How to connect the SerpApi MCP server
To connect the official SerpApi MCP server, add https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcp to your MCP client as a Streamable HTTP server, then send a bearer token in the Authorization header. SerpApi documents setup for Claude, Claude Code, Codex, VS Code and Cursor.
Docs reviewed 5 Nov 2026Connection tested.
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Endpoint https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcp · Registry io.github.serpapi/serpapi-mcp 2.2.0
Add SerpApi MCP to your client
Claude can't send this server's credential headers from its connector settings. Use another client or follow the publisher's instructions.
Connect SerpApi MCP step by step
Before you start
- A SerpApi account and API key from the SerpApi dashboard. serpapi.com/integrations
- Searches count against your SerpApi plan. The free plan includes 250 searches per month. Crawling costs one search credit per successfully extracted page on an uncached request. serpapi.com/integrations
Authentication
- Your client → SerpApi MCP
- Bearer token. serpapi.com/integrationsregistry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0.1
- SerpApi MCP → SerpApi API
- The server uses the API credential you supply. serpapi.com/integrations
Steps
- Open SerpApi's MCP setup instructions
- Add the SerpApi MCP server to your client
Add https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcp as a remote MCP server that uses the Streamable HTTP transport (often labelled "http"). SerpApi also publishes a Claude Desktop extension bundle that asks for your key and calls serpapi.com directly.
- Enter your SerpApi API key
- Send the key as a bearer token
The client sends your API key in the Authorization header as a bearer token. SerpApi recommends the header because it keeps the key out of URLs and logs. For clients that cannot set headers, SerpApi also accepts the key as a path segment before /mcp, but a key in the URL path can appear in request logs.
- List the server's tools
Your client should list the server's tools. That confirms the connection, not every API permission.
What we observed
- 5 Nov 2026: HTTP 200 with an initialize result (server SerpApi MCP Server 2.2.0, protocol 2025-06-18). No WWW-Authenticate header. This matches the documentation: connecting, listing tools and reading resources need no key; the search and App tools require one.
- 5 Nov 2026: initialize and tools/list succeeded without credentials from the API Tracker browser explorer: 4 tools (search, search_dashboard, search_table, extract). Searches need an API key.
SerpApi MCP questions
What is the SerpApi MCP server URL?
The official SerpApi MCP server is at https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcp and uses the Streamable HTTP transport.
How do I authenticate with the SerpApi MCP server?
Send a bearer token in the Authorization header. Send the key as a bearer token: The client sends your API key in the Authorization header as a bearer token. SerpApi recommends the header because it keeps the key out of URLs and logs. For clients that cannot set headers, SerpApi also accepts the key as a path segment before /mcp, but a key in the URL path can appear in request logs.
Which AI clients can use the SerpApi MCP server?
SerpApi's documentation covers Claude, Claude Code, Codex, VS Code and Cursor. Other clients that support remote Streamable HTTP MCP servers may also work.
What do I need before connecting SerpApi MCP?
A SerpApi account and API key from the SerpApi dashboard. Searches count against your SerpApi plan. The free plan includes 250 searches per month. Crawling costs one search credit per successfully extracted page on an uncached request.
Has this SerpApi MCP guide been tested?
SerpApi's documentation was reviewed on 2026-11-05. The connection was tested.
Sources and review
SerpApi's documentation was checked on the dates shown. This guide follows the MCP Connect connection-guide draft, bound to the exact Registry record it describes. It is not a tested connection: your account and permissions decide which tools work.
Guide source and binding
MCP connection guide (draft 0.1) for io.github.serpapi/serpapi-mcp 2.2.0, bound to /remotes/0 of the Registry record by SHA-256 044ccecf071a….
- serpapi.com/integrations/mcp · checked 5 Nov 2026
- registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0.1/servers/io.github.serpapi%2Fserpapi-mcp/versions/2.2.0 · checked 5 Nov 2026