MCP Server
Give AI assistants access to real-time data. Search the web, compare flights, find hotels, and more.
Get Started
Create an integration and connect with OAuth in under a minute.
Authentication
OAuth and token-based authentication methods.
Quickstart
Set up Claude Code, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and more.
Available Tools
Explore available search engines and data sources.
Limits
Usage limits and rate limiting.
Authentication
SearchApi's MCP server supports two authentication methods.
OAuth (Recommended)
Compatible clients (including Claude, Cursor, Codex, VS Code, and Zed) handle authentication automatically. Modern clients use Client ID Metadata Documents; other OAuth clients use secure dynamic registration. Just provide the base MCP URL:
https://www.searchapi.io/mcpWhen your client connects for the first time, it will open a browser window where you can sign in and select which MCP integration to authorize. Subsequent connections reuse the stored token automatically.
Token Authentication
For clients without OAuth support or for server-to-server integrations, send your MCP token in the X-MCP-Token header:
X-MCP-Token: YOUR_TOKENGet your token from the MCP integrations dashboard. Do not put credentials in an MCP URL; URLs can be retained in browser history and intermediary logs.
Use OAuth if your client supports it — it's more secure (tokens expire and rotate automatically) and easier to manage. Use token auth for programmatic access or clients that don't support OAuth.
Set up your client
OAuth (Recommended)
If your client supports OAuth, use the base URL. Authentication is handled automatically on first connect.
No token needed. Your client handles authentication automatically via OAuth.
Claude Code
Run this command in your terminal:
claude mcp add --transport http searchapi https://www.searchapi.org/mcpYour browser opens on first connect to sign in and pick an integration.
Claude Desktop
Add it from the app — no config file needed:
- Open Customize → Connectors.
- Click Add → Add custom connector.
- Paste the URL above, click Add, then follow the OAuth prompt to authorize.
Available on all plans.
VS Code
Create .vscode/mcp.json in your project root:
{
"servers": {
"searchapi": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://www.searchapi.org/mcp"
}
}
}Start the SearchApi server from the MCP view; VS Code handles the OAuth sign-in.
Zed
Add this under context_servers in your Zed settings:
{
"context_servers": {
"searchapi": {
"url": "https://www.searchapi.org/mcp"
}
}
}
Zed uses context_servers instead of mcpServers and runs the OAuth sign-in on first connect.
Cursor
Add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"searchapi": {
"url": "https://www.searchapi.org/mcp"
}
}
}Cursor opens the OAuth sign-in when it first connects.
Codex
Run this command in your terminal:
codex mcp add searchapi --url https://www.searchapi.org/mcp
Codex discovers OAuth automatically. Run codex mcp login searchapi if sign-in is not opened immediately.
Any stdio-only client
Use the OAuth-aware mcp-remote bridge:
{
"mcpServers": {
"searchapi": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://www.searchapi.org/mcp"
]
}
}
}Requires Node.js (for npx). Your browser opens for authorization on first connect.
Token Authentication
Replace YOUR_TOKEN with the token from your dashboard.
Send the token with the X-MCP-Token header — not in the URL or the Authorization header (that's reserved for OAuth).
Cursor
Add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"searchapi": {
"url": "https://www.searchapi.org/mcp",
"headers": {
"X-MCP-Token": "YOUR_TOKEN"
}
}
}
}Or install it automatically:
Install in Cursor
Windsurf
Add this to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"searchapi": {
"serverUrl": "https://www.searchapi.org/mcp",
"headers": {
"X-MCP-Token": "YOUR_TOKEN"
}
}
}
}
Windsurf uses the serverUrl key instead of url.
Codex
Add this to ~/.codex/config.toml:
[mcp_servers.searchapi]
url = "https://www.searchapi.org/mcp"
http_headers = { "X-MCP-Token" = "YOUR_TOKEN" }
VS Code
Create .vscode/mcp.json in your project root:
{
"servers": {
"searchapi": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://www.searchapi.org/mcp",
"headers": {
"X-MCP-Token": "YOUR_TOKEN"
}
}
}
}
Zed
Add this under context_servers in your Zed settings:
{
"context_servers": {
"searchapi": {
"url": "https://www.searchapi.org/mcp",
"headers": {
"X-MCP-Token": "YOUR_TOKEN"
}
}
}
}
OpenCode
Add this to opencode.json in your project root:
{
"mcp": {
"searchapi": {
"type": "remote",
"url": "https://www.searchapi.org/mcp",
"enabled": true,
"oauth": false,
"headers": {
"X-MCP-Token": "YOUR_TOKEN"
}
}
}
}
Claude Code
Run this command in your terminal:
claude mcp add --transport http searchapi https://www.searchapi.org/mcp --header "X-MCP-Token: YOUR_TOKEN"
Claude Desktop
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"searchapi": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://www.searchapi.org/mcp",
"--header",
"X-MCP-Token:${MCP_TOKEN}"
],
"env": {
"MCP_TOKEN": "YOUR_TOKEN"
}
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop after saving. Requires Node.js (for npx).
Any other client
Bridge a stdio-only client with mcp-remote. Set MCP_TOKEN in its environment:
npx mcp-remote https://www.searchapi.org/mcp --header "X-MCP-Token:${MCP_TOKEN}"What you can do
Click any tool card to copy an example prompt you can use with your AI assistant.
Limits
- Maximum 10 MCP integrations per account
- Standard API rate limits apply
- Each tool call counts as one API request