brave-search
Web search and content extraction via Brave Search API. Use for searching documentation, facts, or any web content. Lightweight, no browser required.
Best use case
brave-search is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Web search and content extraction via Brave Search API. Use for searching documentation, facts, or any web content. Lightweight, no browser required.
Teams using brave-search should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/brave-search/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How brave-search Compares
| Feature / Agent | brave-search | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Web search and content extraction via Brave Search API. Use for searching documentation, facts, or any web content. Lightweight, no browser required.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Brave Search
Web search and content extraction using the official Brave Search API. No browser required.
## Setup
Requires a Brave Search API account with a free subscription. A credit card is required to create the free subscription (you won't be charged).
1. Create an account at https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/register
2. Create a "Free AI" subscription
3. Create an API key for the subscription
4. Add to your shell profile (`~/.profile` or `~/.zprofile` for zsh):
```bash
export BRAVE_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
```
5. Install dependencies (run once):
```bash
cd {baseDir}
npm install
```
## Search
```bash
{baseDir}/search.js "query" # Basic search (5 results)
{baseDir}/search.js "query" -n 10 # More results (max 20)
{baseDir}/search.js "query" --content # Include page content as markdown
{baseDir}/search.js "query" --freshness pw # Results from last week
{baseDir}/search.js "query" --freshness 2024-01-01to2024-06-30 # Date range
{baseDir}/search.js "query" --country DE # Results from Germany
{baseDir}/search.js "query" -n 3 --content # Combined options
```
### Options
- `-n <num>` - Number of results (default: 5, max: 20)
- `--content` - Fetch and include page content as markdown
- `--country <code>` - Two-letter country code (default: US)
- `--freshness <period>` - Filter by time:
- `pd` - Past day (24 hours)
- `pw` - Past week
- `pm` - Past month
- `py` - Past year
- `YYYY-MM-DDtoYYYY-MM-DD` - Custom date range
## Extract Page Content
```bash
{baseDir}/content.js https://example.com/article
```
Fetches a URL and extracts readable content as markdown.
## Output Format
```
--- Result 1 ---
Title: Page Title
Link: https://example.com/page
Age: 2 days ago
Snippet: Description from search results
Content: (if --content flag used)
Markdown content extracted from the page...
--- Result 2 ---
...
```
## When to Use
- Searching for documentation or API references
- Looking up facts or current information
- Fetching content from specific URLs
- Any task requiring web search without interactive browsing