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HKU-MMLab
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duckduckgo-search

Search the web via DuckDuckGo endpoints without requiring an API key.

39|1|Updated Jul 2, 2026
Search Tags:#python#web search#privacy#duckduckgo#no api key#html scraping#search summary
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/HKU-MMLab/UniClawBench --skill duckduckgo-search-hku-mmlab
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: duckduckgo-search
Source: https://github.com/HKU-MMLab/UniClawBench/tree/main/docker/base_skills/duckduckgo-search
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/HKU-MMLab/UniClawBench --skill duckduckgo-search-hku-mmlab

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? It provides web search capability when no search API key is configured, letting agents retrieve results, summaries, and source information through DuckDuckGo's public endpoints. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Dual Search Modes: Choose between the Instant Answer API for factual queries and HTML scraping for full search results. - Key Information Summaries: Extract sources, dates, and named entities from results with the --summarize flag. - Structured Output: Emit JSON for programmatic consumption or formatted text for direct reading. - Use Case: When Tavily or Brave API keys are unavailable, run a Chinese-language query like "伊朗局势" with --summarize to get a structured digest of sources and key entities. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to search the web for a topic using the DuckDuckGo search script, optionally requesting a summary or a specific number of results.

Frequently Asked Questions about duckduckgo-search

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I search the web without an API key in Python?▼

Run the duckduckgo_search.py script with a query argument, which calls DuckDuckGo's public Instant API or HTML endpoint. No registration or key is needed, and results return as formatted text or JSON.

DuckDuckGo vs Tavily for web search, which should I use?▼

DuckDuckGo requires no API key and is free, making it suitable for lightweight or backup searches. Tavily needs an API key but delivers higher-quality AI-summarized results and better stability for production use.

Does DuckDuckGo search support Chinese queries?▼

Yes, the HTML mode supports Chinese-language searches and sends Chinese Accept-Language headers. The Instant API mode has poor Chinese support, so HTML mode is the default and recommended choice.

Why does DuckDuckGo search return a 403 Forbidden error?▼

DuckDuckGo rate-limits automated requests to its HTML endpoint, triggering 403 errors. Wait a few minutes, reduce request frequency to one per 2-5 seconds, or switch to an official API for heavy workloads.

What are the limitations of the DuckDuckGo Instant Answer API?▼

The Instant API only returns instant answers and related topics, not full web search results. For complete result lists, use the HTML scraping mode, though it may be less stable due to anti-scraping measures.

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