
## Contributing
We welcome contributions! Please see our [Contributing Guide](CONTRIBUTING.md) for details.
## License
MIT License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.
## Related Projects
- [MCP Docs Server](https://github.com/Unlock-MCP/mcp-docs-server) - Local documentation access
- [Remote MCP Server](https://github.com/Unlock-MCP/remote-mcp-server) - Enterprise database access
- [UnlockMCP Website](https://unlockmcp.com) - MCP tutorials and resources
## Support
- [Tutorial Guide](https://unlockmcp.com/guides/build-local-research-mcp-server)
- [MCP Documentation](https://unlockmcp.com/guides/getting-started-mcp)
- [Issue Tracker](https://github.com/Unlock-MCP/local-research-server/issues)
