Brave Search MCP for VS Code

A VS Code extension that integrates the Brave Search API with the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI Copilot to perform internet searches for research and planning purposes.

Features

This extension provides AI Copilot with the ability to:

• 🔍 Web Search: Search the web using Brave's independent search index
• 📰 News Search: Find recent news articles and current events
• 🖼️ Image Search: Search for images across the web
• 🎬 Video Search: Search for videos with metadata and thumbnails
• 📍 Local Search: Find local businesses and places with ratings and hours (requires Search plan)

These capabilities are automatically available to GitHub Copilot and other AI assistants in VS Code when running in agent mode.

Prerequisites

• VS Code version 1.95.0 or higher
• A Brave Search API key (free tier available)
• Node.js installed (required for running the MCP server)

Installation

From VSIX File (Local Installation)

1. Download or build the .vsix file
2. Open VS Code
3. Go to Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
4. Click the "..." menu at the top of the Extensions view
5. Select "Install from VSIX..."
6. Choose the downloaded .vsix file

From VS Code Marketplace

Search for "Brave Search MCP" in the Extensions view and click Install.

Getting a Brave Search API Key

1. Visit Brave Search API
2. Sign up for a free account
3. Create a new API key in your dashboard
4. Copy your API key (starts with BSA)

API Plans

• Search: $5/1,000 requests — includes $5 in free credits every month (automatically applied)
• Answers: $4/1,000 queries + token costs — AI-generated grounded answers
• Enterprise: Custom terms, capacity, and Zero Data Retention — contact Brave

See Brave Search API Pricing for full details.

Configuration

Initial Setup

After installing the extension, you'll be prompted to configure your API key. You can also:

1. Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,)
2. Search for "Brave Search MCP"
3. Enter your API key in the Brave Search Mcp: Api Key field

Using Command Palette

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Type "Brave Search MCP: Configure API Key"
3. Enter your API key when prompted

Settings

• braveSearchMcp.apiKey: Your Brave Search API key
• braveSearchMcp.enabled: Enable/disable the MCP server (default: true)

Usage

Once configured, the Brave Search tools are automatically available to AI assistants in VS Code:

Quick Start

1. Open Copilot Chat - Click the chat icon in the sidebar or use Ctrl+Shift+I (Cmd+Shift+I on Mac)
2. Enable Agent Mode - Click the sparkle icon (✨) in the chat input box
3. Ask questions requiring web search - Use natural language prompts (see examples below)

The AI will automatically use Brave Search when your question requires current information from the internet.

Example Prompts

Try asking Copilot questions like these:

🔍 Web Search Examples

• "What are the latest features in TypeScript 5.7?"
• "Find documentation for the vscode.lm API"
• "Search for best practices for React Server Components"
• "Look up the current syntax for Python async/await"
• "Find examples of using the Fetch API with error handling"
• "What's the difference between REST and GraphQL?"

📰 News Search Examples

• "Find recent news about AI coding assistants"
• "What are the latest announcements from Microsoft Build?"
• "Search for news about the newest VS Code updates"
• "Find recent articles about GitHub Copilot features"
• "What's new in the JavaScript ecosystem this month?"

🖼️ Image Search Examples

• "Find images of the VS Code logo"
• "Search for TypeScript architecture diagrams"
• "Find screenshots of popular VS Code themes"
• "Look for icons representing API concepts"

🎬 Video Search Examples

• "Find tutorial videos for getting started with Rust"
• "Search for conference talks about distributed systems"
• "Find videos explaining how transformers work in machine learning"
• "Look for VS Code tips and tricks videos"

📍 Local Search Examples

• "Find coffee shops near downtown Seattle"
• "Search for co-working spaces in Austin, TX"
• "Find highly rated Thai restaurants in Chicago"
• "Look for hardware stores open near me"

💡 Tips for Best Results:

• Use natural language - No special syntax or commands needed
• Be specific - The more specific your question, the better the results
• Let the AI decide - Copilot automatically chooses which search tool to use
• Agent mode required - Make sure the sparkle icon (✨) is active in chat

How It Works

This extension uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect AI assistants to the Brave Search API:

1. The extension registers an MCP server definition with VS Code
2. When activated, it launches the official @brave/brave-search-mcp-server package
3. The MCP server exposes search tools to AI assistants
4. AI assistants can invoke these tools automatically based on user intent
5. Search results are returned and incorporated into AI responses

Troubleshooting

"API key not configured" warning

• Make sure you've entered your API key in the extension settings
• Verify the API key is correct and starts with BSA
• Try reconfiguring using the Command Palette command

Search tools not appearing in Copilot

• Ensure you're using VS Code 1.95.0 or higher
• Make sure Copilot is in agent mode (sparkle icon)
• Check that braveSearchMcp.enabled is set to true
• Restart VS Code after configuring the API key

"npx command not found" error

• Ensure Node.js and npm are installed on your system
• Restart VS Code after installing Node.js
• Verify npm is in your system PATH

Rate limiting errors

• Check your API usage in the Brave API Dashboard
• The Search plan includes $5 in free monthly credits — usage beyond that is billed at $5/1,000 requests

Privacy & Security

• Your API key is stored securely in VS Code's settings
• The API key is never transmitted except to Brave's API servers
• Search queries are processed by Brave Search (see Brave Privacy Policy)
• The extension only activates when the MCP server is requested by an AI assistant

Building from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Steve0verton/brave-search-vscode-mcp-extension.git
cd brave-search-vscode-mcp-extension

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile

# Package the extension
npm run package

# This creates a .vsix file you can install

Development

# Watch mode for development
npm run watch

# Run in Extension Development Host
# Press F5 in VS Code to launch a new window with the extension loaded

Feature Requests & Contributing

Have an idea or found a bug? Open an issue on GitHub — all feature requests and enhancement ideas are tracked there.

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues or pull requests.

License

BSD 3-Clause License - see LICENSE file for details

Links

• Brave Search API
• Model Context Protocol
• Official Brave Search MCP Server
• VS Code MCP Documentation

Acknowledgments

• Built using the official @brave/brave-search-mcp-server package
• Powered by Brave Search API
• Implements the Model Context Protocol standard

Note: This extension requires an active internet connection and a valid Brave Search API key to function.