Tavily Web Search MCP Server
Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Tavily Web Search MCP Serverfind recent developments in quantum computing"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
AI Makerspace: MCP Session Repo for Session 13
This project is a demonstration of the MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, which utilizes the Tavily API for web search capabilities. The server is designed to run in a standard input/output (stdio) transport mode.
Related MCP server: Tavily MCP Server
Project Overview
The MCP server is set up to handle web search queries using the Tavily API. It is built with the following key components:
TavilyClient: A client for interacting with the Tavily API to perform web searches.
Prerequisites
Python 3.13 or higher
A valid Tavily API key
⚠️NOTE FOR WINDOWS:⚠️
You'll need to install this on the Windows side of your OS.
This will require getting two CLI tool for Powershell, which you can do as follows:
winget install astral-sh.uvwinget install --id Git.Git -e --source winget
After you have those CLI tools, please open Cursor into Windows.
Then, you can clone the repository using the following command in your Cursor terminal:
git clone https://AI-Maker-Space/AIE8-MCP-Session.gitAfter that, you can follow from Step 2. below!
Installation
Clone the repository:
git clone <repository-url> cd <repository-directory>Configure environment variables: Copy the
.env.sampleto.envand add your Tavily API key:TAVILY_API_KEY=your_api_key_here🏗️ Add a new tool to your MCP Server 🏗️
Create a new tool in the server.py file, that's it!
Running the MCP Server
To start the MCP server, you will need to add the following to your MCP Profile in Cursor:
NOTE: To get to your MCP config. you can use the Command Pallete (CMD/CTRL+SHIFT+P) and select "View: Open MCP Settings" and replace the contents with the JSON blob below.
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-server": {
"command" : "uv",
"args" : ["--directory", "/PATH/TO/REPOSITORY", "run", "server.py"]
}
}
}The server will start and listen for commands via standard input/output.
Usage
The server provides a web_search tool that can be used to search the web for information about a given query. This is achieved by calling the web_search function with the desired query string.
Activities:
There are a few activities for this assignment!
🏗️ Activity #1:
Choose an API that you enjoy using - and build an MCP server for it!
🏗️ Activity #2:
Build a simple LangGraph application that interacts with your MCP Server.
You can find details here!
Available Tools
3 toolsroll_diceC
Roll the dice with the given notation
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| notation | Yes | ||
| num_rolls | No |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden. It states the action ('roll the dice') but doesn't disclose behavioral traits like whether this is deterministic or random, what the output format is, or any limitations. The description is minimal and lacks essential context for a tool that likely involves randomness.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is a single, efficient sentence with no wasted words. It's appropriately sized for a simple tool and front-loaded with the core action. Every word earns its place, making it highly concise.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given the tool's low complexity and the presence of an output schema, the description is somewhat complete but inadequate. It covers the basic action but lacks details on notation format and behavioral aspects. With no annotations and minimal parameter explanation, it doesn't fully compensate for the gaps, though the output schema might help.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema description coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate. It mentions 'given notation' which hints at the 'notation' parameter, but doesn't explain what the notation entails. It doesn't address the 'num_rolls' parameter at all. The description adds minimal meaning beyond the schema, failing to clarify parameter usage.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description 'Roll the dice with the given notation' states a clear action (roll) and resource (dice), but it's vague about what 'given notation' means. It doesn't distinguish from sibling tools like text_to_speech or web_search, but those are unrelated, so differentiation isn't critical here. The purpose is understandable but lacks specificity about the dice notation format.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
No guidance is provided on when to use this tool versus alternatives. The description doesn't mention any context, prerequisites, or exclusions. Given the unrelated sibling tools, explicit alternatives aren't needed, but there's no indication of typical use cases or constraints.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
text_to_speechC
Convert the given text into speech and save as MP3 file
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| text | Yes | ||
| voice_id | No | JBFqnCBsd6RMkjVDRZzb |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It mentions converting text to speech and saving as MP3, implying a write operation, but lacks details on permissions, rate limits, file storage location, or error handling. This is a significant gap for a tool that likely involves file creation and external processing.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is a single, efficient sentence with zero waste, front-loading the core functionality. It's appropriately sized for the tool's complexity, making it easy to parse without unnecessary elaboration.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given the tool has an output schema (which likely describes the MP3 file or result), the description doesn't need to explain return values. However, with no annotations, 0% schema coverage, and two parameters, it's incomplete—missing behavioral context and parameter details. It's minimally adequate but has clear gaps in guiding usage and transparency.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema description coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate for undocumented parameters. It mentions 'given text' and 'save as MP3 file', which loosely relates to the 'text' parameter but doesn't explain the 'voice_id' parameter or its default value. The description adds minimal meaning beyond the schema, failing to fully address the coverage gap.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description clearly states the tool's purpose with specific verbs ('convert', 'save') and resources ('text', 'MP3 file'), making it easy to understand what it does. However, it doesn't differentiate from sibling tools (roll_dice, web_search), which are unrelated, so it doesn't need sibling differentiation but could mention uniqueness in a broader context.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives or in what contexts. It states what it does but offers no usage instructions, prerequisites, or exclusions, leaving the agent to infer appropriate scenarios without explicit help.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
web_searchB
Search the web for information about the given query
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| query | Yes |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden. It mentions 'Search the web' but doesn't disclose behavioral traits such as rate limits, authentication needs, result format, or potential side effects (e.g., network usage). This is a significant gap for a tool with no annotation coverage.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is a single, efficient sentence that directly states the tool's purpose without unnecessary words. It's appropriately sized and front-loaded, making it easy to grasp quickly with zero waste.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given the tool's moderate complexity (web search with 1 parameter), no annotations, and an output schema exists (which handles return values), the description is somewhat complete but lacks details on usage context, behavioral traits, and parameter semantics. It meets a minimum viable level but has clear gaps.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
The input schema has 1 parameter with 0% description coverage, so the schema provides no semantic details. The description adds minimal meaning by implying the parameter is a query for web search, but it doesn't explain query formatting, constraints, or examples. Baseline is 3 due to low coverage, but the description only partially compensates.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description clearly states the action ('Search') and resource ('the web') with the purpose ('for information about the given query'), making it easy to understand what the tool does. However, it doesn't differentiate from sibling tools like 'roll_dice' or 'text_to_speech', which are unrelated, so it doesn't need sibling differentiation but could be more specific about web search scope.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives or in what context. It simply states the function without mentioning any prerequisites, limitations, or scenarios where it's preferred over other tools, leaving usage entirely implicit.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
TDQS
Each tool has a clearly distinct purpose with no overlap: rolling dice, converting text to speech, and searching the web. The descriptions are straightforward, making it impossible to confuse one tool for another.
The naming is inconsistent with mixed conventions: 'roll_dice' and 'web_search' use snake_case, while 'text_to_speech' also uses snake_case but has a different verb style ('text_to' vs. 'roll'/'web'). There is no predictable pattern across the set.
With only 3 tools, the set feels thin for a web search server, as the domain suggests a focus on search-related operations. The inclusion of dice-rolling and text-to-speech tools seems out of scope, making the count inappropriate for the apparent purpose.
For a web search server, there are significant gaps in the tool surface: it lacks core operations like filtering search results, getting detailed page content, or managing search history. The unrelated tools (dice, text-to-speech) do not contribute to domain coverage, leaving the search functionality incomplete.
Maintenance
Resources
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Related MCP Connectors
Provides AI assistants with access to Seltz's powerful Web Search capabilities.
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Web search, news, page retrieval, sitemaps, and trending topics through Search1API.
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