What is SearXNG

The SearXNG MCP Server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) that integrates the SearXNG API, allowing users to perform web searches through a centralized server interface. It provides functionality for general queries, news searches, and accessing a range of articles.

Use cases

This MCP server can be used by developers and users who need access to web search capabilities in their applications. It is particularly useful for creating search tools or enhancing existing applications with web search features. Specific use cases include retrieving articles, performing news searches, and retrieving content in specified languages or with specific filtering options.

How to use

To use the SearXNG MCP Server, users need to set the SEARXNG_URL environment variable to point to a SearxNG instance. They can also configure basic authentication if necessary. Users can then install the server via Smithery or NPX commands, Docker, or build it locally, integrating it into their existing MCP configurations for applications such as Claude Desktop.

Key features

Key features of the SearXNG MCP Server include web search capabilities with pagination, time filtering options, language selection for results, and safe search controls. These features enhance the search experience by tailoring results based on user preferences and requirements.

Where to use

The SearXNG MCP Server can be utilized in various environments such as desktop applications, web servers, or any platform that supports MCP frameworks. It is suitable for integrating web search functionality into software solutions that require external content retrieval.

SearXNG MCP Server

An MCP server implementation that integrates the SearXNG API, providing web search capabilities.

Features

• Web Search: General queries, news, articles, with pagination.
• Pagination: Control which page of results to retrieve.
• Time Filtering: Filter results by time range (day, month, year).
• Language Selection: Filter results by preferred language.
• Safe Search: Control content filtering level for search results.

Tools

• searxng_web_search

  • Execute web searches with pagination
  • Inputs:
    • query (string): The search query. This string is passed to external search services.
    • pageno (number, optional): Search page number, starts at 1 (default 1)
    • time_range (string, optional): Filter results by time range - one of: “day”, “month”, “year” (default: none)
    • language (string, optional): Language code for results (e.g., “en”, “fr”, “de”) or “all” (default: “all”)
    • safesearch (number, optional): Safe search filter level (0: None, 1: Moderate, 2: Strict) (default: instance setting)

• web_url_read

  • Read and convert the content from a URL to markdown
  • Inputs:
    • url (string): The URL to fetch and process

Configuration

Setting the SEARXNG_URL

1. Choose a SearxNG instance from the list of public instances or use your local environment.
2. Set the SEARXNG_URL environment variable to the instance URL.
3. The default SEARXNG_URL value is http://localhost:8080.

Using Authentication

If you are using a password protected SearxNG instance you can set a username and password for HTTP Basic Auth:

• Set the AUTH_USERNAME environmental variable to your username
• Set the AUTH_PASSWORD environmental variable to your password

Usage with Claude Desktop

Installing via Smithery

To install SearxNG Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @ihor-sokoliuk/server-searxng --client claude

NPX

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "searxng": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-searxng"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SEARXNG_URL": "YOUR_SEARXNG_INSTANCE_URL"
      }
    }
  }
}

NPM

npm install -g mcp-searxng

And then in your MCP config file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "searxng": {
      "command": "mcp-searxng",
      "env": {
        "SEARXNG_URL": "YOUR_SEARXNG_INSTANCE_URL"
      }
    }
  }
}

Docker

Using Pre-built Image from Docker Hub

docker pull isokoliuk/mcp-searxng:latest

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "searxng": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "SEARXNG_URL",
        "isokoliuk/mcp-searxng:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SEARXNG_URL": "YOUR_SEARXNG_INSTANCE_URL"
      }
    }
  }
}

Build Locally

docker build -t mcp-searxng:latest -f Dockerfile .

Use

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "searxng": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "SEARXNG_URL",
        "mcp-searxng:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SEARXNG_URL": "YOUR_SEARXNG_INSTANCE_URL"
      }
    }
  }
}

License

This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. This means you are free to use, modify, and distribute the software, subject to the terms and conditions of the MIT License. For more details, please see the LICENSE file in the project repository.