SearXNG Search Skill for Clawdbot

Privacy-respecting web search using your local SearXNG instance.

Prerequisites

This skill requires a running SearXNG instance.

If you don't have SearXNG set up yet:

1. Docker (easiest):

   docker run -d -p 8080:8080 searxng/searxng
   

2. Manual installation: Follow the official guide

3. Public instances: Use any public SearXNG instance (less private)

Features

• 🔒 Privacy-focused: Uses your local SearXNG instance
• 🌐 Multi-engine: Aggregates results from multiple search engines
• 📰 Multiple categories: Web, images, news, videos, and more
• 🎨 Rich output: Beautiful table formatting with result snippets
• 🚀 Fast JSON mode: Programmatic access for scripts and integrations

Quick Start

Basic Search

Search "python asyncio tutorial"

Advanced Usage

Search "climate change" with 20 results
Search "cute cats" in images category
Search "breaking news" in news category from last day

Configuration

You must configure your SearXNG instance URL before using this skill.

Set Your SearXNG Instance

Configure the SEARXNG_URL environment variable in your Clawdbot config:

{
  "env": {
    "SEARXNG_URL": "https://your-searxng-instance.com"
  }
}

Or export it in your shell:

export SEARXNG_URL=https://your-searxng-instance.com

Direct CLI Usage

You can also use the skill directly from the command line:

# Basic search
uv run ~/clawd/skills/searxng/scripts/searxng.py search "query"

# More results
uv run ~/clawd/skills/searxng/scripts/searxng.py search "query" -n 20

# Category search
uv run ~/clawd/skills/searxng/scripts/searxng.py search "query" --category images

# JSON output (for scripts)
uv run ~/clawd/skills/searxng/scripts/searxng.py search "query" --format json

# Time-filtered news
uv run ~/clawd/skills/searxng/scripts/searxng.py search "latest AI news" --category news --time-range day

Available Categories

• general - General web search (default)
• images - Image search
• videos - Video search
• news - News articles
• map - Maps and locations
• music - Music and audio
• files - File downloads
• it - IT and programming
• science - Scientific papers and resources

Time Ranges

Filter results by recency:

• day - Last 24 hours
• week - Last 7 days
• month - Last 30 days
• year - Last year

Examples

Web Search

uv run ~/clawd/skills/searxng/scripts/searxng.py search "rust programming language"

Image Search

uv run ~/clawd/skills/searxng/scripts/searxng.py search "sunset photography" --category images -n 10

Recent News

uv run ~/clawd/skills/searxng/scripts/searxng.py search "tech news" --category news --time-range day

JSON Output for Scripts

uv run ~/clawd/skills/searxng/scripts/searxng.py search "python tips" --format json | jq '.results[0]'

SSL/TLS Notes

The skill is configured to work with self-signed certificates (common for local SearXNG instances). If you need strict SSL verification, edit the script and change verify=False to verify=True in the httpx request.

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

If you get connection errors:

1. Check your SearXNG instance is running:

   curl -k $SEARXNG_URL
   # Or: curl -k http://localhost:8080 (default)
   

2. Verify the URL in your config

3. Check SSL certificate issues

No Results

If searches return no results:

1. Check your SearXNG instance configuration
2. Ensure search engines are enabled in SearXNG settings
3. Try different search categories

Privacy Benefits

• No tracking: All searches go through your local instance
• No data collection: Results are aggregated locally
• Engine diversity: Combines results from multiple search providers
• Full control: You manage the SearXNG instance

About SearXNG

SearXNG is a free, open-source metasearch engine that respects your privacy. It aggregates results from multiple search engines while not storing your search data.

Learn more: https://docs.searxng.org/

License

This skill is part of the Clawdbot ecosystem and follows the same license terms.