> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.octen.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Octen MCP Server > Connect Octen to Claude, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible clients.

For AI agents: docs.octen.ai/integrations/octen-mcp-server.md

Lets MCP-compatible assistants use Octen directly inside their workflow: * `broad_search` — decompose one question into concurrent sub-queries for broad, multi-angle coverage * `search` — search live web data with ranked results, highlights, filters, and optional full content * `news_search` — search news results for current events, announcements, and timely reporting * `image_search` — search the web for images by text or reference image (beta) * `video_search` — search the web for videos by text query (beta) * `extract` — fetch URLs as clean markdown or text Create a key from the API Platform. View source and contribute. Install the `octen-mcp` package. ## Why Octen MCP Web search averages 62ms. Fast enough for multi-step MCP workflows. Powered by SOTA text and VL embedding models. Better sources, fewer hallucinations. Live web data with minute-level updates. Useful for news, prices, and fast-moving pages. Clean highlights, optional full\_content, and page labels keep model context relevant. ## Installation You'll need an Octen API key first. Create one from the [API Platform](https://octen.ai/platform/api-keys). Add to `claude_desktop_config.json`: ```json theme={null} { "mcpServers": { "octen": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "octen-mcp"], "env": { "OCTEN_API_KEY": "your-key-here" } } } } ``` Add to `~/.cursor/mcp.json`: ```json theme={null} { "mcpServers": { "octen": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "octen-mcp"], "env": { "OCTEN_API_KEY": "your-key-here" } } } } ``` Install at the user level: [![Install in VS Code](https://img.shields.io/badge/Install%20in-VS%20Code-007ACC?logo=visualstudiocode\&logoColor=white)](https://vscode.dev/redirect/mcp/install?name=octen\&inputs=%5B%7B%22type%22%3A%22promptString%22%2C%22id%22%3A%22apiKey%22%2C%22description%22%3A%22Octen%20API%20Key%22%2C%22password%22%3Atrue%7D%5D\&config=%7B%22command%22%3A%22npx%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%22-y%22%2C%22octen-mcp%22%5D%2C%22env%22%3A%7B%22OCTEN_API_KEY%22%3A%22%24%7Binput%3AapiKey%7D%22%7D%7D) Or add to `.vscode/mcp.json`: ```json theme={null} { "servers": { "octen": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "octen-mcp"], "env": { "OCTEN_API_KEY": "your-key-here" } } } } ``` ```bash theme={null} claude mcp add --scope user octen \ -e OCTEN_API_KEY=your-key-here \ -- npx -y octen-mcp ``` Use the same `npx -y octen-mcp` command with `OCTEN_API_KEY` in your MCP client config. ## Tools | Tool | Use for | Returns | | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | `broad_search` | Comparisons, surveys, multi-angle search | Ranked results grouped per generated sub-query | | `search` | Search bars, answer engines, news and source lookup | Ranked pages with relevant `highlight` and optional `full_content` | | `news_search` | Current events and timely reporting | Same as `search`, with `topic` fixed to `news` | | `image_search` (beta) | Image lookup, visual references, design references | Ranked images; `design` adds a style `summary` and `html_snippet` | | `video_search` (beta) | Video lookup, clip discovery, media previews | Ranked videos with duration and cover | | `extract` | Reading pages, cleaning articles | Clean content with optional highlights, `category`, and `page_structure` | ### Broad Search Use `broad_search` for comparisons, surveys, and multi-angle research. It decomposes a query into related sub-queries from multiple angles, searches them concurrently. It supports: * `max_queries`: 1-30 sub-queries (default 5) — raise for broader coverage * all `search` options applied to every sub-query ```json theme={null} { "query": "compare cloud GPU pricing across major providers", "max_queries": 5, "count": 10 } ``` ### Web Search Use `search` for live web retrieval. It supports: * `topic`: `general` or `news` * `count`: 1-100 results * `include_domains` / `exclude_domains` * `include_text` / `exclude_text` * `time_basis`, `time_range`, `start_time`, and `end_time` * `highlight` snippets or `full_content` * `include_images` * `format` (`text` or `markdown`) and `safesearch` ```json theme={null} { "query": "latest AI agent benchmark results", "count": 5, "time_range": "week" } ``` ### News Search Use `news_search` for current events, headlines, announcements, and time-sensitive reporting. It uses Octen Web Search with `topic` set to `news`. Equivalent Search API request: ```json theme={null} { "query": "Fed rate decision", "topic": "news", "count": 10, "time_range": "day" } ``` ### Image Search *In beta — contact us for beta access.* Use `image_search` for image lookup, visual references, and design assets. It supports: * `query` and optional `image_url` (reference image) * `topic`: `general`, or `design` for UI design references * `count`: 1-10 results * `include_domains` / `exclude_domains` * `time_range`, `start_time`, and `end_time` * `safesearch` and `html_snippet` ```json theme={null} { "query": "pricing comparison table, dark theme, SaaS", "topic": "design", "count": 5 } ``` ### Video Search *In beta — contact us for beta access.* Use `video_search` for video lookup, clip discovery, and media previews. It supports: * `query` * `count`: 1-10 results * `time_range`, `start_time`, and `end_time` * `safesearch` ```json theme={null} { "query": "how to make espresso", "count": 5 } ``` ### Extract Use `extract` when the input is one or more URLs. It supports: * `urls`: 1-20 URLs * `query`: return ranked highlights from each page instead of the full body * `max_age_seconds`: cache freshness control * `format`: `markdown` or `text` * `include_images`, `include_videos`, and `include_audio` ```json theme={null} { "urls": [ "https://docs.octen.ai/api-reference/search", "https://docs.octen.ai/api-reference/extract" ], "format": "markdown" } ``` ## Response shapes Search returns a query and ranked result list: ```json theme={null} { "code": 0, "msg": "success", "request_id": "req_abc123def456", "data": { "query": "latest AI agent benchmark results", "results": [ { "title": "Example result", "url": "https://example.com/article", "highlight": "Query-relevant snippet...", "time_published": "2026-06-20T00:00:00Z", "time_last_crawled": "2026-06-23T08:30:05Z" } ] }, "meta": { "usage": { "num_search_queries": 1, "full_content_tokens": 0 }, "latency": 237 } } ``` Extract returns one result per URL: ```json theme={null} { "code": 0, "msg": "success", "request_id": "req_abc123def456", "data": { "results": [ { "url": "https://docs.octen.ai/api-reference/search", "status": "success", "title": "Search - Octen", "full_content": "Clean markdown or text content...", "time_last_crawled": "2026-04-21T08:30:05Z", "page_structure": { "primary": "Content Page", "secondary": "Article" }, "category": { "primary": "Computers, Electronics & Technology", "secondary": "Artificial Intelligence" } } ] }, "meta": { "usage": { "total_urls": 1, "successful_urls": 1 }, "latency": 1832 } } ``` With `extract.query`, each successful URL returns `highlights` instead of `full_content`. Failed URLs return `status: "failed"` and an `error_message`; failed URLs are not billed. ## Configuration | Variable | Required | Default | | --------------- | -------- | ---------------------- | | `OCTEN_API_KEY` | Yes | - | | `OCTEN_API_URL` | No | `https://api.octen.ai` |