OpenRouter Web Search MCP Server

An MCP server providing websearch using openrouter :online

Local serverstdioGo

What is the OpenRouter Web Search MCP server?

Connect OpenRouter Web Search to Claude, Cursor or any other MCP client and it stops being a tab you switch to. An MCP server providing websearch using openrouter :online. The openrouter web search mcp server is what makes that connection.

What the server does

This project implements an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides a search_web tool. The tool performs a web search using OpenRouter's online models to generate concise, up-to-date answers.

  • Exposes an MCP-compatible server over stdio
  • Provides a search_web tool that:
  • Accepts a search query string
  • Uses OpenRouter's online models to generate a fact-based answer
  • Returns the answer as plain text

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: OPENROUTER_API_KEY. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

  • Go 1.18+ - An OpenRouter API key

Installation

Setup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client. The configuration blocks on this page cover the common clients.

Where it fits

Plenty of search and retrieval servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. It is maintained by ChristianSch; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Worth knowing first

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

How to install the OpenRouter Web Search MCP server

## Usage

Run the server:

```bash
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "web-search": {
            "command": "openrouter-websearch-mcp",
            "env": {
                "OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "sk-or-v1-..."
            }
        }
    }
}

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

Configuration

  • Go 1.18+ - An OpenRouter API key
VariableDescriptionRequired
OPENROUTER_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Frequently asked questions

`OPENROUTER_API_KEY` (required) and `MODEL_NAME` (optional; defaults to `google/gemini-2.5-pro-exp-03-25:free:online`).