SerpApi Plugin for Grok Build

This plugin gives Grok Build the ability to search Google, Bing, YouTube, eBay, Amazon, Walmart, Google Maps, Google Scholar, and 130+ other engines through SerpApi, and to read web pages with the SerpApi Extract API.

Quick Start

1. Get an API key

Sign up at serpapi.com and set your API key.

export SERPAPI_KEY="your-key-here"

Unlike OAuth based plugins, SerpApi's hosted MCP server authenticates with this bearer token, so the key must be set before Grok Build starts.

2. Install the plugin

Install it directly from the serpapi-grok-plugin repository.

grok plugin install serpapi/serpapi-grok-plugin --trust

This wires up the bundled MCP server and two skills: serpapi-search and serpapi-extract. Once the plugin is listed in a marketplace source, you'll also be able to find it in Grok Build by running /plugin and searching for serpapi.

See skills/serpapi-search/rules/setup.md for detailed setup and troubleshooting.

3. Use it

Once installed and authenticated, ask naturally.

Search for "best practices for React testing" and compile the key recommendations

Find coffee shops near Austin, TX

What's the AAPL stock price right now?

Search YouTube for "rust async tutorial"

Summarize https://serpapi.com/blog/using-serpapi-in-google-colab/

Features

The hosted MCP server is the primary way this plugin works. Its native search tool is the default execution path, authenticated with the bearer key you provide.

• Single tool, all engines. The serpapi-search skill covers 130+ engines through one search tool, with params.engine selecting the vertical.
• Read web pages. The serpapi-extract skill reads pages through the Extract API (engine: "extract" on the same search tool): scrape a URL into structured content and Markdown, map a site's URLs, or crawl several pages.
• Structured results. Responses are JSON with prices, ratings, addresses, and other fields, not just links and snippets.
• Interactive views. MCP Apps capable clients can render results with search_table, a sortable table, and search_dashboard, a metrics dashboard.
• Fallback friendly. The SerpApi CLI is available as an optional fallback for when the MCP server is unavailable. It reads the same SERPAPI_KEY, so no separate authentication step is needed.

brew install serpapi/tap/serpapi-cli

Supported Engines

Category	Engines
Web Search	Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Yandex, Baidu, Naver
Shopping	Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Google Shopping
Local / Maps	Google Maps, Google Local
Research	Google Scholar, Google Patents, Google Trends
News	Google News, Bing News, DuckDuckGo News, Baidu News
Media	Google Images, Google Videos, YouTube
Travel	Google Flights, Google Hotels
Jobs	Google Jobs
Finance	Google Finance
Web Pages	Extract (scrape, map, crawl)

See the full list of Supported Engines.

CLI Commands (optional fallback)

Command	Description
serpapi search ...	Run a search against any engine
serpapi search engine=extract url=...	Read a web page with the Extract API (mode=scrape, map, or crawl)
serpapi image <file>	Upload an image for Google Lens and print its image_id (CLI v0.4.0+)
serpapi account	Check remaining quota and credits
serpapi locations	Look up available search locations, no key needed
serpapi archive <id>	Retrieve a cached result by search ID
serpapi login	Interactive authentication setup

Extract has no subcommand of its own; it's an engine of serpapi search:

serpapi search engine=extract url=https://example.com include_markdown=true --jq '.text_content.markdown'
serpapi search engine=extract url=https://serpapi.com mode=map --fields 'urls[].url'

Output Files

For large result sets, results are saved to a .serpapi/ directory in your project to keep Grok Build's context window clean.

.serpapi/search-coffee_shops_austin.json
.serpapi/search-react_testing.json

Configuration

Variable	Required	Description
SERPAPI_KEY	Yes	Bearer key used by both the MCP Authorization header and the CLI fallback

Troubleshooting

• Invalid API key. Verify your key at serpapi.com/manage-api-key.
• MCP tools not available. Start a new Grok Build session after installing the plugin or changing MCP configuration.
• Plugin not listed. Run grok plugin list, then reinstall it if it's missing.
• Quota or rate limit exceeded. Check usage in the SerpApi dashboard or review pricing.

Run grok mcp doctor serpapi for a detailed diagnosis of MCP connection issues.

Testing

See TEST.md for how to validate and exercise this plugin locally against the grok CLI.

Resources

• SerpApi Documentation
• SerpApi MCP Server Repository, the MCP server integration used by this plugin and other MCP compatible clients.
• SerpApi CLI Repository, the optional command line fallback.
• Supported Engines
• Get API Key

License

This plugin is licensed under MIT.

Support

Report issues at SerpApi MCP GitHub Issues.