google_web_searchLABSCO SUMMARY
One tool, and the citations are the point.
Search tools are easy to find; ones that hand back grounding metadata are the ones whose output you can check. Because it bills against your own Gemini API key, search volume lands on that account rather than a separate search vendor. Take the API key path — the OAuth alternative is labelled experimental and drags in a billing-enabled Cloud project.
What it is
A single-tool MCP server lifted from Google's official Gemini CLI. It runs a Google web search through the Gemini API and returns results with grounding metadata, so answers carry source links rather than arriving unattributed.
What you get
google_web_search— takes aquerystring and returns search results with citations and source links- Grounding metadata alongside the results, which is what makes the sources checkable
- A choice of model through
GEMINI_MODEL, defaulting togemini-2.0-flash-exp
Requirements
Node.js 18+ and a Google API key with Gemini API access, minted in Google AI Studio and passed as GOOGLE_API_KEY or GEMINI_API_KEY. The package is gemini-google-web-search-mcp (1.0.0 in package.json); the documented path is a clone plus npm install and npm run build, then pointing the client at dist/index.js. An OAuth route via Google's Code Assist API exists behind USE_OAUTH, but the README marks it experimental and not fully supported, and it additionally wants a Google Cloud project with billing, the Cloud AI Companion API enabled and a Gemini Code Assist subscription. Apache 2.0.
Setup effort
Build from source — git clone https://github.com/louxsye/google-web-search-mcp.git
USE CASES
01
Answering from today rather than from training data
Search mid-conversation and let the model read current results, for questions where anything stale is simply wrong.
02
Getting an answer you can verify
Ask for a claim to be checked and follow the returned source links rather than trusting the summary.
03
Checking what changed in a fast-moving library
Search for recent release notes or discussion, then read the linked sources directly.
1 tool
Listed in project docs. Your client may show a different list.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
1 tool named in the project's documentation.
Requires
- Node.js 18+
- GOOGLE_API_KEY in your environment
Where it runs
Both documented setups run the server on your machine.
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
git clone https://github.com/louxsye/google-web-search-mcp.git
cd google-web-search-mcp
npm install
npm run buildMCP Clients
Claude Desktop — API key
CLAUDE DESKTOP — API KEY · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-web-search": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"<YOUR_PATH_TO_GOOGLE_WEB_SEARCH_MCP>/dist/index.js"
],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_API_KEY": "<YOUR_GOOGLE_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Claude Desktop — OAuth
CLAUDE DESKTOP — OAUTH · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-web-search": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"<YOUR_PATH_TO_GOOGLE_WEB_SEARCH_MCP>/dist/index-codeassist.js"
],
"env": {
"USE_OAUTH": "true"
}
}
}
}
