mcp-searxng

mcp-searxng avatar

by ihor-sokoliuk

MCP Server for SearXNG

What is mcp-searxng

SearXNG MCP Server

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

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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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs. Think of MCP like a USB-C port for AI applications, providing a standardized way to connect AI models to different data sources and tools.

What are MCP Servers?

MCP Servers are lightweight programs that expose specific capabilities through the standardized Model Context Protocol. They act as bridges between LLMs like Claude and various data sources or services, allowing secure access to files, databases, APIs, and other resources.

How do MCP Servers work?

MCP Servers follow a client-server architecture where a host application (like Claude Desktop) connects to multiple servers. Each server provides specific functionality through standardized endpoints and protocols, enabling Claude to access data and perform actions through the standardized protocol.

Are MCP Servers secure?

Yes, MCP Servers are designed with security in mind. They run locally with explicit configuration and permissions, require user approval for actions, and include built-in security features to prevent unauthorized access and ensure data privacy.