ddgs-search

name	ddgs-search
description	Use the Python-based ddgs CLI (via `uvx ddgs`) for ad-hoc, unlimited web searches across multiple search engines. Trigger this skill when the user asks you to look something up online, compare sources, or gather search-based research.

DDGS Search

Workflow

1. Clarify the user’s intent and translate it into a concise ddgs query (e.g., “OpenClaw agent capabilities”, “台北市立大學 markeTech 2026”, “AI-generated music licensing summary”).
2. Choose the appropriate ddgs subcommand (text, news, images, videos, books) and supply the query via -q/--query plus any filters you need.
3. Run the CLI with the desired flags. Example:

   uvx ddgs text \
     -q "OpenClaw agent" \
     -b google \
     -p 1 \
     --output json \
     --verify False
   

4. Pull the most relevant titles, snippets, and URLs (or file paths) from the generated output, summarize key findings, cite the sources/engines, and ask if the user wants deeper digging.

Command reference

• uvx ddgs text → General web search. Supports -b/--backend (e.g., duckduckgo, bing, google, auto), -p/--page, -m/--max_results, -r/--region, and -t/--timelimit.
• uvx ddgs news → News sources only; pair with -r/--region or -t/--timelimit to narrow to breaking stories.
• uvx ddgs images, uvx ddgs videos, uvx ddgs books → Media-specific metasearches; capture title, href, and any metadata exposed in JSON output (e.g., ext, download paths).

Available backends

Function	Backends
text()	bing, brave, duckduckgo, google, grokipedia, mojeek, yandex, yahoo, wikipedia
images()	duckduckgo
videos()	duckduckgo
news()	bing, duckduckgo, yahoo
books()	annasarchive

Mode-specific options

text (general web searches)

• Pass the search phrase with -q/--query (text only); -k/--keywords is deprecated.
• -r/--region (e.g., us-en, uk-en, ru-ru) and -s/--safesearch (on, moderate, off) control localization and content sensitivity.
• -t/--timelimit accepts d, w, m, or y for day/week/month/year windows; omit for all-time.
• -m/--max_results limits how many entries ddgs returns (default 10) and -p/--page picks the page number (default 1).
• -b/--backend lets you pin engines (comma-delimited names or auto to pick automatically). Works with the backend list above.

news (news-focused search)

• Same core flags as text (-q, -r, -s, -t, -m, -p, -b), but ddgs only queries news outlets.
• Use -t to keep results fresh (day/week/month), and prefer bing, duckduckgo, or yahoo backends for broader coverage.

images

• Inherits the general -q, -r, -s, -t, -m, -p, -b flags with backend locked to duckduckgo.
• Extra filters include --size (Small, Medium, Large, Wallpaper), --color (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, Brown, Black, Gray, Teal, White, Monochrome, color), --type (photo, clipart, gif, transparent, line), --layout (Square, Tall, Wide), and --license (e.g., any, Public, Share, ShareCommercially, Modify, ModifyCommercially).

videos

• Core flags work the same (-q, -r, -s, -t, -m, -p, -b) with duckduckgo as the backend.
• Additional filters: --resolution (high, standard), --duration (short, medium, long), --license (creativeCommon, youtube).

books

• Only supports -q, -m, -p, and -b (backend defaults to annasarchive). Use this mode to find e-books or archived copies.

Flags & options

• -q/--query, -r/--region, -s/--safesearch, -t/--timelimit, -m/--max_results, -p/--page, and -b/--backend cover the shared behaviors across modes (text/news/images/videos/books).
• -o/--output writes structured CSV/JSON (or filename.json) for easy parsing.
• --verify False is often necessary here to bypass TLS certificate issues; True performs strict verification.
• --download/--download-directory fetch results locally—useful for images or videos that need inspection.

Result files

• When you use --output json, ddgs saves the results to a timestamped file (text_<query>_<YYYYMMDD>_<HHMMSS>.json). Open that file to read titles, snippets, and URLs, then delete or archive it once the insight is shared.
• If --download runs, note the download directories (default ./downloads/ or the one you provided) and mention them to the user.

Environmental notes

• Ensure uvx is on PATH before running anything (which uvx). On this system it now lives in /usr/local/bin, so the command is available globally.
• Re-run uvx ddgs --help occasionally to confirm the CLI has not changed.
• Record the exact command arguments you used so future agents can reproduce the search.

Notes

• Always mention which search engine/backends you queried when it matters (some users trust DuckDuckGo’s privacy, others expect Google/Bing coverage).
• If ddgs returns sparse context, rerun with --output json and focus on the body/snippet fields before synthesizing your response.