Brave Search MCP server
Brave Search is a privacy-focused search engine with its own independent index that doesn't track users. With this MCP server, AI agents can perform web searches, find images and videos, fetch news articles, and search by location with customizable freshness filters and safe search options.
Setting up an MCP server
This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the Authentication section on this page.
Before you begin
You'll need:
- Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers.
- API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the Authentication section on this page for what to collect).
Create an MCP server
Find the app in the catalog
- Sign in to AI Gateway and select App Catalog from the left navigation.
- Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.
- Select Create MCP Server to start the wizard.
App Configuration
Confirm the Base URL for the API, then, under Tools, select the endpoints you want to expose. Select Next.
MCP Server Setup
- Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose.
- Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
- Set the log level: choose Production Mode for terser logs, or Non-Production Mode for more verbose logs that can help with debugging.
- Select Next.
Authentication
Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section on this page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.
Review
Look over the summary of your MCP server configuration, then select Create & Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.
Connect to an AI client
Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:
Tips
- You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
- If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.
Authentication
Brave Search uses API key authentication. Generate your API key from the Brave Search API dashboard.
| Value | Setting |
|---|---|
| API key header | X-Subscription-Token |
Available tools
The Brave Search MCP server exposes web search, image search, video search, news search, and local search APIs with optional AI summarization.
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Web Search | General web search with freshness filters, safe search, and AI summaries |
| Image Search | Find images across the web with multiple results |
| Video Search | Discover video content from various sources |
| News Search | Access current news articles with time-based filtering |
| Local Search | Location-based POI discovery with details and descriptions (Pro plan) |
| Search Suggestions | Autocomplete and search suggestions for query refinement |
| Spellcheck | Query correction and spell checking |
Tips
Use freshness filters to find recent results — pd for today, pw for the past week, pm for the past month, or custom date ranges like 2024-01-01to2024-06-30.
Narrow searches by result type to specific content like web,news,videos or faq,infobox to get exactly what you need without clutter.
Use safesearch=strict for content filtering when searching family-friendly topics; use moderate or off as needed for other use cases.
Unlock local POI discovery with the Pro plan — AI-generated location descriptions are useful for business research and travel planning.
Store API keys in environment variables or secure vaults, never in client-side code.
Rotate API keys periodically to maintain security.
Cequence AI Gateway