MCP server
Brave Search
Run live web searches as part of a Claude conversation.
Published by the company that makes the product.
What it can access
Sends your search queries to Brave's Search API using an API key you provide; does not access local files.
Security note
A reference server maintained under the official Model Context Protocol project. Your search queries leave your machine for Brave's servers, so never phrase a search around a witness name or an exact location you are trying to protect.
Before you start
This one needs a terminal (a command-line window) and Node.js already on your computer. If a terminal is unfamiliar to you, install a Skill from this directory instead, or ask a technical colleague to do these steps with you.
To check whether Node.js is installed: open the Terminal app (PowerShell on Windows), type node -v, and press Enter. A version number means it is installed. “command not found” means you have to install it from its own official website first.
How to install
- Follow the “Installation” section of the project’s own instructions at github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/brave-search.
- You will be asked to add a short block of text to Claude Desktop’s configuration file and restart the app.
- After restarting, open Claude Desktop’s Settings and confirm “Brave Search MCP Server” is listed as connected.
How to remove it
- Open the configuration file from step 2, delete the block you added for “Brave Search MCP Server”, save it, and restart Claude Desktop.
- Delete or revoke any API key or account you created for this on the vendor’s own website. Otherwise a stray copy of the configuration file is still a working key.