Open Custom Search API MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides access to Google's Custom Search API.

Features

• google_search: Search the web using Google Custom Search API
• Configurable result limits (1-10 results)
• Environment variable configuration for API credentials
• Comprehensive error handling

Installation

Using npx (Recommended)

# Run directly without installation
npx open-custom-search-api-mcp-server

Local Installation

npm install -g open-custom-search-api-mcp-server

Prerequisites

1. Google API Key - Get one from Google Cloud Console
2. Custom Search Engine ID - Create one at Google Custom Search

Usage

Running with npx

npx open-custom-search-api-mcp-server

Running locally

# After global installation
open-custom-search-api-mcp-server

Available Tools

google_search

Searches the web using Google Custom Search API.

Parameters:

• query (required): The search query
• limit (optional): Maximum number of results to return (1-10, default: 10)

Example:

{
  "name": "google_search",
  "arguments": {
    "query": "MCP server development",
    "limit": 5
  }
}

Response:

{
  "query": "MCP server development",
  "totalResults": "1000000",
  "searchTime": 0.123,
  "results": [
    {
      "title": "Example Result",
      "link": "https://example.com",
      "snippet": "This is an example search result...",
      "displayLink": "example.com"
    }
  ]
}

Configuration

MCP Client Configuration

To use this server with Claude Desktop or other MCP clients, add the following configuration to your MCP client settings (e.g., .mcp.json or Claude Desktop configuration):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "custom-search": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["open-custom-search-api-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_API_KEY": "your-google-api-key",
        "GOOGLE_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID": "your-custom-search-engine-id"
      }
    }
  }
}

For local development or global installation:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "custom-search": {
      "command": "open-custom-search-api-mcp-server",
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_API_KEY": "your-google-api-key",
        "GOOGLE_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID": "your-custom-search-engine-id"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

The server requires the following environment variables:

• GOOGLE_API_KEY: Your Google API key from Google Cloud Console
• GOOGLE_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID: Your Custom Search Engine ID from Google Custom Search

Architecture

All search operations are performed locally on the MCP server to minimize AI token consumption. The server handles:

• HTTP/HTTPS requests to Google Custom Search API
• JSON response parsing and formatting
• Error handling for API failures
• Environment variable validation
• Input parameter validation

License

MIT