Internet Search Tool

The Internet Search tool provides a unified interface for searching across multiple search providers, supporting web, image, news, video, and local search capabilities.

Overview

Instead of managing separate tools for different search providers, the Internet Search tool gives you access to multiple search engines through a single interface. It automatically handles provider-specific requirements and normalises results.

Supported Providers

Brave Search

Web Search: General web search with fresh results
Image Search: Search for images with metadata
News Search: Recent news articles and events
Video Search: Video content with metadata
Local Search: Local businesses and points of interest (Pro API required)

SearXNG

Web Search: Privacy-focused search aggregation
Image Search: Images via SearXNG instance
News Search: News articles via SearXNG
Video Search: Video content via SearXNG

DuckDuckGo

Web Search: Privacy-focused web search (no API key required)

Configuration

Example MCP Client Configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dev-tools": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/path/to/mcp-devtools",
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "your-brave-api-key",
        "SEARXNG_BASE_URL": "https://your-searxng-instance.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

Brave Search Setup

Get your API key from Brave Search API and set:

BRAVE_API_KEY="your-brave-api-key"

SearXNG Setup

For self-hosted or public SearXNG instances:

SEARXNG_BASE_URL="https://your-searxng-instance.com"
# Optional authentication:
SEARXNG_USERNAME="your-username"
SEARXNG_PASSWORD="your-password"

DuckDuckGo

No configuration required - works out of the box.

Usage Examples

While intended to be activated via a prompt to an agent, below are some example JSON tool calls.

Web Search

{
  "name": "internet_search",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "web",
    "query": "golang best practices",
    "count": 10,
    "provider": "brave",
    "freshness": "pw"
  }
}

Image Search

{
  "name": "internet_search",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "image",
    "query": "golang gopher mascot",
    "count": 3,
    "provider": "searxng"
  }
}

News Search

{
  "name": "internet_search",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "news",
    "query": "artificial intelligence breakthrough",
    "count": 10,
    "provider": "brave",
    "freshness": "pd"
  }
}

Video Search

{
  "name": "internet_search",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "video",
    "query": "golang tutorial",
    "count": 10,
    "provider": "searxng"
  }
}

Local Search (Brave Pro Required)

{
  "name": "internet_search",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "local",
    "query": "coffee shops near Fitzroy",
    "count": 5,
    "provider": "brave"
  }
}

DuckDuckGo Web Search

{
  "name": "internet_search",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "web",
    "query": "golang best practices",
    "count": 5,
    "provider": "duckduckgo"
  }
}

Parameters Reference

Core Parameters

type (required): Search type - web, image, news, video, local
query (required): Search query string
provider (optional): Provider to use - brave, searxng, duckduckgo
count (optional): Number of results to return

Brave-Specific Parameters

freshness: Time filter for results
- pd: Past 24 hours
- pw: Past week
- pm: Past month
- py: Past year
- YYYY-MM-DDtoYYYY-MM-DD: Custom date range
offset: Pagination offset (web search only)

SearXNG-Specific Parameters

time_range: Time filter - day, week, month, year

Search Types

Web Search

Best for general information gathering, research, and finding relevant websites.

Example Results:

Page titles and descriptions
URLs and snippets
Publication dates
Source metadata

Image Search

Find relevant images with metadata for presentations, documentation, or reference.

Example Results:

Image URLs and thumbnails
Alt text and descriptions
Source websites
Image dimensions

News Search

Stay updated with recent events and news articles from various sources.

Example Results:

Article headlines and summaries
Publication dates and sources
Author information
News category tags

Video Search

Discover educational content, tutorials, and relevant video material.

Example Results:

Video titles and descriptions
Video URLs and thumbnails
Duration and view counts
Source platforms

Local Search

Find local businesses, restaurants, and services (Brave Pro API required).

Example Results:

Business names and descriptions
Addresses and contact information
Ratings and reviews
Opening hours

Provider Selection Guide

When to Use Brave Search

Best for: Fresh, comprehensive results with strong English content
Pros: Fast, reliable, good metadata, local search support
Cons: Requires API key, usage limits based on plan

When to Use SearXNG

Best for: Privacy-focused search, aggregated results
Pros: No tracking, multiple search engines, self-hostable
Cons: Requires instance setup, variable performance

When to Use DuckDuckGo

Best for: Quick web searches without setup
Pros: No API key required, privacy-focused, reliable
Cons: Limited to web search only, fewer customisation options

Common Use Cases

Research Workflow

Start with web search to get overview
Use news search for recent developments
Find images for visual references
Look up video tutorials for complex topics

Content Creation

Web search for background information
Image search for visual assets
News search for current events
Video search for tutorial references

Development Research

Web search for technical documentation
Video search for coding tutorials
News search for technology updates
Image search for architecture diagrams

Rate Limits and Quotas

Brave Search

Free Plan: 2,000 queries/month
Pro Plan: 20,000 queries/month + local search
Enterprise: Custom limits

SearXNG

Depends on instance configuration
Self-hosted instances have no built-in limits

DuckDuckGo

No official limits for reasonable usage
Automatic rate limiting applies

Error Handling

The tool provides clear error messages for common issues:

Missing API keys
Invalid query parameters
Network connectivity problems
Provider-specific errors
Rate limit exceeded

Performance Tips

Use appropriate result counts - Request only what you need
Leverage freshness filters - Reduce processing time for time-sensitive queries
Choose providers wisely - Match provider strengths to your use case
Cache results - The tool includes intelligent caching for repeated queries

For technical implementation details, see the Internet Search source documentation.

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Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

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