DuckDuckGo Browser MCP Server
Provides real-time search capabilities via DuckDuckGo Lite, with automatic retry, caching, and category detection.
Click on "Deploy 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., "@DuckDuckGo Browser MCP Serversearch for latest AI news"
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.
DuckDuckGo MCP Server
A production-ready Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that performs real-time internet searches via the DuckDuckGo Lite endpoint (https://lite.duckduckgo.com/lite/) with automatic retry logic, intelligent caching, and robust error handling.
Supports all three MCP transports:
stdio — for MCP desktop hosts and IDE plugins
SSE — Server-Sent Events over HTTP
streamable-http — chunked HTTP streaming (default for container deployment)
Folder Structure
duckduckgo-tool/
├── duckduckgo_server.py # Main MCP server entry point
├── pyproject.toml
├── Dockerfile
├── README.md
├── pytest.ini
├── tests/
│ ├── __init__.py
│ └── test_search_tools.py
└── src/
└── duckduckgo_browser/
├── __init__.py
├── __main__.py # python -m duckduckgo_browser
├── duckduckgo_server.py # stub (canonical server is at root)
├── services/
│ ├── __init__.py
│ ├── search_engine.py # RealSearchEngine — DuckDuckGo Lite
│ └── web_scraper.py # DuckDuckGoScraper with retry & cache
└── tools/
├── __init__.py
├── toolhandler.py # Abstract base class
└── search_tools.py # get_internet_result tool handlerRelated MCP server: DuckDuckGo MCP Server
Available Tool (1)
get_internet_result
Performs a real-time search on DuckDuckGo Lite and returns a concise answer with source links.
Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| string | ✅ | Natural language query or search term |
Example output:
Answer: Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence that enables systems to learn
and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed.
Source 1: https://www.ibm.com/topics/machine-learning
Source 2: https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+machine+learningLocal Setup
# Create and activate virtual environment
python -m venv .venv
# Windows
.venv\Scripts\activate
# macOS / Linux
source .venv/bin/activate
# Install dependencies
pip install -e .Dependencies:
mcp[cli] >= 1.12.0starlette >= 0.27.0uvicorn >= 0.20.0requests >= 2.31.0beautifulsoup4 >= 4.12.0truststore >= 0.10.0
Run
The server is controlled by environment variables or CLI flags. Environment variables take priority and are used for container deployments.
Environment Variable | Default | Description |
|
| Transport mode: |
|
| Bind host |
|
| Bind port |
stdio (default for MCP desktop hosts)
duckduckgo-mcp --mode stdioSSE
duckduckgo-mcp --mode sse --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000Endpoints:
GET /sse— open SSE streamPOST /messages/— send MCP request framesGET /health— health checkGET /healthz— health check (alias)GET /— server info
Streamable HTTP
duckduckgo-mcp --mode streamable-http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000Endpoints:
POST /mcp— single MCP endpoint, chunked streaming responseGET /health— health checkGET /healthz— health check (alias)GET /— server info
Docker
# Build
docker build -t duckduckgo-mcp .
# Run streamable-http (default)
docker run -p 8000:8000 duckduckgo-mcp
# Run SSE mode
docker run -e TRANSPORT_TYPE=sse -e APP_PORT=8000 -p 8000:8000 duckduckgo-mcp
# Run with custom port
docker run -e TRANSPORT_TYPE=streamable-http -e APP_PORT=9000 -p 9000:9000 duckduckgo-mcp
# Run stdio mode (pipe-based)
docker run -i -e TRANSPORT_TYPE=stdio duckduckgo-mcpMCP Client Configuration
Streamable HTTP
{
"mcpServers": {
"duckduckgo": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "http://localhost:8000/mcp"
}
}
}SSE
{
"mcpServers": {
"duckduckgo": {
"type": "sse",
"url": "http://localhost:8000/sse"
}
}
}stdio
{
"mcpServers": {
"duckduckgo": {
"command": "duckduckgo-mcp",
"args": ["--mode", "stdio"]
}
}
}Testing with MCP Inspector
Streamable HTTP:
Start the server:
duckduckgo-mcp --mode streamable-http --port 8000Open MCP Inspector and connect to:
http://localhost:8000/mcpCall
get_internet_resultwith{"input_value": "what is machine learning"}
SSE:
Start the server:
duckduckgo-mcp --mode sse --port 8000Open MCP Inspector and connect to:
http://localhost:8000/sseCall
get_internet_resultwith{"input_value": "best cloud providers 2026"}
How It Works
Search Flow
User Query
↓
get_internet_result (async tool handler)
↓
RealSearchEngine.search()
↓
DuckDuckGoScraper.search_with_retry()
├─ Check in-memory cache (5-min TTL)
├─ Cache hit → return cached results
└─ Cache miss → fetch from DuckDuckGo Lite
├─ Attempt 1 (10s timeout)
├─ Fail → wait 2s → Attempt 2
├─ Fail → wait 4s → Attempt 3
└─ All fail → return stale cache or empty result
↓
Auto-detect category from result content
↓
Format: Answer + Source 1 + Source 2Key Features
Feature | Details |
Search Source | DuckDuckGo Lite ( |
Retry Logic | 3 attempts with exponential backoff (2s, 4s) |
Request Timeout | 10 seconds per attempt |
Caching | In-memory, 5-min TTL, stale fallback on network failure |
SSL | OS trust store via |
CORS | Fully open ( |
Session Timeout | 60s per request (streamable-http), unlimited (stdio) |
Category Detection
Results are automatically categorised from URL, title, and snippet content:
ai · programming · cloud · finance · health · science · education · travel · food · sports · general
Kubernetes Deployment
For EC2/Kubernetes, set transport mode and port via environment variables — no image rebuild needed:
# Streamable HTTP deployment
env:
- name: TRANSPORT_TYPE
value: "streamable-http"
- name: APP_PORT
value: "8000"
- name: APP_HOST
value: "0.0.0.0"
# SSE deployment
env:
- name: TRANSPORT_TYPE
value: "sse"
- name: APP_PORT
value: "8000"
- name: APP_HOST
value: "0.0.0.0"No supergateway wrapper is needed. The server handles its own HTTP binding directly for both SSE and streamable-http modes.
Running Tests
pip install pytest pytest-asyncio
pytestTroubleshooting
Port already in use
duckduckgo-mcp --mode streamable-http --port 8001No search results returned
Verify internet connectivity from the host/container
Test:
curl "https://lite.duckduckgo.com/lite/?q=test"Enable debug logging:
PYTHONPATH=src python -c "import logging; logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)"
SSL errors in corporate network
The scraper automatically retries with SSL verification disabled as a last resort
Alternatively, set
verify_ssl=Falseinweb_scraper.pyDuckDuckGoScraperinit
Import errors after install
pip install -e . --force-reinstallConfiguration Reference
Tune scraper behaviour in src/duckduckgo_browser/services/web_scraper.py:
DuckDuckGoScraper(
timeout=10.0, # Request timeout per attempt (seconds)
max_retries=3, # Number of retry attempts
retry_backoff_base=2.0, # Exponential backoff base (2s, 4s, ...)
cache_ttl=300, # Cache TTL in seconds (5 minutes)
)Robustness Summary
Scenario | Behaviour |
Network timeout | Retry up to 3x with exponential backoff |
All retries fail | Return stale cache if available, else empty result |
DuckDuckGo Lite unavailable | Fall back to HTML endpoint, then Instant Answer API |
SSL certificate error | Retry with SSL verification disabled |
Invalid query | Validation error returned as TextContent |
Port conflict | Clear error log with suggested fix |
Container restart | Cache cleared (in-memory); fresh searches on next request |
Requirements
Python 3.10+
Internet access (for DuckDuckGo searches)
No API key required
License
MIT License — see LICENSE file for details
Available Tools
1 toolget_internet_resultA
Simple internet search via DuckDuckGo. Returns a concise answer with source links.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| input_value | Yes | Search query |
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 the tool returns a concise answer with source links, which is helpful, but it does not disclose potential rate limits, authentication requirements, or any other behavioral traits beyond the basic function.
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 concise with two sentences, front-loading the core purpose. Every word contributes meaning, and there is no redundancy or unnecessary detail.
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?
For a simple tool with one parameter and no output schema, the description is adequate but could be improved by mentioning limitations (e.g., query complexity, result format) or usage context. It does not address missing annotations like auth or rate limits.
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 schema description coverage is 100% with the parameter 'input_value' described as 'Search query'. The tool description adds no additional parameter-specific information beyond what the schema provides, so a baseline score of 3 is appropriate.
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 it performs an internet search via DuckDuckGo and returns a concise answer with source links. The verb 'search' and resource 'internet' are specific, and the engine is named, making the purpose unambiguous.
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 implies use for simple internet searches but does not provide explicit guidance on when to use this tool vs alternatives or when not to use it. No sibling tools exist, but the description lacks context for appropriate scenarios.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
Tool Schema Changelog
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
1 tool update
v1.0.0- First observed
get_internet_result
TDQS
Scored across 1 tool
Only one tool exists, so there is no possibility of confusion between tools.
With a single tool, naming consistency is inherently perfect.
A single tool for a search server is too few; typical search APIs offer multiple result types or pagination, making this feel sparse.
The server only provides a basic search without advanced features like multiple results, filtering, or categories, leaving significant gaps for a search domain.
Maintenance
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