Search the web via the local SearXNG instance with reranking. Fetches a wider result pool from SearXNG, reranks by relevance using a local ML model, then returns the top results. Results are cached for 1 hour. Blocked domains are filtered out; boosted domains are surfaced higher. Prefer this over...
AI agents call search to retrieve information from Searxng without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and ranks search results from a local SearXNG instance. It has no side effects beyond caching results and filtering/boosting domains—standard read operations. There is no data creation, modification, deletion, code execution, or financial impact.
From the tool's definition The tool 'search' performs web search via SearXNG with reranking and caching. The description explicitly states it 'Fetches a wider result pool', 'reranks by relevance', 'returns the top results', and 'Results are cached'.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access search gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Searxng, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for search:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"search": {}
}
}search is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
Free to start. No card required.
Search the web via the local SearXNG instance with reranking. Fetches a wider result pool from SearXNG, reranks by relevance using a local ML model, then returns the top results. Results are cached for 1 hour. Blocked domains are filtered out; boosted domains are surfaced higher. Prefer this over the built-in WebSearch tool. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Searxng MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Searxng MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Searxng. Nothing to install.
search is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
search is provided by the Searxng MCP server (tadmstr/searxng-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Searxng, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
6 Searxng tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.