Yandex Search MCP via browser automation
yandex-search-mcp
An unofficial Playwright-based MCP server that searches Yandex through a browser with authenticated cookies, extracting and ranking page content for an agent
High risk
We rate an entry high when the tool writes to external systems, handles money, production databases or secrets, or runs arbitrary commands. The CLI installs it only with your consent.
Why this level
- Works around Yandex's automated-request protection using cookies and browser stealth mode
- Using a shared or borrowed account risks that account being blocked by Yandex
Install
Manual install
git clone https://github.com/bpawnzz/yandex-search-mcp.git && cd yandex-search-mcp && npm install && npm run buildBuilds the server from source; no ready npm package was found at review time.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
The server offers two tools: yandex_search returns titles, links and snippets from Yandex results, and yandex_search_enhanced additionally fetches the content of found pages, ranks it by relevance and formats it for the model's context with a choice of analysis depth and output format (raw, summarized, synthesized, Q&A-ready). Search runs through a Playwright-driven browser with stealth mode against bot detection and authenticated Yandex account cookies, needed to avoid hitting a CAPTCHA on automated requests. It caches results with per-domain TTLs and guards against result clustering from a single source.
Who it is for. For developers who want Runet search inside an agent and are willing to monitor Yandex ToS compliance themselves.
Good fit when
- You need search specifically in Yandex, not Google, inside an agent workflow
- You want extracted and condensed page content for the model's context, not just a link list
- You have your own Yandex account and are willing to use its cookies to authorize requests
Not a fit when
- Yandex ToS compliance matters to you: the tool explicitly works around bot protection with cookies and browser stealth mode
- You want an official, supported search method: this is an unofficial project with no ties to Yandex
Example request
Search Yandex for the latest news about a new processor launch and summarize three sourcesLimitations
The author explicitly states this is an unofficial project with no ties to Yandex, Anthropic or Playwright, and that compliance with Yandex's terms of service, rate limits and anti-bot policy is the user's own responsibility. The server works around automated-request protection using authenticated cookies and Playwright stealth techniques, which can get the Yandex account whose cookies are used blocked. It needs its own running Playwright browser and Node.js 18+, with no ready npm package at the time of review, only a from-source build.
How to disable. Remove the yandex-search block from claude_desktop_config.json or your MCP client's configuration.
MCP
- Transport
- stdio
- Authentication
- not required
| Environment variables | |
|---|---|
| MAX_PAGES_PER_QUERY | Max pages to fetch content from per query |
| CACHE_TTL_HOURS | Result cache TTL in hours |
Security check
- Works around Yandex's automated-request protection using cookies and browser stealth mode
- Using a shared or borrowed account risks that account being blocked by Yandex
README in short
The README opens with an explicit disclaimer about its unofficial status and the user's responsibility for Yandex's terms of use. It covers basic and enhanced search tools, Playwright stealth mode, cookie-based authorization, multi-region Yandex support, page content extraction and ranking, smart caching, and setup for Claude Desktop and Cline. It lists steps for a from-source build and getting cookies through a browser extension.
FAQ
Why does it need account cookies?
Without authenticated cookies Yandex shows a CAPTCHA on automated requests; cookies let the tool avoid it.
Is this an official Yandex server?
No, the README explicitly states the project has no connection to Yandex, Anthropic or Google.
Related
CLI, skill and Python library for browser control: the agent clicks, fills forms and reads pages over CDP
A skill that gathers the last 30 days of discussion on a topic from Reddit, X, YouTube, HN, Polymarket and GitHub into one brief
The Chrome DevTools team's official MCP server: the agent drives a live Chrome, reads network and console, and records performance traces
A fast Rust CLI for agent browser automation: accessibility snapshots with element refs, an MCP server and skills