README.md
Professional research tools for AI assistants - Google Search, web scraping
Google Researcher MCP Server
Professional research tools for AI assistants - Google Search, web scraping, academic papers, patents, and more
Features
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
google_search |
Web search with site, date, and language filters |
google_news_search |
News search with freshness controls |
google_image_search |
Image search with type, size, color filters |
scrape_page |
Extract content from web pages, PDFs, DOCX |
search_and_scrape |
Combined search + content extraction |
academic_search |
Papers from arXiv, PubMed, IEEE, Springer |
patent_search |
Patent search with assignee/inventor filters |
| YouTube | Automatic transcript extraction |
sequential_search |
Multi-step research tracking |
Use Cases
- Research Assistants: Enable Claude to search the web and synthesize information
- Content Creation: Gather sources, citations, and supporting evidence
- Academic Research: Find papers, extract citations, track research progress
- Competitive Intelligence: Patent searches, company research, market analysis
- News Monitoring: Track breaking news, industry updates, specific sources
- Technical Documentation: Extract content from docs, tutorials, and references
Comparison with Alternatives
| Feature | Google Researcher | Basic Web Search | Manual Research |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Search | Yes | Yes | No |
| News Search | Yes | No | No |
| Image Search | Yes | No | No |
| Academic Papers | Yes | No | Yes |
| Patent Search | Yes | No | Yes |
| YouTube Transcripts | Yes | No | No |
| PDF Extraction | Yes | No | No |
| Citation Generation | Yes | No | Yes |
| Response Caching | Yes (30min) | No | N/A |
| Rate Limiting | Yes | No | N/A |
This is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants like Claude, GPT, and other LLMs to:
- Search the web via Google (general, images, news)
- Read any webpage including JavaScript-rendered sites
- Extract YouTube transcripts automatically
- Parse documents (PDF, DOCX, PPTX)
Built for production use with caching, quality scoring, and enterprise security.
Quick Start
Claude Desktop (macOS)
Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-researcher": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "google-researcher-mcp"],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_CUSTOM_SEARCH_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE",
"GOOGLE_CUSTOM_SEARCH_ID": "YOUR_SEARCH_ID_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Claude Desktop (Windows)
Add to %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-researcher": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "google-researcher-mcp"],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_CUSTOM_SEARCH_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE",
"GOOGLE_CUSTOM_SEARCH_ID": "YOUR_SEARCH_ID_HERE"
}
}
}
}
One-Click Install (MCPB)
Download the latest .mcpb bundle from GitHub Releases and double-click to install in Claude Desktop. You'll be prompted to enter your Google API credentials.
Claude Code
Add to ~/.claude.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-researcher": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "google-researcher-mcp"],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_CUSTOM_SEARCH_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE",
"GOOGLE_CUSTOM_SEARCH_ID": "YOUR_SEARCH_ID_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Cline / Roo Code
Use the same JSON configuration above in your MCP settings.
Need API keys? See the API Setup Guide for step-by-step instructions to get your Google API credentials.
Local Development
git clone https://github.com/zoharbabin/google-researcher-mcp.git && cd google-researcher-mcp
npm install && npx playwright install chromium
cp .env.example .env # Then add your Google API keys to .env
npm run dev # Server is now running on STDIO transport
Note: This starts the server in STDIO mo
Tools (7)
google_searchWeb search with site, date, and language filtersgoogle_news_searchNews search with freshness controlsgoogle_image_searchImage search with type, size, color filtersscrape_pageExtract content from web pages, PDFs, DOCXsearch_and_scrapeCombined search + content extractionacademic_searchPapers from arXiv, PubMed, IEEE, Springerpatent_searchPatent search with assignee/inventor filtersEnvironment Variables
GOOGLE_CUSTOM_SEARCH_API_KEYrequiredAPI key for Google Custom SearchGOOGLE_CUSTOM_SEARCH_IDrequiredSearch engine ID for Google Custom SearchConfiguration
claude_desktop_config.json
{"mcpServers": {"google-researcher": {"command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "google-researcher-mcp"], "env": {"GOOGLE_CUSTOM_SEARCH_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE", "GOOGLE_CUSTOM_SEARCH_ID": "YOUR_SEARCH_ID_HERE"}}}}Try it
→Search for recent news about AI regulations and summarize the key points.
→Find academic papers on the latest advancements in quantum computing from arXiv.
→Extract the transcript from this YouTube video URL and provide a bulleted summary.
→Scrape the content from this technical documentation page and explain the installation steps.
→Perform a patent search for 'autonomous drone navigation' and list the top results.