| name | brave-search-mcp |
| description | Official Brave Search MCP Server for web search, image search, news search, video search, and local POI search. Privacy-focused search API with AI-powered summarization. Connect AI agents to comprehensive search capabilities without Google tracking. Supports web navigation, research, fact-checking, and content discovery. Use when agents need to search the internet, find current information, research topics, verify facts, discover images/videos, or locate businesses/places. |
Brave Search MCP Server
Privacy-First Search for AI Agents
Official MCP server from Brave integrating the Brave Search API. Provides comprehensive search capabilities including web, images, videos, news, and local points of interest with AI-powered summarization.
Why Brave Search?
🔒 Privacy-Focused
No user tracking, no profiling, no search history surveillance. Unlike Google, Brave Search doesn't build profiles or track behavior.
🤖 AI-Native Features
- AI-powered summarization (summarizer tool)
- Structured data for agent consumption
- Rich context in search results
🌐 Comprehensive Coverage
- Web Search - General internet search
- Image Search - Visual content discovery
- Video Search - Video content from multiple platforms
- News Search - Current events and journalism
- Local POI - Businesses, restaurants, services near any location
Installation
npm install -g @brave/brave-search-mcp-server
git clone https://github.com/brave/brave-search-mcp-server
cd brave-search-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build
Configuration
Add to your MCP client config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"brave-search": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"BRAVE_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Get API Key
- Visit https://brave.com/search/api/
- Sign up for Brave Search API
- Free tier: 2,000 queries/month
- Paid plans available for higher volume
Available Tools
1. Web Search (brave_web_search)
General purpose internet search.
Agent Usage:
"Search for recent developments in quantum computing"
"Find tutorials on React hooks"
"What are the best practices for Docker security?"
Parameters:
query (required) - Search termscount (optional) - Number of results (default 10, max 20)offset (optional) - Pagination offset
2. Local Search (brave_local_search)
Find businesses, restaurants, services near a location.
Agent Usage:
"Find coffee shops near San Francisco"
"Pizza restaurants in Brooklyn"
"Gas stations near Times Square"
Parameters:
query (required) - What to search forlocation (optional) - City, address, coordinates
3. Image Search (brave_image_search)
Visual content discovery.
Agent Usage:
"Find images of the Golden Gate Bridge"
"Product photography for smartphones"
"Infographics about climate change"
4. Video Search (brave_video_search)
Video content from YouTube, Vimeo, and other platforms.
Agent Usage:
"Tutorial videos on machine learning"
"Keynotes from recent tech conferences"
"Documentary about space exploration"
5. News Search (brave_news_search)
Current events and journalism.
Agent Usage:
"Latest news about AI regulation"
"Recent developments in renewable energy"
"Tech industry news this week"
6. Summarizer (brave_web_search with summarizer)
AI-powered summarization of search results.
Agent Usage:
"Summarize current state of quantum computing research"
"Give me a summary of recent climate policy changes"
Use Cases for Agents
Research Assistant
Agent: "What are the latest findings on CRISPR gene editing?"
Brave Search: Returns recent articles, papers, news with summary
Fact Checking
Agent: "Is it true that coffee improves cognitive function?"
Brave Search: Provides sources, studies, verification
Local Discovery
Agent: "Find highly-rated sushi restaurants in Seattle"
Brave Search: Returns businesses with ratings, addresses, hours
Content Discovery
Agent: "Find video tutorials on Kubernetes deployment"
Brave Search: Returns relevant videos from multiple platforms
News Monitoring
Agent: "What's happening with Tesla this week?"
Brave Search: Recent news articles, announcements, coverage
Example Agent Workflow
Human: "I'm planning a trip to Tokyo. Help me prepare."
Agent:
1. brave_web_search("Tokyo travel guide 2026")
2. brave_web_search("Tokyo weather forecast")
3. brave_local_search("best ramen restaurants Tokyo")
4. brave_image_search("Tokyo metro map")
5. brave_news_search("Tokyo events 2026")
Agent: "Here's your Tokyo trip prep:
- Weather: [from search results]
- Top ramen spots: [from local search]
- Metro map: [image links]
- Current events: [from news search]"
vs Google Search
| Feature | Brave Search | Google Search |
|---|
| Privacy | ✅ No tracking | ❌ Extensive tracking |
| AI Summary | ✅ Built-in | ⚠️ Limited |
| API Cost | ✅ 2K free/month | ❌ Expensive |
| Speed | ✅ Fast | ✅ Fast |
| Coverage | ✅ Independent index | ✅ Comprehensive |
| Agent-Friendly | ✅ Structured data | ⚠️ Limited |
Rate Limits
Free Tier:
- 2,000 queries/month
- 1 query/second
- Web, image, video, news, local search
Pro Tier:
Privacy Guarantee
From Brave:
"Brave Search does not collect personal data, build user profiles, or track individual searches. Your queries are anonymous."
Resources
Advanced: Custom Configuration
{
"mcpServers": {
"brave-search": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/brave-search-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
"env": {
"BRAVE_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY",
"DEFAULT_COUNT": "15",
"ENABLE_SUMMARIZER": "true"
}
}
}
}
The search tool every agent needs: Privacy-first, AI-native, comprehensive coverage. Install once, search forever.
