Brave Search MCP Server
A reference MCP server that gives an agent real-time web and local search results through the Brave Search API, a straightforward way to add current information retrieval.
Add to Claude Code
claude mcp add brave-search -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-brave-search
Source: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/brave-search
About
The Brave Search MCP server calls the Brave Search API to return web search results (titles, URLs, and descriptions) directly to an agent, along with a separate local search mode for businesses and places near a specified location.
It's one of the original reference servers in the Model Context Protocol collection and remains a simple, low-setup option for adding general web search when you don't need a specialized research API.
Key features
- Real-time web search results via the Brave Search API
- Separate local search mode for businesses and places
- Simple API-key-based configuration
- No browser automation or scraping involved
Use cases
- Let an agent look up current information not present in its training data
- Find local businesses or services relevant to a user's query
- Add a lightweight, general-purpose search fallback to an agent's toolset
Available tools
brave_web_search
Performs a general web search and returns titles, URLs, and snippets.
brave_local_search
Searches for local businesses and places near a specified location.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Brave Search API key?
Yes. Set BRAVE_API_KEY as an environment variable; Brave offers a free tier of API queries per month.
Does it scrape the pages it finds?
No. It returns the search result metadata (title, URL, description) that Brave's API provides, not the full page content.