ddg-search
Web search without an API key using DuckDuckGo Lite via web_fetch. Use as a fallback when web_search fails with missing_brave_api_key error, or whenever you need to search the web and no search API is configured. Provides titles, URLs, and snippets for research queries. Zero dependencies — works with just the built-in web_fetch tool.
Best use case
ddg-search is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Web search without an API key using DuckDuckGo Lite via web_fetch. Use as a fallback when web_search fails with missing_brave_api_key error, or whenever you need to search the web and no search API is configured. Provides titles, URLs, and snippets for research queries. Zero dependencies — works with just the built-in web_fetch tool.
Teams using ddg-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/ddg-web-search/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How ddg-search Compares
| Feature / Agent | ddg-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 without an API key using DuckDuckGo Lite via web_fetch. Use as a fallback when web_search fails with missing_brave_api_key error, or whenever you need to search the web and no search API is configured. Provides titles, URLs, and snippets for research queries. Zero dependencies — works with just the built-in web_fetch tool.
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
# DuckDuckGo Search via web_fetch Search the web using DuckDuckGo Lite's HTML interface, parsed via `web_fetch`. No API key or package install required. ## How to Search ``` web_fetch(url="https://lite.duckduckgo.com/lite/?q=QUERY", extractMode="text", maxChars=8000) ``` - URL-encode the query — use `+` for spaces - Use `extractMode="text"` (not markdown) for clean results - Increase `maxChars` for more results ## Region Filtering Append `&kl=REGION` for regional results: - `au-en` — Australia - `us-en` — United States - `uk-en` — United Kingdom - `de-de` — Germany - `fr-fr` — France Full list: https://duckduckgo.com/params ### Example — Australian search ``` web_fetch(url="https://lite.duckduckgo.com/lite/?q=best+coffee+melbourne&kl=au-en", extractMode="text", maxChars=8000) ``` ## Reading Results Results appear as numbered items with title, snippet, and URL. Skip entries marked "Sponsored link" (ads) — organic results follow. ## Search-then-Fetch Pattern 1. **Search** — query DDG Lite for a list of results 2. **Pick** — identify the most relevant URLs 3. **Fetch** — use `web_fetch` on those URLs to read full content ## Tips - First 1-2 results may be ads — skip to organic results - For exact phrases, wrap in quotes: `q=%22exact+phrase%22` - Add specific terms to narrow results (site name, year, location) ## Limitations - No time/date filtering (DDG Lite doesn't support `&df=` reliably via fetch) - Text results only — no images or videos - Results sourced from Bing (may differ from Google) - Google search does NOT work via web_fetch (captcha blocked)
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