Google Surf Mcp
Give your coding agent real Google search and page fetches through a warm Chrome profile—no Search API key and no proxy setup.
Overview
Google Surf MCP is a MCP server for the idea phase that performs Google search and browsing via Playwright and a warm Chrome profile without a Search API key.
What is this MCP server?
- Playwright-driven Google search using a persistent warm Chrome profile
- No Google API key and no proxy requirement in the default design
- Stdio npm package google-surf-mcp (registry version 0.4.6)
- Configurable CHROME_PATH, SURF_PROFILE_ROOT, locale, timezone, and SURF_HEADLESS visible vs headless modes
- CAPTCHA recovery runs visible even when headless is enabled for normal browsing
- Transport: stdio via npm registryType
- Optional env: CHROME_PATH, SURF_PROFILE_ROOT, SURF_HEADLESS, SURF_LOCALE, SURF_TZ
Community signal: 226 GitHub stars.
What problem does it solve?
Agents stall on research when every SERP fetch needs a paid API key, brittle scrapers, or manual copy-paste from the browser.
Who is it for?
Indie builders doing competitor and SERP research from Claude Code or Cursor who already have Chrome installed locally.
Skip if: Production pipelines that require official Google Search API compliance, headless CI without Chrome, or high-volume unattended crawling.
What do I get? / Deliverables
After npm install and MCP registration, your agent can query Google and load result pages through stdio tools backed by a reused Chrome profile.
- Agent-executable Google search and page navigation
- Persistent profile-backed sessions for repeat research
- Configurable headless or visible Chrome for debugging and CAPTCHA flows
Recommended MCP Servers
Journey fit
Unauthenticated Google browsing via Playwright is most valuable early when founders research markets and citations before build. Research subphase covers competitor discovery, SERP inspection, and fact gathering from the open web.
How it compares
Browser-automation MCP for live Google pages, not a curated skills.sh research skill or official Search API integration.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is Google Surf MCP for?
Solo builders and agent users who need interactive Google research from the desktop without API keys or proxy infrastructure.
When should I use Google Surf MCP?
Use it during idea and validate research, or light launch SEO checks, when live SERP HTML matters more than batch official API quotas.
How do I add Google Surf MCP to my agent?
Install npm package google-surf-mcp, add a stdio MCP server entry in Claude Code or Cursor, set CHROME_PATH or SURF_PROFILE_ROOT if needed, then restart the client.