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ResearchMCP Server

Provides web search results via Brave and Tavily through the MCP protocol with stdio transport.

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "riii111-researchmcp": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/ResearchMCP/cli.ts",
      "args": [],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "your_brave_api_key_here",
        "TAVILY_API_KEY": "your_tavily_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

ResearchMCP is a research tool that combines the Model Context Protocol with web search providers to empower your investigations. It enables structured MCP-based queries that leverage Brave Search and Tavily Search for rapid, contextual results within an MCP-enabled client. This server is useful when you want seamless, programmable access to web search capabilities through the MCP protocol while maintaining a clear separation between the client and the search backend.

How to use

You integrate this MCP server with an MCP client to perform web searches powered by Brave and Tavily. Start the MCP server and point your client to the provided transport so your client can issue MCP requests and receive results. The server exposes a standard MCP endpoint via stdio, meaning you launch a local process that your client can interact with through standard input and output.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before getting started: Node.js or a compatible runtime environment for your MCP CLI, a shell with script execution permissions, and access keys for Brave Search (and optionally Tavily Search). If you already have a working MCP client setup, you can reuse the same environment and simply point it to this MCP server.

Step 1: Prepare environment variables. You need the Brave API key and, if available, the Tavily API key. Place them in your environment or a local env file that your MCP client can import.

Step 2: Start the MCP server as shown in the example configuration. The MCP server runs as a stdio transport and requires the CLI entry to be executed by your runtime.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCPSearch": {
      "description": "Web search powered by Brave, Tavily, etc.",
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/ResearchMCP/cli.ts",
      "args": [],
      "transport": "stdio",
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "your_brave_api_key_here",
        "TAVILY_API_KEY": "your_tavily_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

How to run the MCP server

Start by launching the MCP server entry specified in your MCP configuration. The server runs in stdio mode and expects to be connected to by your MCP client. You will provide the environment keys and the CLI entry point which the client uses to communicate.

Additional configuration and notes

Environment variables you provide are used by the MCP server to authenticate with Brave Search and Tavily. Keep these keys secure and do not commit them to public repositories.

Available tools

WebSearch

Performs web searches via Brave Search and Tavily Search and returns results compatible with MCP queries.

MCPProtocol

Ensures full MCP compatibility for request/response semantics between client and server.

Caching

Caches search results to improve performance and reduce external API calls.