Brave Search MCP server

OpenDeepSearch is a powerful research tool that combines structured thinking with Brave Search capabilities to provide comprehensive, well-sourced research reports on complex topics. It integrates with Model Context Protocol (MCP) clients like Claude Desktop and Cursor to deliver detailed analysis and synthesis of information.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 16 or higher
• A Brave Search API key (obtain one at https://brave.com/search/api/)

NPM Installation

npm install -g open-deep-research

Running with NPX

BRAVE_API_KEY=your_api_key npx open-deep-research

Local Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/tositon/open-deep-research.git
cd open-deep-research

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Run with Brave Search API
BRAVE_API_KEY=your_api_key npm start

Installation via Smithery

# Install for Claude
npx @smithery/cli install open-deep-research --client claude

# Install for Cursor
npx @smithery/cli install open-deep-research --client cursor

During Smithery installation, you'll be prompted to enter your Brave Search API key.

Usage

With Claude Desktop

Add the following to your Claude Desktop configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "open-deep-research": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "open-deep-research"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

With Cursor

In Cursor, add the MCP server with:

claude mcp add "open-deep-research" npx open-deep-research

Make sure to set the BRAVE_API_KEY environment variable before running Cursor.

Example Queries

You can ask complex research questions such as:

• "What are the latest developments in quantum computing?"
• "Compare and contrast different approaches to climate change mitigation"
• "Explain the history and impact of the Renaissance on European art"
• "What are the pros and cons of different renewable energy sources?"

How It Works

OpenDeepSearch processes your research queries through several stages:

1. Question Analysis: Breaks down the main question into manageable sub-questions
2. Iterative Search: Performs searches for each sub-question using Brave Search API
3. Result Analysis: Extracts relevant information from search results
4. Synthesis: Combines findings into a coherent, structured report
5. Citation: Includes proper citations for all information sources

Testing with MCP Inspector

For testing the MCP server, you can use MCP Inspector:

# Install and run MCP Inspector
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector

# Run the server in another terminal
BRAVE_API_KEY=your_api_key npm start

After launching Inspector, open your browser and go to http://localhost:5173. Connect to the WebSocket server using the URL ws://localhost:3000.

Example Test Requests

In the MCP Inspector interface, you can select a tool and configure request parameters:

Testing Brave Web Search

{
  "query": "latest quantum computing advancements",
  "count": 5
}

Testing Sequential Thinking

{
  "thought": "Starting analysis of global warming problem",
  "thoughtNumber": 1,
  "totalThoughts": 5,
  "nextThoughtNeeded": true
}

Testing Deep Research

{
  "query": "Comparison of different renewable energy sources",
  "action": "start",
  "maxSubQuestions": 3
}

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.