Cluefinch MCP server
io.github.cluefinch/mcp·v0.1.4Local-first web research for AI agents with SearXNG search and SSRF-safe page retrieval.
0 stars17 downloads/wk
Reviews
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If you have run it, two minutes of your experience saves the next person an afternoon.
Cluefinch MCP tools
No tool declarations could be read from the package source. They show once the server is installed.
Public scan report
scanner v0.1.10 · 2026-10-14 · same rubric, same numbers if you re-run it
- Code scan17 source files scanned25/25
- –Live reliabilityno gateway calls yet and no remote to proben/a
- –Tool poisoningtools not inspected (local package is not executed); not countedn/a
- Auth qualitylocal package, no credentials required12/15
- Maintenancelast push 5 days ago15/15
- Maintainer identityregistry namespace matches repository owner7/10
How Cluefinch MCP compares
Against every graded Web search MCP server, from our own scans and uptime checks. Updated after each scan run.
- Safety score
- 91/100
- higher than 88% of 3,470 Web search servers
- Downloads a week
- 17
- more than 5% of 827 Web search servers with a package
Install Cluefinch MCP in Claude Code, Cursor or VS Code
claude mcp add mcp -- uvx cluefinch
What the publisher says
From the Cluefinch MCP repository's README, as published. We do not edit it. Read it on GitHub
Cluefinch MCP
<!-- mcp-name: io.github.cluefinch/mcp -->
Deep Research infrastructure for AI agents.
Cluefinch MCP gives AI agents a complete toolkit for working with the web through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
With Cluefinch, an agent can search the web, read pages, navigate between related sources, and carry out in-depth research.
Cluefinch MCP can make the internet part of your AI agent's workspace — from finding a single fact to carrying out complex, multi-step research across multiple sources.
Cluefinch MCP is completely free to use and requires no paid subscription. It works with AI agents whether they are powered by local LLMs or cloud-based models, and does not require a commercial search API or a subscription to a cloud-hosted Deep Research service.
Cluefinch MCP does not impose its own limits on the number of search queries or research runs.
Your agent gets the tools it needs to work effectively with the web, while you retain control over how those tools are used. Cluefinch integrates easily with MCP-compatible AI tools and fits into the workflow you already use.
What Cluefinch MCP can do
Web Search
Cluefinch MCP lets an agent search the internet through your own SearXNG instance.
The agent can formulate and refine search queries, use different search engines, restrict searches by language or domain, and issue follow-up or revised queries when needed.
Web Reading
Once a useful link is found, the agent can open the page through Cluefinch MCP and receive cleaned text ready for model processing.
Large pages do not have to be loaded into the model's context all at once. The agent can read them in chunks, continue from a specific position, and request additional context only when it is actually needed.
Source Navigation
After finding a useful page, the agent can inspect its HTTP/HTTPS links and use the source's own structure to continue the research: move through documentation sections and report chapters, follow pagination, open related pages, and reach primary materials — without returning to a search engine at every step.
Deep Research
Cluefinch MCP gives the agent the tools to carry out multi-source research workflows.
The agent can pursue several lines of inquiry at once, work with both search results and known URLs, gather material from different sources, examine the most relevant parts of long documents, and deepen the investigation as new questions emerge.
The agent remains in control of the research process: it decides what to search for next, which sources deserve closer inspection, how to interpret the collected material, and when there is enough evidence to produce an answer.
The depth of the research — from a quick product lookup to complex, multi-stage analysis — depends on the task, the model, and the user's instructions.
Quick Start
Cluefinch MCP requires Python 3.12.4 or later.
1. Install Cluefinch MCP
python -m pip install cluefinchAfter installation, make sure the cluefinch executable is available through the PATH environment variable.
On Windows:
where.exe cluefinchOn macOS and Linux:
command -v cluefinchIf cluefinch is not found, add the directory containing the installed executable to PATH.
2. Start SearXNG
Cluefinch uses SearXNG as its search backend. If you do not already have your own SearXNG instance, the repository includes a ready-to-use local configuration example:
- examples/searxng/compose.yaml
- examples/searxng/settings.yml
To run the example, you need Docker with Docker Compose support.
Shortened. The full README is on GitHub.
Nothing above is checked by us. What we check is on the safety report.
Cluefinch MCP: common questions
- Is Cluefinch MCP server safe?
- Yes, by our scan: it is graded A (91/100). Read the Cluefinch MCP safety report
- How do I install Cluefinch MCP?
- It runs on your machine. Copy the Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code or Claude Desktop config from the install section.
- Does Cluefinch MCP need an API key?
- Not as far as the registry entry and our scan can tell: no credentials are declared or required.
- Is Cluefinch MCP maintained?
- The last commit was 26 days ago (2026-10-09). The latest release is v0.1.4.
- What can I use instead of Cluefinch MCP?
- Servers from other publishers that do the same job: Search1API MCP server, Free Search MCP server and FrankenSurf MCP server.
- How does Cluefinch MCP compare with other Web search MCP servers?
- safety score 91/100 (higher than 88% of 3,470 Web search servers); downloads a week 17 (more than 5% of 827 Web search servers with a package). Full comparison.
Alternatives to Cluefinch MCP
Same job from other publishers: the closest match first, then the best rated.
Search1APIWeb search, agentic search, news, page retrieval, sitemaps, and trending topics through Search1API.not reviewedEstablishedA
Free SearchNo-API-key web search, page fetching and document reading across many engines. Local-first.not reviewedEstablishedB- FrankenSurfRead any web page and search the web: 28 tools, cheapest first, every page checked.not reviewedEstablishedA
Zotero MCPSearch, read, annotate, and add to your Zotero research library, local or web.not reviewedWidely usedB- Perplexity API Platform (moved to ai.perplexity/mcp-server)Real-time web search, reasoning, and research through Perplexity's APInot reviewedWidely usedA