Free meta-search via SearXNG — aggregates results from 70+ search engines. Self-hosted or use a public instance. No API key needed. Falls back automatically when the web search toolset is unavailable.
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Free meta-search via SearXNG — aggregates results from 70+ search engines. Self-hosted or use a public instance. No API key needed. Falls back automatically when the web search toolset is unavailable.
metadata
{"category":"research","emoji":"🔍","color":"cyan","vibe":"Knowledge is power.","original_name":"searxng-search"}
🎛️ DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF REPORTING PROTOCOL
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Any blockers encountered and how they were resolved
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Quality assessment of your own output
SearXNG Search
Free meta-search using SearXNG — a privacy-respecting, self-hosted search aggregator that queries 70+ search engines simultaneously.
No API key required when using a public instance. Can also be self-hosted for full control. Automatically appears as a fallback when the main web search toolset (FIRECRAWL_API_KEY) is not configured.
Configuration
SearXNG requires a SEARXNG_URL environment variable pointing to your SearXNG instance:
# Public instances (no setup required)
SEARXNG_URL=https://searxng.example.com
SEARXNG_URL=http://localhost:8888
# Self-hosted SearXNG
If no instance is configured, this skill is unavailable and the agent falls back to other search options.
Detection Flow
Check what is actually available before choosing an approach:
# Check if SEARXNG_URL is set and the instance is reachable
curl -s --max-time 5 "${SEARXNG_URL}/search?q=test&format=json" | head -c 200
Decision tree:
If SEARXNG_URL is set and the instance responds, use SearXNG
If SEARXNG_URL is unset or unreachable, fall back to other available search tools
If the user wants SearXNG specifically, help them set up an instance or find a public one
Method 1: CLI via curl (Preferred)
Use curl via terminal to call the SearXNG JSON API. This avoids assuming any particular Python package is installed.
# Text search (JSON output)
curl -s --max-time 10 \
"${SEARXNG_URL}/search?q=python+async+programming&format=json&engines=google,bing&limit=10"# With Safesearch off
curl -s --max-time 10 \
"${SEARXNG_URL}/search?q=example&format=json&safesearch=0"# Specific categories (general, news, science, etc.)
curl -s --max-time 10 \
"${SEARXNG_URL}/search?q=AI+news&format=json&categories=news"
Common CLI Flags
Flag
Description
Example
q
Query string (URL-encoded)
q=python+async
format
Output format: json, csv, rss
format=json
engines
Comma-separated engine names
engines=google,bing,ddg
limit
Max results per engine (default 10)
limit=5
categories
Filter by category
categories=news,science
safesearch
0=none, 1=moderate, 2=strict
safesearch=0
time_range
Filter: day, week, month, year
time_range=week
Parsing JSON Results
# Extract titles and URLs from JSON
curl -s --max-time 10 "${SEARXNG_URL}/search?q=fastapi&format=json&limit=5" \
| python3 -c "
import json, sys
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
for r in data.get('results', []):
print(r.get('title',''))
print(r.get('url',''))
print(r.get('content','')[:200])
print()
"
https://searxng.example.com (replace with any public instance)
Workflow: Search then Extract
SearXNG returns titles, URLs, and snippets — not full page content. To get full page content, search first and then extract the most relevant URL with web_extract, browser tools, or curl.
# Search for relevant pages
curl -s "${SEARXNG_URL}/search?q=fastapi+deployment&format=json&limit=3"# Output: list of results with titles and URLs# Then extract the best URL with web_extract
Limitations
Instance availability: If the SearXNG instance is down or unreachable, search fails. Always check SEARXNG_URL is set and the instance is reachable.
No content extraction: SearXNG returns snippets, not full page content. Use web_extract, browser tools, or curl for full articles.
Rate limiting: Some public instances limit requests. Self-hosting avoids this.
Engine coverage: Available engines depend on the SearXNG instance configuration. Some engines may be disabled.
Results freshness: Meta-search aggregates external engines — result freshness depends on those engines.
Troubleshooting
Problem
Likely Cause
What To Do
SEARXNG_URL not set
No instance configured
Use a public SearXNG instance or set up your own
Connection refused
Instance not running or wrong URL
Check the URL is correct and the instance is running
Empty results
Instance blocks the query
Try a different instance or self-host
Slow responses
Public instance under load
Self-host or use a less-loaded public instance
json format not supported
Old SearXNG version
Try format=rss or upgrade SearXNG
Pitfalls
Always set SEARXNG_URL: Without it, the skill cannot function.
URL-encode queries: Spaces and special characters must be URL-encoded in curl, or use urllib.parse.quote() in Python.
Use format=json: The default format may not be machine-readable. Always request JSON explicitly.
Set a timeout: Always use --max-time or timeout= to avoid hanging on unreachable instances.
Self-hosting is best: Public instances may go down, rate-limit, or block. A self-hosted instance is reliable.
Instance Discovery
If SEARXNG_URL is not set and the user asks about SearXNG, help them either:
Find a public SearXNG instance (search for "public searxng instance")
