Web, academic and code search with graph RAG, data lineage, ontology and cross-project schema links.
To add google-surf-mcp to Claude, run the install command below or copy the ready-made config for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and VS Code further down. Restart your client after adding it and its tools show up in your next conversation. It needs 29 environment variables, listed below.
Install
npx -y google-surf-mcp@1.1.5Environment variables
SEARCH_APISet in your MCP configSURF_SEARCH_PROVIDERSet in your MCP configSURF_SCHOLAR_PROVIDERSet in your MCP configSURF_BROWSER_ENGINESet in your MCP configCHROME_PATHSet in your MCP configSURF_PROFILE_ROOTSet in your MCP configSURF_RESEARCHSet in your MCP configSURF_RETRIEVAL_MODESet in your MCP configSURF_RESEARCH_ROOTSet in your MCP configSURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_MODELSet in your MCP configSURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_LOW_MEMORYSet in your MCP configSURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_THREADSSet in your MCP configSURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTOSet in your MCP configSURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO_MAX_MBSet in your MCP configSURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO_MAX_FILESSet in your MCP configSURF_RESEARCH_BROKER_IDLE_MSSet in your MCP configSURF_RESEARCH_READ_CONCURRENCYSet in your MCP configSURF_RESEARCH_QUERY_TIMEOUT_MSSet in your MCP configGITHUB_TOKENSet in your MCP configSURF_LOCALESet in your MCP configSURF_TZSet in your MCP configSURF_HEADLESSSet in your MCP configSURF_IDLE_CLOSE_MSSet in your MCP configSURF_ALLOW_PRIVATESet in your MCP configSURF_LLM_HEALSet in your MCP configSURF_LLM_PROVIDERSet in your MCP configSURF_LLM_MODELSet in your MCP configANTHROPIC_API_KEYSet in your MCP configORCAROUTER_API_KEYSet in your MCP configInstall with your client
claude mcp add google-surf --env SEARCH_API=<YOUR_SEARCH_API> --env SURF_SEARCH_PROVIDER=<YOUR_SURF_SEARCH_PROVIDER> --env SURF_SCHOLAR_PROVIDER=<YOUR_SURF_SCHOLAR_PROVIDER> --env SURF_BROWSER_ENGINE=<YOUR_SURF_BROWSER_ENGINE> --env CHROME_PATH=<YOUR_CHROME_PATH> --env SURF_PROFILE_ROOT=<YOUR_SURF_PROFILE_ROOT> --env SURF_RESEARCH=<YOUR_SURF_RESEARCH> --env SURF_RETRIEVAL_MODE=<YOUR_SURF_RETRIEVAL_MODE> --env SURF_RESEARCH_ROOT=<YOUR_SURF_RESEARCH_ROOT> --env SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_MODEL=<YOUR_SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_MODEL> --env SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_LOW_MEMORY=<YOUR_SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_LOW_MEMORY> --env SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_THREADS=<YOUR_SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_THREADS> --env SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO=<YOUR_SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO> --env SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO_MAX_MB=<YOUR_SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO_MAX_MB> --env SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO_MAX_FILES=<YOUR_SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO_MAX_FILES> --env SURF_RESEARCH_BROKER_IDLE_MS=<YOUR_SURF_RESEARCH_BROKER_IDLE_MS> --env SURF_RESEARCH_READ_CONCURRENCY=<YOUR_SURF_RESEARCH_READ_CONCURRENCY> --env SURF_RESEARCH_QUERY_TIMEOUT_MS=<YOUR_SURF_RESEARCH_QUERY_TIMEOUT_MS> --env GITHUB_TOKEN=<YOUR_GITHUB_TOKEN> --env SURF_LOCALE=<YOUR_SURF_LOCALE> --env SURF_TZ=<YOUR_SURF_TZ> --env SURF_HEADLESS=<YOUR_SURF_HEADLESS> --env SURF_IDLE_CLOSE_MS=<YOUR_SURF_IDLE_CLOSE_MS> --env SURF_ALLOW_PRIVATE=<YOUR_SURF_ALLOW_PRIVATE> --env SURF_LLM_HEAL=<YOUR_SURF_LLM_HEAL> --env SURF_LLM_PROVIDER=<YOUR_SURF_LLM_PROVIDER> --env SURF_LLM_MODEL=<YOUR_SURF_LLM_MODEL> --env ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=<YOUR_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY> --env ORCAROUTER_API_KEY=<YOUR_ORCAROUTER_API_KEY> -- npx -y google-surf-mcp@1.1.5
Run this in a terminal to add the server to Claude Code.
What this does
google-surf-mcp exposes a set of tools to Claude over the Model Context Protocol. After you add it to claude_desktop_config.json (snippet above) and restart Claude Desktop, those tools become callable inside any conversation.
Requirements
This server needs the following environment variables to be set before it can run:
SEARCH_API SURF_SEARCH_PROVIDER SURF_SCHOLAR_PROVIDER SURF_BROWSER_ENGINE CHROME_PATH SURF_PROFILE_ROOT SURF_RESEARCH SURF_RETRIEVAL_MODE SURF_RESEARCH_ROOT SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_MODEL SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_LOW_MEMORY SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_THREADS SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO_MAX_MB SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO_MAX_FILES SURF_RESEARCH_BROKER_IDLE_MS SURF_RESEARCH_READ_CONCURRENCY SURF_RESEARCH_QUERY_TIMEOUT_MS GITHUB_TOKEN SURF_LOCALE SURF_TZ SURF_HEADLESS SURF_IDLE_CLOSE_MS SURF_ALLOW_PRIVATE SURF_LLM_HEAL SURF_LLM_PROVIDER SURF_LLM_MODEL ANTHROPIC_API_KEY ORCAROUTER_API_KEY
Set these via the env object in your MCP config (see claude_desktop_config.json snippet above).
Frequently asked questions
How do I install google-surf-mcp?
Run the Claude Code command in the install section to add google-surf-mcp to Claude Code, or copy the ready-made config for your client from the install section on this page. Restart your client afterwards and the tools appear in your next conversation.
Which clients work with google-surf-mcp?
This page carries setup and config for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and VS Code. Any other MCP client that accepts a standard server config can connect to google-surf-mcp as well.
Does google-surf-mcp need an API key?
Yes. Before it can run, set these environment variables: SEARCH_API, SURF_SEARCH_PROVIDER, SURF_SCHOLAR_PROVIDER, SURF_BROWSER_ENGINE, CHROME_PATH, SURF_PROFILE_ROOT, SURF_RESEARCH, SURF_RETRIEVAL_MODE, SURF_RESEARCH_ROOT, SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_MODEL, SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_LOW_MEMORY, SURF_RESEARCH_VECTOR_THREADS, SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO, SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO_MAX_MB, SURF_RESEARCH_REPO_AUTO_MAX_FILES, SURF_RESEARCH_BROKER_IDLE_MS, SURF_RESEARCH_READ_CONCURRENCY, SURF_RESEARCH_QUERY_TIMEOUT_MS, GITHUB_TOKEN, SURF_LOCALE, SURF_TZ, SURF_HEADLESS, SURF_IDLE_CLOSE_MS, SURF_ALLOW_PRIVATE, SURF_LLM_HEAL, SURF_LLM_PROVIDER, SURF_LLM_MODEL, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, ORCAROUTER_API_KEY. They go in the env block of your MCP config.
Imported from the Official MCP Registry. The details above come from the registry entry; the maker can claim this listing to correct them, add docs, and see its traffic.
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