Lesson: Building a Web Search MCP Server

This chapter demonstrates how to build a real-world AI agent that integrates with external APIs, handles diverse data types, manages errors, and orchestrates multiple tools—all in a production-ready format. You'll see:

Integration with external APIs requiring authentication
Handling diverse data types from multiple endpoints
Robust error handling and logging strategies
Multi-tool orchestration in a single server

By the end, you'll have practical experience with patterns and best practices that are essential for advanced AI and LLM-powered applications.

Introduction

In this lesson, you'll learn how to build an advanced MCP server and client that extends LLM capabilities with real-time web data using SerpAPI. This is a critical skill for developing dynamic AI agents that can access up-to-date information from the web.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Integrate external APIs (like SerpAPI) securely into an MCP server
Implement multiple tools for web, news, product search, and Q&A
Parse and format structured data for LLM consumption
Handle errors and manage API rate limits effectively
Build and test both automated and interactive MCP clients

Web Search MCP Server

This section introduces the architecture and features of the Web Search MCP Server. You'll see how FastMCP and SerpAPI are used together to extend LLM capabilities with real-time web data.

Overview

This implementation features four tools that showcase MCP's ability to handle diverse, external API-driven tasks securely and efficiently:

general_search: For broad web results
news_search: For recent headlines
product_search: For e-commerce data
qna: For question-and-answer snippets

Features

Code Examples: Includes language-specific code blocks for Python (and easily extendable to other languages) using code pivots for clarity

Python

# Example usage of the general_search tool
from mcp import ClientSession, StdioServerParameters
from mcp.client.stdio import stdio_client

async def run_search():
    server_params = StdioServerParameters(
        command="python",
        args=["server.py"],
    )
    async with stdio_client(server_params) as (reader, writer):
        async with ClientSession(reader, writer) as session:
            await session.initialize()
            result = await session.call_tool("general_search", arguments={"query": "open source LLMs"})
            print(result)

Before running the client, it's helpful to understand what the server does. The server.py file implements the MCP server, exposing tools for web, news, product search, and Q&A by integrating with SerpAPI. It handles incoming requests, manages API calls, parses responses, and returns structured results to the client.

You can review the full implementation in server.py.

Here is a brief example of how the server defines and registers a tool:

Python Server

# server.py (excerpt)
from mcp.server import MCPServer, Tool

async def general_search(query: str):
    # ...implementation...

server = MCPServer()
server.add_tool(Tool("general_search", general_search))

if __name__ == "__main__":
    server.run()

External API Integration: Demonstrates secure handling of API keys and external requests
Structured Data Parsing: Shows how to transform API responses into LLM-friendly formats
Error Handling: Robust error handling with appropriate logging
Interactive Client: Includes both automated tests and an interactive mode for testing
Context Management: Leverages MCP Context for logging and tracking requests

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure your environment is set up properly by following these steps. This will ensure that all dependencies are installed and your API keys are configured correctly for seamless development and testing.

Python 3.8 or higher
SerpAPI API Key (Sign up at SerpAPI - free tier available)

Installation

To get started, follow these steps to set up your environment:

Install dependencies using uv (recommended) or pip:

# Using uv (recommended)
uv pip install -r requirements.txt

# Using pip
pip install -r requirements.txt

Create a .env file in the project root with your SerpAPI key:

SERPAPI_KEY=your_serpapi_key_here

Usage

The Web Search MCP Server is the core component that exposes tools for web, news, product search, and Q&A by integrating with SerpAPI. It handles incoming requests, manages API calls, parses responses, and returns structured results to the client.

You can review the full implementation in server.py.

Running the Server

To start the MCP server, use the following command:

python server.py

The server will run as a stdio-based MCP server that the client can connect to directly.

Client Modes

The client (client.py) supports two modes for interacting with the MCP server:

Normal mode: Runs automated tests that exercise all the tools and verify their responses. This is useful for quickly checking that the server and tools are working as expected.
Interactive mode: Starts a menu-driven interface where you can manually select and call tools, enter custom queries, and see results in real time. This is ideal for exploring the server's capabilities and experimenting with different inputs.

You can review the full implementation in client.py.

Running the Client

To run the automated tests (this will automatically start the server):

python client.py

Or run in interactive mode:

python client.py --interactive

Testing with Different Methods

There are several ways to test and interact with the tools provided by the server, depending on your needs and workflow.

Writing Custom Test Scripts with the MCP Python SDK

You can also build your own test scripts using the MCP Python SDK:

Python

from mcp import ClientSession, StdioServerParameters
from mcp.client.stdio import stdio_client

async def test_custom_query():
    server_params = StdioServerParameters(
        command="python",
        args=["server.py"],
    )
    
    async with stdio_client(server_params) as (reader, writer):
        async with ClientSession(reader, writer) as session:
            await session.initialize()
            # Call tools with your custom parameters
            result = await session.call_tool("general_search", 
                                           arguments={"query": "your custom query"})
            # Process the result

In this context, a "test script" means a custom Python program you write to act as a client for the MCP server. Instead of being a formal unit test, this script lets you programmatically connect to the server, call any of its tools with parameters you choose, and inspect the results. This approach is useful for:

Prototyping and experimenting with tool calls
Validating how the server responds to different inputs
Automating repeated tool invocations
Building your own workflows or integrations on top of the MCP server

You can use test scripts to quickly try out new queries, debug tool behavior, or even as a starting point for more advanced automation. Below is an example of how to use the MCP Python SDK to create such a script:

Tool Descriptions

You can use the following tools provided by the server to perform different types of searches and queries. Each tool is described below with its parameters and example usage.

This section provides details about each available tool and their parameters.

general_search

Performs a general web search and returns formatted results.

How to call this tool:

You can call general_search from your own script using the MCP Python SDK, or interactively using the Inspector or the interactive client mode. Here is a code example using the SDK:

Python Example

from mcp import ClientSession, StdioServerParameters
from mcp.client.stdio import stdio_client

async def run_general_search():
    server_params = StdioServerParameters(
        command="python",
        args=["server.py"],
    )
    async with stdio_client(server_params) as (reader, writer):
        async with ClientSession(reader, writer) as session:
            await session.initialize()
            result = await session.call_tool("general_search", arguments={"query": "latest AI trends"})
            print(result)

Alternatively, in interactive mode, select general_search from the menu and enter your query when prompted.

Parameters:

query (string): The search query

Example Request:

{
  "query": "latest AI trends"
}

news_search

Searches for recent news articles related to a query.

How to call this tool:

You can call news_search from your own script using the MCP Python SDK, or interactively using the Inspector or the interactive client mode. Here is a code example using the SDK:

Python Example

from mcp import ClientSession, StdioServerParameters
from mcp.client.stdio import stdio_client

async def run_news_search():
    server_params = StdioServerParameters(
        command="python",
        args=["server.py"],
    )
    async with stdio_client(server_params) as (reader, writer):
        async with ClientSession(reader, writer) as session:
            await session.initialize()
            result = await session.call_tool("news_search", arguments={"query": "AI policy updates"})
            print(result)

Alternatively, in interactive mode, select news_search from the menu and enter your query when prompted.

Parameters:

query (string): The search query

Example Request:

{
  "query": "AI policy updates"
}

product_search

Searches for products matching a query.

How to call this tool:

You can call product_search from your own script using the MCP Python SDK, or interactively using the Inspector or the interactive client mode. Here is a code example using the SDK:

Python Example

from mcp import ClientSession, StdioServerParameters
from mcp.client.stdio import stdio_client

async def run_product_search():
    server_params = StdioServerParameters(
        command="python",
        args=["server.py"],
    )
    async with stdio_client(server_params) as (reader, writer):
        async with ClientSession(reader, writer) as session:
            await session.initialize()
            result = await session.call_tool("product_search", arguments={"query": "best AI gadgets 2025"})
            print(result)

Alternatively, in interactive mode, select product_search from the menu and enter your query when prompted.

Parameters:

query (string): The product search query

Example Request:

{
  "query": "best AI gadgets 2025"
}

qna

Gets direct answers to questions from search engines.

How to call this tool:

You can call qna from your own script using the MCP Python SDK, or interactively using the Inspector or the interactive client mode. Here is a code example using the SDK:

Python Example

from mcp import ClientSession, StdioServerParameters
from mcp.client.stdio import stdio_client

async def run_qna():
    server_params = StdioServerParameters(
        command="python",
        args=["server.py"],
    )
    async with stdio_client(server_params) as (reader, writer):
        async with ClientSession(reader, writer) as session:
            await session.initialize()
            result = await session.call_tool("qna", arguments={"question": "what is artificial intelligence"})
            print(result)

Alternatively, in interactive mode, select qna from the menu and enter your question when prompted.

Parameters:

question (string): The question to find an answer for

Example Request:

{
  "question": "what is artificial intelligence"
}

Code Details

This section provides code snippets and references for the server and client implementations.

Python

See server.py and client.py for full implementation details.

# Example snippet from server.py:
import os
import httpx
# ...existing code...

Advanced Concepts in This Lesson

Before you start building, here are some important advanced concepts that will appear throughout this chapter. Understanding these will help you follow along, even if you're new to them:

Multi-tool Orchestration: This means running several different tools (like web search, news search, product search, and Q&A) within a single MCP server. It allows your server to handle a variety of tasks, not just one.
API Rate Limit Handling: Many external APIs (like SerpAPI) limit how many requests you can make in a certain time. Good code checks for these limits and handles them gracefully, so your app doesn't break if you hit a limit.
Structured Data Parsing: API responses are often complex and nested. This concept is about turning those responses into clean, easy-to-use formats that are friendly for LLMs or other programs.
Error Recovery: Sometimes things go wrong—maybe the network fails, or the API doesn't return what you expect. Error recovery means your code can handle these problems and still give useful feedback, instead of crashing.
Parameter Validation: This is about checking that all inputs to your tools are correct and safe to use. It includes setting default values and making sure the types are right, which helps prevent bugs and confusion.

This section will help you diagnose and resolve common issues you might encounter while working with the Web Search MCP Server. If you run into errors or unexpected behavior while working with the Web Search MCP Server, this troubleshooting section provides solutions to the most common issues. Review these tips before seeking further help—they often resolve problems quickly.

Troubleshooting

When working with the Web Search MCP Server, you may occasionally run into issues—this is normal when developing with external APIs and new tools. This section provides practical solutions to the most common problems, so you can get back on track quickly. If you encounter an error, start here: the tips below address the issues that most users face and can often resolve your problem without extra help.

Common Issues

Below are some of the most frequent problems users encounter, along with clear explanations and steps to resolve them:

Missing SERPAPI_KEY in .env file
- If you see the error SERPAPI_KEY environment variable not found, it means your application can't find the API key needed to access SerpAPI. To fix this, create a file named .env in your project root (if it doesn't already exist) and add a line like SERPAPI_KEY=your_serpapi_key_here. Make sure to replace your_serpapi_key_here with your actual key from the SerpAPI website.
Module not found errors
- Errors such as ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'httpx' indicate that a required Python package is missing. This usually happens if you haven't installed all the dependencies. To resolve this, run pip install -r requirements.txt in your terminal to install everything your project needs.
Connection issues
- If you get an error like Error during client execution, it often means the client can't connect to the server, or the server isn't running as expected. Double-check that both the client and server are compatible versions, and that server.py is present and running in the correct directory. Restarting both the server and client can also help.
SerpAPI errors
- Seeing Search API returned error status: 401 means your SerpAPI key is missing, incorrect, or expired. Go to your SerpAPI dashboard, verify your key, and update your .env file if needed. If your key is correct but you still see this error, check if your free tier has run out of quota.

Debug Mode

By default, the app logs only important information. If you want to see more details about what's happening (for example, to diagnose tricky issues), you can enable DEBUG mode. This will show you much more about each step the app is taking.

Example: Normal Output

2025-06-01 10:15:23,456 - __main__ - INFO - Calling general_search with params: {'query': 'open source LLMs'}
2025-06-01 10:15:24,123 - __main__ - INFO - Successfully called general_search

GENERAL_SEARCH RESULTS:
... (search results here) ...

Example: DEBUG Output

2025-06-01 10:15:23,456 - __main__ - INFO - Calling general_search with params: {'query': 'open source LLMs'}
2025-06-01 10:15:23,457 - httpx - DEBUG - HTTP Request: GET https://serpapi.com/search ...
2025-06-01 10:15:23,458 - httpx - DEBUG - HTTP Response: 200 OK ...
2025-06-01 10:15:24,123 - __main__ - INFO - Successfully called general_search

GENERAL_SEARCH RESULTS:
... (search results here) ...

Notice how DEBUG mode includes extra lines about HTTP requests, responses, and other internal details. This can be very helpful for troubleshooting.

To enable DEBUG mode, set the logging level to DEBUG at the top of your client.py or server.py:

Python

# At the top of your client.py or server.py
import logging
logging.basicConfig(
    level=logging.DEBUG,  # Change from INFO to DEBUG
    format="%(asctime)s - %(name)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s"
)

What's next

5.10 Real Time Streaming

Provide feedback

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

Lesson: Building a Web Search MCP Server

Introduction

Learning Objectives

Web Search MCP Server

Overview

Features

Python

Python Server

Prerequisites

Installation

Usage

Running the Server

Client Modes

Running the Client

Testing with Different Methods

Writing Custom Test Scripts with the MCP Python SDK

Python

Tool Descriptions

general_search

Python Example

news_search

Python Example

product_search

Python Example

qna

Python Example

Code Details

Python

Advanced Concepts in This Lesson

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Debug Mode

Python

What's next

FilesExpand file tree

README.md

Latest commit

History

README.md

File metadata and controls

Lesson: Building a Web Search MCP Server

Introduction

Learning Objectives

Web Search MCP Server

Overview

Features

Python

Python Server

Prerequisites

Installation

Usage

Running the Server

Client Modes

Running the Client

Testing with Different Methods

Writing Custom Test Scripts with the MCP Python SDK

Python

Tool Descriptions

general_search

Python Example

news_search

Python Example

product_search

Python Example

qna

Python Example

Code Details

Python

Advanced Concepts in This Lesson

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Debug Mode

Python

What's next