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SearXNG MCP Server for Claude Desktop: Setup & Config

SearXNG MCP Server gives Claude Desktop search and URL-reading tools backed by an existing SearXNG instance.

What you can do with SearXNG in Claude Desktop

A self-managed SearXNG bridge that adds content reading, backend discovery, and replica handling.

  • Add filtered web research to an assistant using an existing SearXNG deployment.
  • Read selected sections or headings from a result URL.

Before you start: SearXNG in Claude Desktop

  • Node.js and npx
  • An accessible SearXNG instance, preferably with JSON search enabled
  • An MCP-compatible client

The README's quick start uses npx. Docker and global-package alternatives are documented. MCP_HTTP_PORT enables HTTP mode. SEARXNG_HTML_FALLBACK is an optional compatibility measure when JSON responses are unavailable.

SearXNG Claude Desktop configuration

  1. Choose Claude Desktop configuration scope

    For SearXNG MCP Server, open macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Merge under mcpServers via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

  2. Add SearXNG MCP Server to Claude Desktop

    Use the mcp-searxng entry below in mcpServers. Keep SearXNG MCP Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Desktop entries.

  3. Check SearXNG MCP Server in Claude Desktop

    SearXNG MCP Server: Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop; check developer diagnostics.

Config file · macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

JSON
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-searxng": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-searxng"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SEARXNG_URL": "<SearXNG instance URL or semicolon-separated interchangeable replica URLs>"
      }
    }
  }
}

SearXNG tools available to Claude Desktop

SearXNG's stored tool list documents 4 tools; compare it with Claude Desktop's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

searxng_web_search

When Claude Desktop requests searxng_web_search from SearXNG, review the action before approving it.

Search SearXNG with pagination, filters, and text or JSON responses.

searxng_search_suggestions

When Claude Desktop requests searxng_search_suggestions from SearXNG, review the action before approving it.

Request autocomplete suggestions for a partial or complete query.

searxng_instance_info

When Claude Desktop requests searxng_instance_info from SearXNG, review the action before approving it.

web_url_read

When Claude Desktop requests web_url_read from SearXNG, review the action before approving it.

SearXNG: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting SearXNG in Claude Desktop

  • Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop for SearXNG MCP Server. If npx mcp-searxng (Node.js/npm) is missing, check the desktop process's PATH, which may differ from your terminal.
  • In Claude Desktop's SearXNG MCP Server entry, check SEARXNG_URL. Keep secrets out of shared screenshots and repositories.
  • SearXNG MCP Server uses stdio here: Claude Desktop must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
  • Known limitation: Requires an accessible SearXNG instance.
  • Known limitation: HTML fallback is best-effort and loses relevance scores and engine metadata.
  • Known limitation: The URL reader rejects PDFs and other binary downloads.
  • General Claude Desktop troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-desktop guide.

SearXNG MCP Server — details. Claude Desktop guide

Frequently asked questions

Claude Desktop loads SearXNG MCP Server from claude_desktop_config.json: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/ on macOS, or %APPDATA%\Claude\ on Windows. Open it via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

Claude Desktop's mcp-searxng example uses stdio.

SearXNG MCP Server's Claude Desktop configuration invokes npx mcp-searxng (Node.js/npm).

Claude Desktop's SearXNG MCP Server example references SEARXNG_URL. Check these names if startup or authentication fails; the example alone does not distinguish required from optional values.

SearXNG MCP Server's stored list contains 4 tools, including searxng_web_search, searxng_search_suggestions, searxng_instance_info. Compare those names with Claude Desktop's connected tool list; the stored list is not a live check.

No. It runs separately and calls the configured SearXNG HTTP API.

Yes. SEARXNG_URL accepts semicolon-separated interchangeable replicas; failover is supported and fanout is optional.