SerpApi — Claude Code MCP server: what it does, how to install
Connects search engines like Google, Bing, and eBay to your agent. Retrieves live web results, stock quotes, and weather data directly.
claude mcp add --transport http serpapi https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcpWhat SerpApi does
The server routes queries to the SerpApi platform, giving models direct access to multiple search engines. Beyond regular web results, it retrieves company financial metrics, local weather reports, and marketplace listings. It formats responses as JSON or Markdown. Choosing Markdown cuts token consumption by 50% on average.
You can connect to the hosted URL at https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcp or run your own copy locally using Python 3.13 with uv. Clients supporting UI elements can also use the bundled search_table and search_dashboard tools.
Without an API key, calling the search tool fails immediately with an error. Reading engine parameter schemas remains possible without passing credentials.
What it helps with
- query Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo without custom scraping scripts
- retrieve stock market figures and weather forecasts into conversation context
- lower context token consumption by formatting results as Markdown
- gather product listings from eBay and video metadata from YouTube
Example prompts for the agent
- Search Google for recent articles about React 19 releases
- Fetch financial figures for Tesla and tomorrow's weather in Berlin
- Look up ThinkPad laptop listings and prices on eBay
How to install SerpApi
Platform CLI: remote server
claude mcp add --transport http serpapi https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcpPlatform CLI: remote server
codex mcp add serpapi --url https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcpConfig file
{
"mcpServers": {
"serpapi": {
"url": "https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcp"
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"serpapi": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcp"
}
}
}Platform CLI: remote server
gemini mcp add -t http serpapi https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcpStep by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about SerpApi
How to install SerpApi in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add --transport http serpapi https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcp in your terminal to connect the remote server.
What does SerpApi MCP server do?
It gives AI assistants structured access to web search engines, market numbers, and shopping sites without parsing raw web pages.
Do you need an API key to search?
Yes, running queries via search requires a SerpApi token. However, exploring engine schemas and resource endpoints works unauthenticated.
