| name | web-search-plus |
| description | Unified search skill with Intelligent Auto-Routing. Uses multi-signal analysis to automatically select between Serper (Google), Tavily (Research), Exa (Neural), You.com (RAG/Real-time), and SearXNG (Privacy/Self-hosted) with confidence scoring. Use when this capability is needed. |
| metadata | {"author":"demerzels-lab"} |
Web Search Plus
Stop choosing search providers. Let the skill do it for you.
This skill connects you to 5 search providers (Serper, Tavily, Exa, You.com, SearXNG) and automatically picks the best one for each query. Shopping question? → Google results. Research question? → Deep research engine. Want privacy? → Self-hosted option.
✨ What Makes This Different?
- Just search — No need to think about which provider to use
- Smart routing — Analyzes your query and picks the best provider automatically
- 5 providers, 1 interface — Google results, research engines, neural search, RAG-optimized, and privacy-first all in one
- Works with just 1 key — Start with any single provider, add more later
- Free options available — SearXNG is completely free (self-hosted)
🚀 Quick Start
python3 scripts/setup.py
cp config.example.json config.json
The wizard explains each provider, collects API keys, and configures defaults.
🔑 API Keys
You only need ONE key to get started. Add more providers later for better coverage.
| Provider | Free Tier | Best For | Sign Up |
|---|
| Serper | 2,500/mo | Shopping, prices, local, news | serper.dev |
| Tavily | 1,000/mo | Research, explanations, academic | tavily.com |
| Exa | 1,000/mo | "Similar to X", startups, papers | exa.ai |
| You.com | Limited | Real-time info, AI/RAG context | api.you.com |
| SearXNG | FREE ✅ | Privacy, multi-source, $0 cost | Self-hosted |
Setting your keys:
export SERPER_API_KEY="your-key"
export TAVILY_API_KEY="your-key"
{ "serper": { "api_key": "your-key" } }
🎯 When to Use Which Provider
| I want to... | Provider | Example Query |
|---|
| Find product prices | Serper | "iPhone 16 Pro Max price" |
| Find restaurants/stores nearby | Serper | "best pizza near me" |
| Understand how something works | Tavily | "how does HTTPS encryption work" |
| Do deep research | Tavily | "climate change research 2024" |
| Find companies like X | Exa | "startups similar to Notion" |
| Find research papers | Exa | "transformer architecture papers" |
| Get real-time info | You.com | "latest AI regulation news" |
| Search without being tracked | SearXNG | anything, privately |
Pro tip: Just search normally! Auto-routing handles most queries correctly. Override with -p provider when needed.
🧠 How Auto-Routing Works
The skill looks at your query and picks the best provider:
"iPhone 16 price" → Serper (shopping keywords)
"how does quantum computing work" → Tavily (research question)
"companies like stripe.com" → Exa (URL detected, similarity)
"latest news on AI" → You.com (real-time intent)
"search privately" → SearXNG (privacy keywords)
What if it picks wrong? Override it: python3 scripts/search.py -p tavily -q "your query"
Debug routing: python3 scripts/search.py --explain-routing -q "your query"
📖 Usage Examples
Let Auto-Routing Choose (Recommended)
python3 scripts/search.py -q "Tesla Model 3 price"
python3 scripts/search.py -q "explain machine learning"
python3 scripts/search.py -q "startups like Figma"
Force a Specific Provider
python3 scripts/search.py -p serper -q "weather Berlin"
python3 scripts/search.py -p tavily -q "quantum computing" --depth advanced
python3 scripts/search.py -p exa --similar-url "https://stripe.com" --category company
python3 scripts/search.py -p you -q "breaking tech news" --include-news
python3 scripts/search.py -p searxng -q "linux distros" --engines "google,bing"
⚙️ Configuration
{
"auto_routing": {
"enabled": true,
"fallback_provider": "serper",
"confidence_threshold": 0.3,
"disabled_providers": []
},
"serper": {"country": "us", "language": "en"},
"tavily": {"depth": "advanced"},
"exa": {"type": "neural"},
"you": {"country": "US", "include_news"
📊 Provider Comparison
| Feature | Serper | Tavily | Exa | You.com | SearXNG |
|---|
| Speed | ⚡⚡⚡ | ⚡⚡ | ⚡⚡ | ⚡⚡⚡ | ⚡⚡ |
| Factual Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Semantic Understanding | ⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐ |
| Full Page Content | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shopping/Local | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Find Similar Pages | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| RAG-Optimized | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓✓ | ✗ |
| Privacy-First | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓✓ |
| API Cost | $$ | $$ | $$ | $ | FREE |
❓ Common Questions
Do I need API keys for all providers?
No. You only need keys for providers you want to use. Start with one (Serper recommended), add more later.
Which provider should I start with?
Serper — fastest, cheapest, largest free tier (2,500 queries/month), and handles most queries well.
What if I run out of free queries?
The skill automatically falls back to your other configured providers. Or switch to SearXNG (unlimited, self-hosted).
How much does this cost?
- Free tiers: 2,500 (Serper) + 1,000 (Tavily) + 1,000 (Exa) = 4,500+ free searches/month
- SearXNG: Completely free (just ~$5/mo if you self-host on a VPS)
- Paid plans: Start around $10-50/month depending on provider
Is SearXNG really private?
Yes, if self-hosted. You control the server, no tracking, no profiling. Public instances depend on the operator's policy.
How do I set up SearXNG?
docker run -d -p 8080:8080 searxng/searxng
Then enable JSON API in settings.yml. See docs.searxng.org.
Why did it route my query to the "wrong" provider?
Sometimes queries are ambiguous. Use --explain-routing to see why, then override with -p provider if needed.
🔄 Automatic Fallback
If one provider fails (rate limit, timeout, error), the skill automatically tries the next provider. You'll see routing.fallback_used: true in the response when this happens.
📤 Output Format
{
"provider": "serper",
"query": "iPhone 16 price",
"results": [{"title": "...", "url": "...", "snippet": "...", "score": 0.95}],
"routing": {
"auto_routed": true,
"provider": "serper",
"confidence": 0.78,
"confidence_level": "high"
}
}
⚠️ Important Note
Tavily, Serper, and Exa are NOT core OpenClaw providers.
❌ Don't modify ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json for these
✅ Use this skill's scripts — keys auto-load from .env
📚 More Documentation
🔗 Quick Links
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