Freesearch
This server provides tools for web search using a SearXNG instance. It allows you to search web pages, news, images, videos, maps, music, IT information, scientific literature, documents, and social media content.
What is Freesearch?
Freesearch is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to this server provides tools for web search using a searxng instance. it allows you to search web pages, news, images, videos, maps, music, it information, scientific literature, documents, and social m...
This server provides tools for web search using a SearXNG instance. It allows you to search web pages, news, images, videos, maps, music, IT information, scientific literature, documents, and social media content.
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- This server provides tools for web search using a SearXNG in
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx freesearchConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Freesearch
The Freesearch MCP Server provides AI assistants with free, API-key-free web search capabilities by routing queries through a self-hosted or public SearXNG instance. It supports ten distinct search categories including general web, news, images, videos, maps, music, IT/programming, science, documents, and social media. This makes it an ideal privacy-friendly alternative to paid search APIs for research, content discovery, and information retrieval tasks.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.10 or higher and the uv package manager
- A running SearXNG instance (self-hosted via Docker or a public instance URL) with JSON output format enabled
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Cursor
- No API key required — SearXNG is open source and free to use
Set up a SearXNG instance
Run SearXNG in Docker and configure it to support JSON output format by editing settings.yml. This is required for the MCP server to parse search results.
docker pull docker.io/searxng/searxng:latest
mkdir -p ./searxng/config/ ./searxng/data/
docker run --name searxng --replace -d \
-p 8888:8080 \
-v "./searxng/config/:/etc/searxng/" \
-v "./searxng/data/:/var/cache/searxng/" \
docker.io/searxng/searxng:latestEnable JSON output in SearXNG settings
Edit the SearXNG settings.yml to add json to the formats list so the MCP server can parse results.
# In ./searxng/config/settings.yml, find the search section and add:
search:
formats:
- html
- jsonInstall the MCP server
Install mcp-server-freesearch using uvx for the simplest setup — no manual clone required.
uvx mcp-server-freesearchSet the SearXNG URL environment variable
Export the URL of your SearXNG instance. You can use a public instance if you do not want to self-host.
export SEARXNG_API_URL="http://localhost:8888"
# Optional settings:
export SEARXNG_REQUEST_TIMEOUT="10"
export ENV_FASTMCP_LOG_LEVEL="WARNING"Configure your MCP client
Add the server to your Claude Desktop configuration file with the SearXNG instance URL as an environment variable.
Restart and test
Restart Claude Desktop and try a search query to confirm the server is routing requests through SearXNG.
Freesearch Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration using uvx to run mcp-server-freesearch with a local SearXNG instance.
{
"mcpServers": {
"free-search": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["mcp-server-freesearch"],
"env": {
"SEARXNG_API_URL": "http://localhost:8888",
"SEARXNG_REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "10",
"ENV_FASTMCP_LOG_LEVEL": "WARNING"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example search queries across the different search categories the server supports.
- "Search the web for recent developments in quantum computing"
- "Find the latest news about the EU AI Act"
- "Search for Python async tutorial videos"
- "Look up scientific papers about CRISPR gene editing"
- "Find IT documentation on configuring nginx reverse proxy"Troubleshooting Freesearch
Search returns empty results or JSON parse errors
Ensure your SearXNG instance has JSON format enabled in settings.yml (add `- json` under `search: formats:`). Restart the SearXNG container after editing the config.
Connection refused when connecting to SearXNG
Verify the SearXNG container is running with `docker ps`. Ensure SEARXNG_API_URL matches the host and port where Docker is exposing the service (e.g., http://localhost:8888).
Rate limiting errors from public SearXNG instances
Public SearXNG instances may rate-limit automated requests. Self-host your own instance using the Docker setup above for reliable, unrestricted access.
Frequently Asked Questions about Freesearch
What is Freesearch?
Freesearch is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that this server provides tools for web search using a searxng instance. it allows you to search web pages, news, images, videos, maps, music, it information, scientific literature, documents, and social media content. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Freesearch?
Follow the installation instructions on the Freesearch GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Freesearch?
Freesearch works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Freesearch free to use?
Yes, Freesearch is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Browse More Search & Data Extraction MCP Servers
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Set Up Freesearch in Your Editor
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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