Add the SerpApi MCP server to Claude Code

Config last verified Jun 1, 2026

The exact config to run SerpApi in Claude Code — paste it in, restart, and the tools load.

Prerequisites

Claude Code installed.
SERPAPI_API_KEY — SerpApi API key (from serpapi.com). Passed in the URL path or as an Authorization Bearer header.

Setup

1. Open `~/.claude.json`

2. Add this configuration

Add to ~/.claude.json

~/.claude.json

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "serpapi": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <SERPAPI_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Or via CLI

bash

claude mcp add --transport http serpapi https://mcp.serpapi.com/mcp

3. Restart Claude Code and confirm the SerpApi tools load.

Gotchas

Claude Code stores MCP servers under an "mcpServers" object in ~/.claude.json. It also reads a project-scoped .mcp.json and supports adding servers from the command line with "claude mcp add". Each entry must declare either a "type" or a "command"; Claude Code refuses an entry that has neither. Remote servers connect natively over Streamable HTTP with OAuth.

← Back to the SerpApi MCP server