MCP Directory

How to add SearXNG to Claude Desktop

Private metasearch via your own SearXNG instance — popular community MCP server for self-hosted search. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 15, 2026 · 896★ · stdio · no auth

Claude Desktop config for SearXNG

npx -y mcp-searxng
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "searxng": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-searxng"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SEARXNG_URL": "https://your-searxng-instance.example.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

  1. 1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
  2. 2Paste the SearXNG config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
  3. 3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
  4. 4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
  5. 5Open a chat and confirm SearXNG's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

  • Node.js (18+) for npx/npm, or Docker to run the published image
  • Access to a SearXNG instance (self-hosted or remote), set via the SEARXNG_URL environment variable
  • Optional: AUTH_USERNAME and AUTH_PASSWORD if your SearXNG instance is behind HTTP Basic Auth

What SearXNG can do in Claude Desktop

searxng_web_search

Run a web search against the SearXNG instance with pagination, time-range, language, and safesearch options.

searxng_search_suggestions

Get autocomplete/query suggestions to refine a search.

searxng_instance_info

Discover the instance's categories, engines, defaults, locales, and plugins.

web_url_read

Fetch a URL and convert its content to Markdown with filtering and length controls.

Security

You must supply your own SEARXNG_URL; point it only at an instance you trust, since results flow through it. If that instance requires auth, configure credentials via the documented env vars (e.g. AUTH_USERNAME/AUTH_PASSWORD) and keep them secret.

SearXNG + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the SearXNG config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is SearXNG safe to use with Claude Desktop?

You must supply your own SEARXNG_URL; point it only at an instance you trust, since results flow through it. If that instance requires auth, configure credentials via the documented env vars (e.g. AUTH_USERNAME/AUTH_PASSWORD) and keep them secret.

Do I need my own SearXNG instance?

You need a reachable SearXNG instance set via SEARXNG_URL — either self-hosted (recommended for privacy) or a trusted public one. The MCP server itself is just the bridge.

Does it require an API key?

No search API key is required. If your SearXNG instance is password-protected, supply AUTH_USERNAME and AUTH_PASSWORD for HTTP Basic Auth.

Can I run it in Docker?

Yes. A prebuilt image is published as isokoliuk/mcp-searxng:latest, with docker-compose support and Cosign-verifiable signatures.

View repo Full SearXNG page