Google Search MCP Server

What is Google Search MCP Server?

A standalone Windows MCP server that gives Claude Google search and web research capabilities, powered by SerpAPI. It ships as a single self-contained .exe — no Node.js, no npm install, no external runtime.

How to use Google Search MCP Server?

Download the pre-built .exe from the releases page, place it permanently, and configure your SerpAPI key in the env block of your MCP client config (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json). Restart Claude Desktop after saving. The server also offers a GUI installer when double-clicked, plus CLI subcommands (init, uninstall, status, diagnose, service).

Key features of Google Search MCP Server

• Self-contained Windows executable, no runtime dependencies
• Google search with quality-scored results and authority ratings
• Webpage content extraction (single or up to 5 URLs concurrently)
• Multi‑source research returning a structured synthesis prompt
• Bundled skills and agent that Claude invokes automatically
• Supports both stdio and HTTP transport modes

Use cases of Google Search MCP Server

• Enhance Claude with real‑time web search and research
• Fact‑check claims against multiple authoritative sources
• Locate official documentation and API references
• Track recent news and developments on a topic
• Perform competitive analysis and market landscape research

FAQ from Google Search MCP Server

What are the requirements?

Windows 10/11 (64‑bit), a SerpAPI account and API key (free tier: 100 searches/month). No other runtime needed.

How do I configure my SerpAPI key?

Set SERPAPI_KEY in the env block of your MCP client config (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json). Alternatively, use the GUI installer or service install to save the key to a config file at %USERPROFILE%\.google-research-mcp\config.toml.

What transport modes are available?

Two modes: stdio (default, used by Claude Desktop/Code) and http (for HTTP‑based MCP clients like LM Studio). Set MCP_TRANSPORT=http to enable HTTP mode. The HTTP endpoint binds to 0.0.0.0 and is not authenticated — only use on trusted networks.

What are the rate limits?

The free SerpAPI plan allows 100 searches per month. During research_topic, each source may count as one search. Exceeding the limit returns a 429 error.

How can I troubleshoot missing tools or timeouts?

Ensure SERPAPI_KEY is set correctly, restart Claude after config changes, and verify JSON syntax (no trailing commas, use double backslashes on Windows). For timeouts, increase the per‑tool‑call timeout to at least 30 seconds and run google-research-mcp.exe diagnose to measure a live call.