# Does Brave Search have an MCP server?

**Yes — Official.** Brave Search maintains an official MCP server.

## Facts

- Verdict: Official (Yes)
- Access: Local server — Runs on your machine over stdio, launched by your MCP client.
- Package: [`@brave/brave-search-mcp-server`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@brave/brave-search-mcp-server) on npm
- Repository: [brave/brave-search-mcp-server](https://github.com/brave/brave-search-mcp-server) — ★ 1.5k, last push 2026-09-29, MIT
- Maintainer: Brave Software
- Language: TypeScript
- Category: [Search & Data Extraction](https://mcpyet.com/category/search-data-extraction/)
- Verified against vendor docs: 2026-09-29
- GitHub data refreshed: 2026-09-29 (re-checked every 6 hours)

## The receipts

- **Official package:** [`@brave/brave-search-mcp-server`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@brave/brave-search-mcp-server) on npm. The package page carries the exact launch arguments and required credentials.
- **Official repository:** [brave/brave-search-mcp-server](https://github.com/brave/brave-search-mcp-server) — ★ 1.5k, pushed 2026-09-29, MIT (active)

## How to connect it

Runs on your machine over stdio, launched by your MCP client.

### Claude Code

```sh
claude mcp add bravesearch -- npx -y @brave/brave-search-mcp-server
```

Most servers need an API key passed as an environment variable — check the README for the exact variable names. Add `--scope user` to make it available in every project.

### Claude Desktop

Open **Settings → Developer → Edit Config** and add the server to `claude_desktop_config.json`, then restart Claude Desktop:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bravesearch": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "…"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Cursor

Add to `.cursor/mcp.json` in your project, or `~/.cursor/mcp.json` for every project:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bravesearch": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "…"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

Add to `.vscode/mcp.json`, then pick the server from Copilot's agent-mode tools menu:

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "bravesearch": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### ChatGPT

ChatGPT connects to **remote servers only**, and this one runs on your machine. Either expose it through an MCP gateway that gives it a public URL, or use a client with native local support (Claude or Cursor).

## How we know

Brave's Search API page (brave.com/search/api) links to its own brave/brave-search-mcp-server repo (~1.5k stars). The server is published on npm as @brave/brave-search-mcp-server by the brave.com account and registered as io.github.brave/brave-search-mcp-server. Brave runs no hosted endpoint; you run it yourself over stdio or HTTP.

- GitHub data refreshed 2026-09-29, then every 6 hours.
- Vendor docs verified on 2026-09-29.
- Corrections: hello@mcpyet.com.

## Also in Search & Data Extraction

- [Perplexity](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/perplexity.md) — Official (Yes)
- [Tavily](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/tavily.md) — Official (Yes)
- [Exa](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/exa.md) — Official (Yes)
- [Bright Data](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/bright-data.md) — Official (Yes)
- [SearXNG](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/searxng.md) — Community only (Sort of)
- [arXiv](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/arxiv.md) — Community only (Sort of)

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Source: https://mcpyet.com/mcp/brave-search/ — data refreshed 2026-09-29