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Record · brave-searchMCP serverCosts not checkedRecord checked Sep 23, 2026

Brave Search MCP Server

Brave's official MCP server for web, news, image, video, local and place search plus summaries.

Visit Brave Search MCP Server →View repository

Sources and review

Checked against public documentation on . Suitability guidance is our editorial judgment; this is not a performance benchmark or an endorsement.

Best for

Adding an independent web search index to an MCP client.

Avoid if

You don't have a Brave Search API key; every tool calls that API.

About Brave Search MCP Server

Brave's official MCP server integrates the Brave Search API, with tools for web, local business, place, image, video and news search, an LLM context tool and AI summarization. It runs over stdio by default, with an HTTP transport available. Version 2 stopped returning base64 image data from image search to save context.

Brave Search MCP Server is listed in this index written primarily in TypeScript, with 1.6k stars on GitHub. Its latest recorded repository push was in October 2026; that is not an ASE editorial review date.

Before connecting: access and data

Brave's connector sends search/context requests to Brave's API. Local stdio launch does not keep queries on your machine.

Publisher documentation checked ; recheck due . These are documented capabilities, not a tested connection or security assessment.

Can read
  • Search, context and summarization results returned through the enabled Brave tools.
Can change
  • The checked toolset is retrieval-oriented, rather than general browser or account editing. API requests can still consume plan usage.
Code and process execution
  • The client launches a local server for stdio. Retrieval tools do not establish that the process is sandboxed.
Credentials and account state
  • A Brave API key supplied through BRAVE_API_KEY or the documented key-file option. Treat it as a secret.
Data destinations
  • Queries and parameters reach Brave's API; optional context location headers can include location. Your client may forward results to its model provider.
Limits of this check
  • No local-only, provider-retention or zero-cost assurance was checked. Stdio is the default; HTTP exposure needs separate review.
Limit access before connecting
  • Use --enabled-tools/--disabled-tools or the corresponding BRAVE_MCP_ENABLED_TOOLS/BRAVE_MCP_DISABLED_TOOLS settings. Inspect discovered tools and current plan limits.
Disconnect and revoke access
  • Disconnect the server and revoke the API key in Brave's dashboard; generate a replacement if needed. Removing local config alone does not revoke the key.
  • List the accounts, files and services the enabled tools can read, change or execute. Check your actual credentials and discovered tools.
  • Use narrowly scoped credentials and read-only mode where supported. Review proposed writes before approving them; a generated configuration does not apply these limits for you.
  • Local launch is not local-only data processing. External services receive requests, and your client may pass tool results to its model provider. Check both destinations before sharing private data.
  • Keep keys and browser session files out of shared config, repositories and screenshots. Know how to disconnect the server and separately revoke its credentials or account sessions.

Read the setup guide →

Add Brave Search MCP Server to your MCP client

Generated from the launch command in the project's README. Your client starts the server on demand. Replace <your-api-key> with your own value first.

Claude CodeRun in your terminal
claude mcp add brave-search-mcp -e 'BRAVE_API_KEY=<your-api-key>' -- npx -y @brave/brave-search-mcp-server
Cursor~/.cursor/mcp.json or .cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "<your-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}
VS Code.vscode/mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    "brave-search-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "<your-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}
Claude Desktopclaude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "<your-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}
Codex~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.brave-search-mcp]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server"]
env = { BRAVE_API_KEY = "<your-api-key>" }

Check the project's README for required accounts, keys and permissions before connecting. Setup guide for each client →

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