Google Research MCP Server
A powerful Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides AI assistants with advanced web research capabilities, including Google search integration, intelligent content extraction, and multi-source synthesis.
🚀 Features
Core Research Capabilities
- Google Search Integration - Programmatic access to Google's search results with advanced filtering
- Intelligent Content Extraction - Clean, structured extraction from web pages with fallback strategies
- Multi-Source Synthesis - Combine information from multiple sources into coherent reports
- Contextual Navigation - Smart web browsing that follows relevant links automatically
- Research Workflow Automation - Complete research pipelines from query to final report
Production-Ready Features
- Smart Caching - Optimized performance with configurable cache strategies
- Rate Limiting - Built-in protection against API abuse
- Health Monitoring - Comprehensive system health checks and metrics
- Structured Logging - Production-grade logging with multiple output formats
- Container Support - Docker deployment with health checks and monitoring
Enhanced Content Processing
- Structure Preservation - Maintains tables, lists, and hierarchical content
- Multiple Output Formats - Markdown, HTML, and plain text support
- Metadata Extraction - Captures publication dates, authors, and citation information
- Content Summarization - Automatic generation of content summaries
- Image Context - Extracts and describes images within content
📦 Installation
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+ and npm 8+
- Google Custom Search API key (Get one here)
- Google Custom Search Engine ID (Create one here)
Quick Start (Unified Server)
The Google Research MCP Server now provides both search and research capabilities in a single unified server - no need to run separate instances!
Option 1: Direct Installation (No Docker Required)
-
Clone and Install
git clone https://github.com/your-org/google-research-mcp-server.git cd google-research-mcp-server npm install -
Configure Environment
cp .env.example .env # Edit .env file with your Google API credentials nano .env # or use your preferred editor -
Validate Configuration
npm run validate-config -
Build and Start
npm run build npm start -
Verify Server is Running
npm run health-check
Option 2: Docker Installation (Recommended for Production)
# 1. Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/your-org/google-research-mcp-server.git
cd google-research-mcp-server
# 2. Configure environment
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your API keys
# 3. Deploy with Docker
docker-compose up -d
# 4. Verify deployment
docker-compose logs -f google-research-mcp
npm run docker:health
Option 3: Development Mode
For development with auto-rebuild:
# Terminal 1: Watch for changes and rebuild
npm run dev
# Terminal 2: Start server (after initial build)
npm start
⚙️ Configuration
Required Environment Variables
# Google API Configuration (Required)
GOOGLE_API_KEY=your_google_api_key_here
GOOGLE_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID=your_search_engine_id_here
# Server Configuration (Optional)
NODE_ENV=production
LOG_LEVEL=info
Optional Configuration
# Performance Tuning
SEARCH_CACHE_TTL_MINUTES=5 # Search result cache duration
CONTENT_CACHE_TTL_MINUTES=30 # Content extraction cache duration
MAX_CACHE_ENTRIES=100 # Maximum cache entries
# Request Limits
REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS=30000 # Request timeout
MAX_CONTENT_SIZE_MB=50 # Maximum content size
CONCURRENT_REQUEST_LIMIT=10 # Concurrent request limit
# Rate Limiting
RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS=60000 # Rate limit window
RATE_LIMIT_MAX_REQUESTS=100 # Max requests per window
Validate Configuration
npm run validate-config
🔧 Usage
MCP Client Integration
The server provides unified search and research capabilities in a single MCP server. Add to your MCP client configuration (e.g., Claude Desktop):
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-research": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["path/to/google-research-mcp-server/dist/server.js"],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_API_KEY": "your_api_key",
"GOOGLE_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID": "your_search_engine_id"
}
}
}
}
Alternative Configuration (with environment file):
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-research": {
"command": "npm",
"args": ["start"],
"cwd": "path/to/google-research-mcp-server"
}
}
}
Note: This assumes you have a .env file configured in the project directory.
Available Tools
Search Tools
google_search- Search Google with advanced filtering optionsQuery: "climate change effects" Options: site filter, date restrictions, language, result type
Content Extraction Tools
extract_webpage_content- Extract clean content from web pagesextract_multiple_webpages- Batch extract from multiple URLsstructured_content_extraction- Enhanced extraction with structure preservationsummarize_webpage- Generate webpage summaries
Research & Synthesis Tools
research_topic- Comprehensive topic research with multiple sourcessynthesize_content- Combine multiple sources into coherent reportsenhanced_synthesis- Advanced synthesis with contradiction detection
Navigation Tools
contextual_navigation- Smart web browsing following relevant links
Example Usage Scenarios
Basic Research
1. Search: google_search("renewable energy trends 2024")
2. Extract: extract_webpage_content(top_result_url)
3. Analyze: Multiple sources for comprehensive view
Comprehensive Research Report
1. Research: research_topic("artificial intelligence in healthcare")
2. Synthesis: enhanced_synthesis(multiple_sources)
3. Export: Formatted report with citations
Competitive Analysis
1. Search: Multiple queries for competitor information
2. Navigate: contextual_navigation(competitor_websites)
3. Synthesize: Compare and contrast findings
🛠️ Troubleshooting
Common Issues
🔴 API Authentication Errors
Error: Missing required environment variables: GOOGLE_API_KEY
Solution:
- Verify API key is correctly set in
.envfile - Ensure Google Custom Search API is enabled in Google Cloud Console
- Check API key has proper permissions and quotas
- Validate configuration:
npm run validate-config
🔴 Rate Limiting Issues
Error: Rate limit exceeded for search requests
Solution:
- Check your Google API quota in Google Cloud Console
- Adjust rate limiting settings in environment variables
- Implement request queuing for high-volume usage
- Consider upgrading your Google API plan
🔴 Content Extraction Failures
Error: Failed to extract content from webpage
Solution:
- Verify the target URL is accessible
- Check if the website blocks automated requests
- Ensure proper User-Agent headers are configured
- Try different extraction methods (structured vs. standard)
🔴 Memory Issues
Warning: Memory usage high: 85%
Solution:
- Reduce cache sizes in configuration
- Lower concurrent request limits
- Monitor content extraction sizes
- Consider scaling horizontally
🔴 Docker Deployment Issues
Container health check failing
Solution:
- Check container logs:
docker-compose logs -f google-research-mcp - Verify environment variables are properly set
- Ensure API connectivity from container
- Run manual health check:
npm run docker:health
🔴 Non-Docker Deployment Issues
Error: Cannot find module 'dist/server.js'
Solution:
- Ensure you've built the project:
npm run build - Check that
dist/directory exists and contains compiled files - Verify TypeScript compilation:
npx tsc --noEmit - Clear and rebuild:
rm -rf dist/ && npm run build
Error: EACCES permission denied
Solution:
- Check file permissions:
ls -la dist/server.js - Make executable if needed:
chmod +x dist/server.js - Run with explicit node:
node dist/server.js
Debug Mode
# Enable detailed logging (Non-Docker)
export LOG_LEVEL=debug
npm start
# Enable detailed logging (Docker)
docker-compose exec google-research-mcp sh -c "LOG_LEVEL=debug npm start"
# Check system health
npm run health-check
# Monitor performance (Docker)
docker-compose exec google-research-mcp npm run health-check
Non-Docker Production Deployment
For production deployment without Docker:
Using PM2 (Recommended)
# Install PM2 globally
npm install -g pm2
# Start with PM2
pm2 start dist/server.js --name "google-research-mcp"
# Monitor
pm2 status
pm2 logs google-research-mcp
# Auto-restart on system reboot
pm2 startup
pm2 save
Using systemd (Linux)
Create /etc/systemd/system/google-research-mcp.service:
[Unit]
Description=Google Research MCP Server
After=network.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=your-user
WorkingDirectory=/path/to/google-research-mcp-server
ExecStart=/usr/bin/node dist/server.js
Restart=always
RestartSec=10
Environment=NODE_ENV=production
EnvironmentFile=/path/to/google-research-mcp-server/.env
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
Then:
sudo systemctl enable google-research-mcp
sudo systemctl start google-research-mcp
sudo systemctl status google-research-mcp
Direct Node.js (Development)
# Simple start
npm start
# With specific environment
NODE_ENV=production LOG_LEVEL=info npm start
# Background process
nohup npm start > server.log 2>&1 &
Performance Optimization
Cache Tuning
# For high-volume usage
SEARCH_CACHE_TTL_MINUTES=10
CONTENT_CACHE_TTL_MINUTES=60
MAX_CACHE_ENTRIES=200
# For memory-constrained environments
SEARCH_CACHE_TTL_MINUTES=2
CONTENT_CACHE_TTL_MINUTES=15
MAX_CACHE_ENTRIES=50
Request Optimization
# For faster responses
REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS=15000
MAX_CONTENT_SIZE_MB=25
CONCURRENT_REQUEST_LIMIT=5
# For comprehensive extraction
REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS=60000
MAX_CONTENT_SIZE_MB=100
CONCURRENT_REQUEST_LIMIT=15
📊 Monitoring & Health Checks
Built-in Health Monitoring
# Check overall system health
npm run health-check
# Monitor with Docker
docker-compose exec google-research-mcp npm run health-check
Health Check Response
{
"status": "healthy",
"timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
"environment": "production",
"uptime": 3600000,
"checks": {
"googleSearch": { "status": "pass", "responseTime": 245 },
"contentExtraction": { "status": "pass", "responseTime": 567 },
"memory": { "status": "pass", "percentage": 45.2 }
}
}
Monitoring Integration
- Prometheus metrics available at
/metrics(if enabled) - Structured logging compatible with ELK stack
- Docker health checks for container orchestration
🔄 Maintenance
Regular Maintenance Tasks
# Update dependencies
npm audit
npm update
# Security audit
npm run audit:security
# Dependency analysis
npm run audit:dependencies
# Container updates
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d
Log Management
# View logs
docker-compose logs -f google-research-mcp
# Log rotation (configure in docker-compose.yml)
docker-compose exec google-research-mcp logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.conf
🚀 Advanced Usage
Scaling Considerations
- Horizontal Scaling: Deploy multiple instances behind load balancer
- Caching Strategy: Consider Redis for shared caching across instances
- Rate Limiting: Implement distributed rate limiting for multi-instance deployments
Custom Configurations
- Research Templates: Create custom research workflow templates
- Content Filters: Implement custom content filtering rules
- Export Formats: Add custom export format handlers
Integration Examples
- CI/CD Pipeline: Automated research report generation
- Slack Bot: Real-time research queries from team chat
- Web Dashboard: Research workflow management interface
📝 Development
Development Setup
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Start in development mode
npm run dev
# Build for production
npm run build
Project Structure
src/
├── config/ # Configuration management
├── handlers/ # Tool request handlers
├── services/ # Core service implementations
├── tools/ # Tool definitions and schemas
├── types/ # TypeScript type definitions
├── utils/ # Utility functions
└── server.ts # Main server entry point
🤝 Contributing
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch
- Make your changes
- Add tests if applicable
- Submit a pull request
📄 License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
🆘 Support
Getting Help
- GitHub Issues: Report bugs and request features
- Documentation: Check
PRODUCTION_DEPLOYMENT.mdfor detailed deployment guide - Health Checks: Use built-in diagnostics for troubleshooting
Common Support Scenarios
- API Setup: Verify Google API credentials and permissions
- Performance Issues: Check cache configuration and system resources
- Deployment Problems: Review Docker logs and health checks
- Integration Questions: Consult MCP client documentation
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