Google Web Search MCP Server

MCP server for Google Web Search using Gemini API

Local serverstdioTypeScript

What is the Google Web Search MCP MCP server?

Google Web Search MCP becomes available to MCP clients through the google web search mcp mcp server. MCP server for Google Web Search using Gemini API.

What Google Web Search MCP does

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides Google Web Search functionality using the Gemini API. This server is extracted from the official Gemini CLI's web search tool.

Key capabilities

  • Google Web Search via Gemini API
  • Citation support with source links
  • Grounding metadata for accurate information retrieval
  • Fully compatible with Claude Desktop and other MCP clients

Tools it exposes

Once connected, the assistant can call these 2 tools directly:

  • Building — The Building tool exposed by this server
  • Testing — The Testing tool exposed by this server

Installing the google web search mcp mcp server

The server is distributed via npm as gemini-google-web-search-mcp, so most clients can run it without a manual build step. Add it to your MCP client's configuration and restart the client to pick it up — the copy-paste configs for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are on this page.

Configuration

Before the server will start you need to supply 6 environment variables: GOOGLE_API_KEY, USE_OAUTH, OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET, GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT, GEMINI_API_KEY. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than committing them.

Requirements

  • Node.js 18+ - Google API Key (Gemini API access)

Where it fits

Search and scraping servers exist to fix the single most common failure of any assistant: answering from stale training data instead of what is on the web today. Google Web Search MCP sits in that group, and the shape of its toolset — Building, Testing — tells you what it is really for. Worth comparing against the other search web scraping servers in this directory before you commit to one, since several overlap in scope but differ sharply in setup cost and permissions.

Practical notes

  • This server runs locally, so it operates with whatever access your machine and its credentials already have. Scope that deliberately rather than by default.
  • It will not start until its required credentials are present, so set those before wondering why the tools never appear.
  • Maintained by louxsye, written in TypeScript.
  • MCP clients ask for confirmation before each tool call by default. Keep that on while you learn what the google web search mcp mcp server actually does with your data.
  • Every entry in this directory is reviewed by hand before it goes live, and details are checked against the project's own documentation.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
BuildingThe Building tool exposed by this server.
TestingThe Testing tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Google Web Search MCP MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-web-search": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/gemini-google-web-search-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

  • Node.js 18+ - Google API Key (Gemini API access)
VariableDescriptionRequired
GOOGLE_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
USE_OAUTHConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
OAUTH_CLIENT_IDConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRETCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECTConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
GEMINI_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Google Web Search MCP to Building.
  • Use Google Web Search MCP to Testing.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Google Web Search MCP to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 2 tools (Building, Testing) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Google Web Search MCP directly.