Web Search (Brave) MCP server

The MCP Web Search Tool is a server that enables AI assistants to access real-time information from the web through various search providers. Currently integrated with the Brave Search API, it allows AI models like Claude to retrieve up-to-date information about news, weather, sports, and more.

Features

• Real-time web information retrieval for AI assistants
• Pluggable search providers with Brave Search API integration
• Structured JSON output for search results
• Smart query categorization and context-aware guidance

Requirements

• Node.js v16.x or newer
• npm v7.x or newer
• Brave Search API Key

Installation

Clone and Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/gabrimatic/mcp-web-search-tool.git
   cd mcp-web-search-tool
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Configure environment variables by creating a .env file:

   BRAVE_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
   MAX_RESULTS=10
   REQUEST_TIMEOUT=10000
   

4. Build the project:

   npm run build
   

Usage

Starting the Server

To start the MCP server:

npm start

Testing the Server

To verify the server is working correctly:

node test-server.js

Integration with Claude Desktop

Configuration

1. Create a claude_desktop_config.json file:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "mcp-web-search": {
         "command": "node",
         "args": [
           "/path/to/your/mcp-web-search-tool/build/index.js"
         ]
       }
     }
   }
   

2. Launch Claude Desktop with your configuration file

3. Ask Claude questions that require real-time information

Example Queries

• "What are analysts saying about the MVP race after tonight's NBA games?"
• "What are the latest news about artificial intelligence?"
• "What's the weather like in New York today?"
• "How is the stock market performing right now?"

Available Tools

Web Search

• Tool Name: web_search
• Description: Search the web for real-time information
• Useful For: Weather, current events, sports scores, stock market updates
• Parameters:
  • search_term (string): The search term to look up
  • provider (string, optional): Search provider (defaults to Brave)

Query Categories

The tool automatically categorizes queries into:

• Weather information
• Current events and news
• Sports scores and results
• Stock market and financial data
• Time-sensitive information
• General information seeking

How to add this MCP server to Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.