Serper MCP Server

Serper MCP Server supporting search and webpage scraping

Local serverstdioTypeScript

What is the Serper MCP server?

Serper MCP Server supporting search and webpage scraping. Exposed over MCP by the serper mcp server, that capability becomes something an assistant can invoke while it works, not something you go and do afterwards.

What it actually does

A TypeScript-based MCP server that provides web search and webpage scraping capabilities using the Serper API. This server integrates with Claude Desktop to enable powerful web search and content extraction features.

Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • google_search — Perform web searches via Serper API
  • site — Limit results to specific domain
  • filetype — Limit to specific file types (e.g., 'pdf', 'doc')
  • inurl — Search for pages with word in URL
  • intitle — Search for pages with word in title
  • related — Find similar websites
  • cache — View Google's cached version of a specific URL
  • before — Date before in YYYY-MM-DD format
  • after — Date after in YYYY-MM-DD format
  • exact — Exact phrase match
  • exclude — Terms to exclude from search results
  • scrape — Extract content from web pages

Configuration

You will need one environment variable: SERPER_API_KEY. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

  • Node.js >= 18 - Serper API key (set as SERPER_API_KEY environment variable)

Adding it to your client

The server ships on npm as @smithery/cli, so your MCP client can launch it on demand — there is no separate build step. Add the server block to your client's configuration, restart it, and the tools register themselves.

When to reach for it

This sits in the search and retrieval group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Serper's toolset — google_search, site, filetype and 11 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by marcopesani; 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We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Caveats

  • 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.
  • With 14 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Serper.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the serper mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
google_searchPerform web searches via Serper API
siteLimit results to specific domain
filetypeLimit to specific file types (e.g., 'pdf', 'doc')
inurlSearch for pages with word in URL
intitleSearch for pages with word in title
relatedFind similar websites
cacheView Google's cached version of a specific URL
beforeDate before in YYYY-MM-DD format
afterDate after in YYYY-MM-DD format
exactExact phrase match
excludeTerms to exclude from search results
scrapeExtract content from web pages
ToolsThe Tools tool exposed by this server.
DebuggingSince MCP servers communicate over stdio, debugging can be challenging. We recommend using the [MCP Inspector](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/inspector), which is available as a package script:

How to install the Serper MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "serper-1": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@smithery/cli"],
      "env": {
        "SERPER_API_KEY": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

  • Node.js >= 18 - Serper API key (set as SERPER_API_KEY environment variable)
VariableDescriptionRequired
SERPER_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Serper to google search.
  • Use Serper to site.
  • Use Serper to filetype.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Serper to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 14 tools (google_search, site, filetype, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Serper directly.