# 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.

- Endpoint: https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcp
- Transport: Streamable HTTP
- Registry: io.github.serpapi/serpapi-mcp 2.2.0
- Publisher documentation reviewed: 2026-11-05 (connection tested)
- Guide page: https://apitracker.io/mcp-guides/serpapi-mcp

## Before you start

- 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.

## Steps

1. **Open SerpApi's MCP setup instructions** <https://serpapi.com/integrations/mcp>
2. **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.
3. **Enter your SerpApi API key**
4. **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.
5. **List the server's tools**

## 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

- https://serpapi.com/integrations/mcp (checked 2026-11-05)
- https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0.1/servers/io.github.serpapi%2Fserpapi-mcp/versions/2.2.0 (checked 2026-11-05)

Guide JSON: https://github.com/apideck-libraries/mcp-connect/blob/626f6a146170ded34891b30dca3af26f09e07466/proposals/connection-guide/0.1/reviewed/guides/serpapi-mcp.json