Open Custom Search API MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides access to Google's Custom Search API for web search functionality.

Features

• Google Custom Search Integration: Leverage Google's powerful search capabilities
• Configurable Result Limits: Customize the number of results (1-10) per search
• Environment Variable Configuration: Secure API credential management
• Comprehensive Error Handling: Robust error management for API failures
• Structured Response Format: Well-formatted search results with metadata
• Rate Limiting: Built-in protection against API quota exhaustion

MCP Client Configuration

Add this server to your MCP client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "custom-search": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@elchika-inc/open-custom-search-api-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_API_KEY": "your-google-api-key",
        "GOOGLE_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID": "your-custom-search-engine-id"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

google_search

Searches the web using Google Custom Search API with configurable result limits.

Parameters:

• query (required): The search query string
• limit (optional): Maximum number of results to return (1-10, default: 10)

Examples:

Basic search:

{
  "name": "google_search",
  "arguments": {
    "query": "MCP server development"
  }
}

Limited results search:

{
  "name": "google_search",
  "arguments": {
    "query": "TypeScript best practices",
    "limit": 5
  }
}

Response Format:

{
  "query": "MCP server development",
  "totalResults": "1000000",
  "searchTime": 0.123,
  "results": [
    {
      "title": "Example Result",
      "link": "https://example.com",
      "snippet": "This is an example search result...",
      "displayLink": "example.com"
    }
  ]
}

Prerequisites

1. Google API Key: Obtain from Google Cloud Console

   • Enable the Custom Search API in your Google Cloud project
   • Create credentials (API key) for your application

2. Custom Search Engine ID: Create at Google Custom Search

   • Set up a custom search engine
   • Configure search settings and domains
   • Copy the Search Engine ID

Environment Variables

The server requires the following environment variables:

• GOOGLE_API_KEY: Your Google API key from Google Cloud Console
• GOOGLE_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID: Your Custom Search Engine ID from Google Custom Search

Error Handling

Common error scenarios:

• Invalid or missing API credentials
• API quota exceeded or rate limits
• Network connection issues
• Invalid search parameters
• Custom Search Engine configuration errors

License

MIT