SearXNG
Integrates with SearXNG metasearch engine to provide powerful web search capabilities across multiple search engines with filtering options for categories, languages, time ranges, and safe search levels. Enables comprehensive web searches, autocomple
What is SearXNG?
SearXNG is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to integrates with searxng metasearch engine to provide powerful web search capabilities across multiple search engines with filtering options for categories, languages, time ranges, and safe search leve...
Integrates with SearXNG metasearch engine to provide powerful web search capabilities across multiple search engines with filtering options for categories, languages, time ranges, and safe search levels. Enables comprehensive web searches, autocomple
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Integrates with SearXNG metasearch engine to provide powerfu
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y @kevinwatt/mcp-server-searxngManual Installation
npx -y @kevinwatt/mcp-server-searxngConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use SearXNG
The SearXNG MCP Server bridges AI assistants with the SearXNG privacy-respecting metasearch engine, which aggregates results from dozens of search engines simultaneously. It exposes a single configurable search tool that supports filtering by language, time range, category, safe search level, and specific engines, with results paginated and capped at 50 per query. You would use this server when you want AI-powered web search without sending queries to a single commercial provider, either using a public SearXNG instance or your own self-hosted one.
Prerequisites
- Node.js v16 or higher and npm v7 or higher
- A SearXNG instance URL (public instances available; a self-hosted instance is recommended for reliability)
- Claude Desktop or another MCP-compatible client
- Optional: basic auth credentials if using a password-protected private SearXNG instance
Install via npm
Install the SearXNG MCP server package from npm. You can install it globally or use npx to run it on demand.
# Install globally
npm install -g @kevinwatt/mcp-server-searxng
# Or run directly with npx (no install)
npx -y @kevinwatt/mcp-server-searxngIdentify your SearXNG instance URL
Choose a SearXNG instance. For production use, self-hosting is recommended since public instances can return 429 errors under load. If you do not set SEARXNG_URL, the server selects a random public instance automatically.
# Example public instances (may have rate limits)
https://searx.be
https://search.disroot.org
# Self-hosted (recommended)
https://your-searxng.example.comConfigure Claude Desktop
Add the server to your Claude Desktop config. Set SEARXNG_URL to point to your chosen instance. Omit it to use automatic public instance selection.
{
"mcpServers": {
"searxng": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@kevinwatt/mcp-server-searxng"],
"env": {
"SEARXNG_URL": "https://your-searxng-instance.example.com",
"USE_RANDOM_INSTANCE": "false"
}
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop
Quit and reopen Claude Desktop so the new server configuration is loaded and the searxngsearch tool becomes available.
Test a basic search
Ask Claude to search for something. The searxngsearch tool will be called with your query and the configured instance URL.
SearXNG Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop config using npx with a specific SearXNG instance URL for reliable results.
{
"mcpServers": {
"searxng": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@kevinwatt/mcp-server-searxng"],
"env": {
"SEARXNG_URL": "https://your-searxng-instance.example.com",
"USE_RANDOM_INSTANCE": "false",
"SEARXNG_USERNAME": "",
"SEARXNG_PASSWORD": ""
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts that exercise the searxngsearch tool's filtering parameters.
- "Search for recent news about AI regulation published in the last month"
- "Find technical articles about Kubernetes networking, limit to 10 results"
- "Search for Python tutorials with safe search enabled"
- "Look up climate change research using only academic and science categories"
- "Search for 'open source LLMs' and filter results to English language only"Troubleshooting SearXNG
Search returns 429 Too Many Requests error
Public SearXNG instances have rate limits. Set SEARXNG_URL to a self-hosted instance or a less-popular public instance. Setting USE_RANDOM_INSTANCE to true allows the server to try different public instances automatically.
No results returned for a valid query
The configured SearXNG instance may be offline or filtering your query. Test the instance URL directly in a browser. If using a private instance with auth, confirm SEARXNG_USERNAME and SEARXNG_PASSWORD are set correctly in the env config.
Tool not appearing after configuration
Ensure Node.js v16+ is installed and the npx command is accessible. Run 'npx -y @kevinwatt/mcp-server-searxng' in a terminal to verify it starts without errors, then restart Claude Desktop.
Frequently Asked Questions about SearXNG
What is SearXNG?
SearXNG is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates with searxng metasearch engine to provide powerful web search capabilities across multiple search engines with filtering options for categories, languages, time ranges, and safe search levels. enables comprehensive web searches, autocomple It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install SearXNG?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y @kevinwatt/mcp-server-searxng. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with SearXNG?
SearXNG works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is SearXNG free to use?
Yes, SearXNG is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
SearXNG Alternatives — Similar Search & Data Extraction Servers
Looking for alternatives to SearXNG? Here are other popular search & data extraction servers you can use with Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
TrendRadar
★ 58.0kA real-time hotspot monitoring and news aggregation assistant that provides AI-powered analysis of trending topics across multiple platforms via the Model Context Protocol. It enables users to track news and receive automated notifications through va
Scrapling
★ 52.7k🕷️ An adaptive Web Scraping framework that handles everything from a single request to a full-scale crawl!
PDF Math Translate
★ 33.9k[EMNLP 2025 Demo] PDF scientific paper translation with preserved formats - 基于 AI 完整保留排版的 PDF 文档全文双语翻译，支持 Google/DeepL/Ollama/OpenAI 等服务，提供 CLI/GUI/MCP/Docker/Zotero
GPT Researcher
★ 27.2kAn autonomous agent that conducts deep research on any data using any LLM providers
Agent Reach
★ 20.1kGive your AI agent eyes to see the entire internet. Read & search Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, GitHub, Bilibili, XiaoHongShu — one CLI, zero API fees.
Xiaohongshu
★ 13.7kMCP for xiaohongshu.com
Browse More Search & Data Extraction MCP Servers
Explore all search & data extraction servers available in the MCPgee directory. Each server includes setup guides for Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
Set Up SearXNG in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
Ready to use SearXNG?
Browse our complete directory of 33,000+ MCP servers, read setup guides for your editor, and start building with the Model Context Protocol.