Web Search#

Unified search interface across multiple search engines with result aggregation support.

Quick Start#

bash

# Default search (Tavily API - fastest)
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "your search query"

# Specify engine
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "你的搜索内容" --engine baidu
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "search terms" --engine google

# Aggregate from multiple engines
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "关键词" --engine all

# Limit results
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "..." --max-results 10

Search Engines#

EngineMethodBest ForSpeedtavilyAPIGeneral web search, fast results⚡ FastestgoogleBrowserComprehensive results, international🐢 SlowbingBrowserMicrosoft ecosystem, image search🐢 SlowbaiduBrowserChinese content, domestic sites🐢 SlowduckduckgoBrowserPrivacy-focused, no tracking🐢 SlowallAggregatedMaximum coverage, research🐌 Slowest

Commands#

Tavily Search (Recommended)#

Fast API-based search, best for most use cases:

bash

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "..." --engine tavily

# With answer summary
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "..." --engine tavily --include-answer

# Markdown output
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "..." --engine tavily --format md

Requirements: TAVILY_API_KEY in environment or ~/.openclaw/.env

Browser-Based Search#

Use agent-browser to access search engines directly:

bash

# Google search
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "..." --engine google

# Baidu (for Chinese content)
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "关键词" --engine baidu

# Bing
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "..." --engine bing

# DuckDuckGo (privacy-focused)
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "..." --engine duckduckgo

Aggregated Search#

Search multiple engines and combine results:

bash

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "..." --engine all --max-results 5

This searches Tavily + Google + Baidu and deduplicates results.

Output Format#

JSON (default)#

json

{
  "query": "search query",
  "engine": "tavily",
  "results": [
    {
      "title": "Result Title",
      "url": "https://example.com",
      "snippet": "Brief description..."
    }
  ]
}

Markdown ( --format md)#

markdown

## Search Results: "query"

1. **[Title](url)**
   Description...

2. **[Title](url)**
   Description...

Decision Guide#

Use Tavily when:

• Need quick results
• General web search
• API available

Use Google when:

• Need comprehensive results
• International content
• Tavily unavailable

Use Baidu when:

• Searching Chinese content
• Looking for domestic Chinese sites
• Researching Chinese topics

Use DuckDuckGo when:

• Privacy is important
• Avoiding tracking
• Alternative perspective

Use Aggregated when:

• Research needs comprehensive coverage
• Important topic requiring multiple sources
• Comparing results across engines

Workflow#

1. Determine engine preference

   • Default: Tavily (fastest)
   • Chinese content: Baidu
   • Research: all engines

2. Run search bash

   python3 {baseDir}/scripts/web_search.py --query "..." --engine tavily --max-results 5
   
   

3. If more depth needed

   • Increase --max-results
   • Switch to --engine all
   • Use agent-browser directly for interactive search

Integration with agent-browser#

For complex search tasks requiring interaction:

bash

# Open Google
agent-browser open "https://www.google.com/search?q=query"

# Open Baidu
agent-browser open "https://www.baidu.com/s?wd=关键词"

# Extract results
agent-browser snapshot -i

See Agent Browser skill for full browser automation capabilities.

Notes#

• Keep --max-results small (3-5) by default to reduce token usage
• Browser-based searches are slower due to page loading
• Aggregated search combines and deduplicates results from multiple engines
• For Chinese queries, Baidu often returns better localized results