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name serpapi-setup
description Get and configure a SerpApi API key so the bundled hosted MCP server and the serpapi-cli fallback can both authenticate. Docs: https://serpapi.com/dashboard

SerpApi Setup

Both the bundled MCP server (mcp.serpapi.com) and the serpapi-cli fallback authenticate with the same bearer key — there's no OAuth flow, so each user must supply their own.

1. Get an API key

Sign up and copy a key from https://serpapi.com/dashboard.

2. Set the environment variable

export SERPAPI_KEY="your-key-here"

Add this to your shell profile (~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc) so it persists across sessions.

  • The plugin's .mcp.json reads it via ${SERPAPI_KEY} in the Authorization: Bearer header.
  • serpapi-cli reads the same variable directly, or accepts --api-key, or run serpapi login for an interactive setup that writes ~/.config/serpapi/config.toml.

3. Install the CLI fallback (optional, but recommended)

brew install serpapi/tap/serpapi-cli

Or download a binary from GitHub Releases, or go install github.com/serpapi/serpapi-cli/cmd/serpapi@latest. The MCP tool is preferred when connected; the CLI is only needed as a fallback.

4. Verify

Reconnect the MCP (or restart the session) and check connection status, then run one small request:

{"name": "search", "arguments": {"params": {"q": "test query"}, "mode": "compact"}}
serpapi search engine=google_light q="test query"
serpapi account   # confirms auth and shows remaining quota

If authentication fails

  • Confirm echo $SERPAPI_KEY prints a non-empty value in the same shell the agent runs in.
  • Confirm the key is active and has remaining credits via serpapi account or https://serpapi.com/dashboard.
  • As an alternative to the header form, SerpApi also supports putting the key directly in the MCP URL path (https://mcp.serpapi.com/YOUR_API_KEY/mcp) — only do this if the header approach isn't working, since it's more likely to leak the key into logs or shared config.