searxng

What This Skill Does

The SearXNG Web Search skill allows OpenClaw to leverage your self-hosted SearXNG instance for privacy-respecting web searches. SearXNG acts as a metasearch engine, aggregating results from various search engines like Google, Brave, DuckDuckGo, and many others, without requiring you to manage individual API keys or compromise your privacy. This means you get a consolidated view of web information tailored to your preferences, all while ensuring your search queries are not tracked or exploited. The skill is designed to be triggered by common search-related phrases, making it a seamless extension of your information-gathering workflow. It returns results in a structured JSON format, including the title, URL, description, and the specific engines that provided each result, along with a relevance score.

Installation

To install the SearXNG skill, you will need to have OpenClaw and its associated tools set up. The installation is typically handled through the ClawHub package manager. Once the skill is installed, you must configure your SearXNG instance by setting the SEARXNG_URL environment variable to the address of your self-hosted SearXNG service. This is usually done in your shell environment before running OpenClaw.

Example setup command:

export SEARXNG_URL="http://your-searxng-host:8888"

Then, install the skill using the ClawHub command:

clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/stperic/local-websearch

Use Cases

This skill is ideal for users who prioritize online privacy and wish to avoid the tracking associated with mainstream search engines. It's perfect for:

• Everyday Web Searches: When you need a quick answer to a question, definition, or general information.
• Research and Information Gathering: For tasks requiring a broader understanding of a topic, gathering background information, or finding academic resources.
• Privacy-Conscious Browsing: If you want to search the web without leaving a traceable footprint.
• Aggregated Search Results: When you want to see results from multiple search engines simultaneously.
• Technical Documentation Lookup: Finding information on software, libraries, or coding practices.

Example Prompts

• "Search the web for the latest advancements in quantum computing."
• "Look up how to configure a Docker container for a Python application."
• "What is the capital of Australia?"

Tips & Limitations

• Configuration is Key: Ensure the SEARXNG_URL environment variable is correctly set to your SearXNG instance's address for the skill to function.
• Result Customization: You can control the number of results returned using the --count flag (1-20) and specify a language with the --lang flag (e.g., en, de, fr).
• News and Regional Searches: For news-related queries, append "news" to your search terms or use the --lang flag to get regionally specific results.
• Transparency: The results clearly indicate which engines contributed to each snippet, allowing for a transparent understanding of the search aggregation.
• No API Keys Needed: A significant advantage is the elimination of the need for individual API keys, simplifying setup and maintenance.
• Score Interpretation: Higher scores indicate greater relevance, helping you prioritize results. The scores are provided by the SearXNG instance based on its aggregation logic.
• Self-Hosted Dependency: The skill's performance and availability are directly tied to the uptime and configuration of your self-hosted SearXNG instance.