# Brave Search MCP Server
An MCP Server implementation that integrates the [Brave Search API](https://brave.com/search/api/), providing, Web Search, Local Points of Interest Search, Video Search, Image Search and News Search capabilities
<a href="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/@mikechao/brave-search-mcp">
<img width="380" height="200" src="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/@mikechao/brave-search-mcp/badge" alt="Brave Search MCP server" />
</a>
## Features
- **Web Search**: Perform a regular search on the web
- **Image Search**: Search the web for images.
- **News Search**: Search the web for news
- **Video Search**: Search the web for videos
- **Local Points of Interest Search**: Search for local physical locations, businesses, restaurants, services, etc
## Tools
- **brave_web_search**
- Execute web searches using Brave's API
- Inputs:
- `query` (string): The term to search the internet for
- `count` (number, optional): The number of results to return (max 20, default 10)
- `offset` (number, optional, default 0): The offset for pagination
- `freshness` (enum, optional): Filters search results by when they were discovered
- The following values are supported
- pd: Discovered within the last 24 hours.
- pw: Discovered within the last 7 Days.
- pm: Discovered within the last 31 Days.
- py: Discovered within the last 365 Days
- YYYY-MM-DDtoYYYY-MM-DD: Custom date range (e.g., 2022-04-01to2022-07-30)
- **brave_image_search**
- Get images from the web relevant to the query
- Inputs:
- `query` (string): The term to search the internet for images of
- `count` (number, optional): The number of images to return (max 20, default 5)
- **brave_news_search**
- Searches the web for news
- Inputs:
- `query` (string): The term to search the internet for news articles, trending topics, or recent events
- `count` (number, optional): The number of results to return (max 20, default 10)
- `freshness` (enum, optional): Filters search results by when they were discovered
- The following values are supported
- pd: Discovered within the last 24 hours.
- pw: Discovered within the last 7 Days.
- pm: Discovered within the last 31 Days.
- py: Discovered within the last 365 Days
- YYYY-MM-DDtoYYYY-MM-DD: Custom date range (e.g., 2022-04-01to2022-07-30)
- **brave_local_search**
- Search for local businesses, services and points of interest
- **REQUIRES** subscription to the Pro api plan for location results
- Falls back to brave_web_search if no location results are found
- Inputs:
- `query` (string): Local search term
- `count` (number, optional): The number of results to return (max 20, default 5)
- **brave_video_search**
- Search the web for videos
- Inputs:
- `query`: (string): The term to search for videos
- `count`: (number, optional): The number of videos to return (max 20, default 10)
- `freshness` (enum, optional): Filters search results by when they were discovered
- The following values are supported
- pd: Discovered within the last 24 hours.
- pw: Discovered within the last 7 Days.
- pm: Discovered within the last 31 Days.
- py: Discovered within the last 365 Days
- YYYY-MM-DDtoYYYY-MM-DD: Custom date range (e.g., 2022-04-01to2022-07-30)
## Configuration
### Getting an API Key
1. Sign up for a [Brave Search API account](https://brave.com/search/api/)
2. Choose a plan (Free tier available with 2,000 queries/month)
3. Generate your API key [from the developer dashboard](https://api.search.brave.com/app/keys)
### Streamable HTTP mode
By default the MCP server runs in stdio mode.
```bash
BRAVE_API_KEY="your_key_here" npx -y brave-search-mcp
```
To enable Streamable HTTP mode:
```bash
BRAVE_API_KEY="your_key_here" npx -y brave-search-mcp --http
```
By default the server listens on port 3001.
The URL is:
```
http://localhost:3001/mcp
```
The port can be configured via the PORT environment variable. For example:
```bash
PORT=4000 BRAVE_API_KEY="your_key_here" npx -y brave-search-mcp --http
```
### Usage with ChatGPT
The Brave Search MCP Server can be used with the web UI of ChatGPT. It takes a few steps.
#### 1. Enable Developer Mode in ChatGPT
Settings → Apps → Advanced settings → Developer mode
Additional instructions [here](https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/developer-mode)
#### 2. Run the Brave Search MCP in HTTP mode
```bash
BRAVE_API_KEY="your_key_here" npx -y brave-search-mcp --http
```
#### 3. Create a local tunnel to expose the MCP Server to ChatGPT
Sign up and configure [ngrok](https://ngrok.com/), the free plan works.
```bash
ngrok http 3001
```
Take note of the forwarding URL.
```bash
...
Forwarding https://john-joe-asdf.ngrok-free.dev -> http://localhost:3001
...
```
#### 4. Add Brave Search MCP as a Connector to ChatGPT
Open [ChatGPT Apps settings](https://chatgpt.com/#settings/Connectors)
Click Apps
Click Create Apps
Fill out the form using the URL from step 3 as the MCP Server URL, but add `/mcp`.
```
https://john-joe-asdf.ngrok-free.dev/mcp
```
For Authentication, select 'No Auth'
Tick the checkbox for 'I understand and want to continue'
Then click Create.
#### 5. Using the Brave Search MCP Server
In the ChatGPT UI, click the '+' button, scroll to '...more', select the newly created Brave Search app, and enter your query.
### Usage with Claude Code
For [Claude Code](https://claude.ai/code) users, run this command:
**Windows:**
```bash
claude mcp add-json brave-search '{"command":"cmd","args":["/c","npx","-y","brave-search-mcp"],"env":{"BRAVE_API_KEY":"YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"}}'
```
**Linux/macOS:**
```bash
claude mcp add-json brave-search '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","brave-search-mcp"],"env":{"BRAVE_API_KEY":"YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"}}'
```
Replace `YOUR_API_KEY_HERE` with your actual Brave Search API key.
### Usage with Claude Desktop
#### MCP Bundle (MCPB)
1. Download the `mcpb` file from the [Releases](https://github.com/mikechao/brave-search-mcp/releases)
2. Open it with Claude Desktop
or
Go to File -> Settings -> Extensions and drag the .mcpb file to the window to install it
#### Docker
1. Clone the repo
2. Docker build
```bash
docker build -t brave-search-mcp:latest -f ./Dockerfile .
```
3. Add this to your `claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcp-servers": {
"brave-search": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-e",
"BRAVE_API_KEY",
"brave-search-mcp"
],
"env": {
"BRAVE_API_KEY": "YOUR API KEY HERE"
}
}
}
}
```
#### NPX
Add this to your `claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcp-servers": {
"brave-search": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"brave-search-mcp"
],
"env": {
"BRAVE_API_KEY": "YOUR API KEY HERE"
}
}
}
}
```
### Usage with LibreChat
Add this to librechat.yaml
```yaml
brave-search:
command: sh
args:
- -c
- BRAVE_API_KEY=API KEY npx -y brave-search-mcp
```
## Monorepo Structure
This repository is a monorepo. The MCP server lives in `apps/brave-search-mcp`, and the shared Brave Search SDK lives in `packages/brave-search`. Most development and release work happens from the repo root using `pnpm` and `turbo`.
## Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.
## MCP Bundles (MCPB)
Anthropic recently released [MCP Bundles](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/mcpb/) allowing installation of local MCP Servers with one click.
Install the CLI tool to help generate both `manifest.json` and final `.mcpb` file.
```sh
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/mcpb
```
### Creating the manifest.json file
1. In this folder/directory which contains the local MCP Server, run `mcpb init`. The command will start an interactive CLI to help create the `manifest.json`.
### Creating the `mcpb` file
1. First install dev dependencies and build
```sh
pnpm install
pnpm run build
```
2. Then install only the production dependencies, generate a smaller nodule_modules directory
```sh
pnpm install --prod
```
3. Run `mcpb pack` to create a `mcpb` file. This will also validate the manifest.json that was created. The `mcpb` is essentially a zip file and will contain everything in this directory.
## Releasing the package
- The `brave-search` SDK is bundled into the server build; only `apps/brave-search-mcp` is published to npm.
- Requires Node 20+ (see the `engines` field in `apps/brave-search-mcp/package.json`). CI uses Node 24.
- Build with `pnpm -C apps/brave-search-mcp build` (or `pnpm -C apps/brave-search-mcp build:all`).
- If pnpm blocks esbuild postinstall, run `pnpm approve-builds` and allow `esbuild`.
- To release (e.g. 1.0.1):
1. Run `pnpm changeset` and select `brave-search-mcp` with a patch bump.
2. Apply versions + sync manifest with `pnpm -C apps/brave-search-mcp changeset:version`.
3. Commit and push the version changes.
4. Create a GitHub release/tag (this triggers the publish workflow).
- If user-facing behavior changes, create a changeset in `.changeset/` before releasing.
- Verify locally with `BRAVE_API_KEY=... node dist/index.js --http`.
## Disclaimer
This library is not officially associated with Brave Software. It is a third-party implementation of the Brave Search API with a MCP Server.
## License
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
