A zero-cost web search utility for AI agents that leverages built-in CLI tools instead of external search APIs.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install claudecode-websearch
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install claudecode-websearch using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Claude WebSearch?
Claude WebSearch is a powerful integration designed to provide AI coding agents with real-time internet access without the need for expensive third-party search API keys like Tavily, Brave, or Exa. By utilizing the native WebSearch capabilities of Claude Code CLI or Codex CLI, this skill offers a cost-effective and reliable way to fetch information from the web directly through the terminal.
This skill serves as a critical fallback when your primary search quotas are exhausted or when you want to minimize operational costs. As part of the broader ecosystem of Openclaw Skills, it ensures your development workflow remains uninterrupted by providing a seamless interface to the most popular AI command-line tools available today.
Claude WebSearch Use Cases
- Searching for current documentation or API changes during a coding session.
- Acting as a backup search provider when Tavily, Brave, or Exa quotas are hit.
- Performing web queries in environments where external search API keys are not configured.
- Fast retrieval of web data using the native Claude Code CLI interface to inform agent decisions.
How Claude WebSearch Works
- The skill receives a search query via a shell script or a global terminal alias.
- It automatically detects the available backend, prioritizing the faster Claude Code CLI over Codex CLI.
- The script executes the command with specific flags, such as --allowedTools "WebSearch", to trigger the CLI's internal search engine.
- Search results are parsed and returned to the user or calling agent in a clean, readable markdown format.
- If the primary backend fails or is missing, it falls back to the secondary backend to ensure the query is completed successfully.
Claude WebSearch Setup
First, ensure you have the necessary CLI tools installed via npm:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
# Optional fallback
npm install -g @openai/codex
To install the global alias ccws for quick access across your system, run:
ln -sf "$(pwd)/scripts/websearch.sh" ~/.local/bin/ccws
Verify the installation by running a test query like ccws "how to use Openclaw Skills".
Claude WebSearch Data Schema & Taxonomy
The Claude WebSearch skill utilizes a simple but effective data structure to handle queries and output formatting.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Query String | The search term or question provided by the user or agent. |
| Backend | The selected CLI tool (claude or codex) used for the search. |
| Result Count | Optional parameter to limit the number of results returned. |
| CLI Flags | Specific arguments passed to the backend (e.g., --allowedTools). |
| Output | Standardized text output containing web search findings and snippets. |
Claude WebSearch Advanced Features
- Automated backend detection to prioritize the fastest available search method without manual configuration.
- Support for custom result count limiting via the --max flag to reduce token consumption.
- Integrated fallback logic to handle quota exhaustion or service downtime of primary search providers.
- Global alias support for rapid terminal-based searching outside of the specific coding agent environment.
- Temporary directory handling for Codex CLI to bypass directory trust constraints automatically.
- Seamless integration into the Openclaw Skills framework for enhanced agent autonomy.
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