docs(skills): clarify DuckDuckGo runtime requirements (#3680)
Co-authored-by: kshitij <82637225+kshitijk4poor@users.noreply.github.com>
This commit is contained in:
Teknium
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
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---
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name: duckduckgo-search
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description: Free web search via DuckDuckGo — text, news, images, videos. No API key needed. Use the Python DDGS library or CLI to search, then web_extract for full content.
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version: 1.2.0
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description: Free web search via DuckDuckGo — text, news, images, videos. No API key needed. Prefer the `ddgs` CLI when installed; use the Python DDGS library only after verifying that `ddgs` is available in the current runtime.
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version: 1.3.0
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author: gamedevCloudy
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license: MIT
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metadata:
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@@ -9,26 +9,96 @@ metadata:
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tags: [search, duckduckgo, web-search, free, fallback]
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related_skills: [arxiv]
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fallback_for_toolsets: [web]
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prerequisites:
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commands: [ddgs]
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---
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# DuckDuckGo Search
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Free web search using DuckDuckGo. **No API key required.**
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Preferred when `web_search` tool is unavailable or unsuitable (no `FIRECRAWL_API_KEY` set). Can also be used as a standalone search tool.
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Preferred when `web_search` is unavailable or unsuitable (for example when `FIRECRAWL_API_KEY` is not set). Can also be used as a standalone search path when DuckDuckGo results are specifically desired.
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## Setup
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## Detection Flow
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Check what is actually available before choosing an approach:
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```bash
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# Install the ddgs package (one-time)
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pip install ddgs
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# Check CLI availability
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command -v ddgs >/dev/null && echo "DDGS_CLI=installed" || echo "DDGS_CLI=missing"
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```
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## Python API (Primary)
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Decision tree:
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1. If `ddgs` CLI is installed, prefer `terminal` + `ddgs`
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2. If `ddgs` CLI is missing, do not assume `execute_code` can import `ddgs`
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3. If the user wants DuckDuckGo specifically, install `ddgs` first in the relevant environment
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4. Otherwise fall back to built-in web/browser tools
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Use the `DDGS` class in `execute_code` for structured results with typed fields.
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Important runtime note:
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- Terminal and `execute_code` are separate runtimes
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- A successful shell install does not guarantee `execute_code` can import `ddgs`
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- Never assume third-party Python packages are preinstalled inside `execute_code`
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## Installation
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Install `ddgs` only when DuckDuckGo search is specifically needed and the runtime does not already provide it.
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```bash
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# Python package + CLI entrypoint
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pip install ddgs
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# Verify CLI
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ddgs --help
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```
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If a workflow depends on Python imports, verify that same runtime can import `ddgs` before using `from ddgs import DDGS`.
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## Method 1: CLI Search (Preferred)
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Use the `ddgs` command via `terminal` when it exists. This is the preferred path because it avoids assuming the `execute_code` sandbox has the `ddgs` Python package installed.
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```bash
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# Text search
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ddgs text -k "python async programming" -m 5
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# News search
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ddgs news -k "artificial intelligence" -m 5
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# Image search
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ddgs images -k "landscape photography" -m 10
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# Video search
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ddgs videos -k "python tutorial" -m 5
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# With region filter
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ddgs text -k "best restaurants" -m 5 -r us-en
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# Recent results only (d=day, w=week, m=month, y=year)
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ddgs text -k "latest AI news" -m 5 -t w
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# JSON output for parsing
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ddgs text -k "fastapi tutorial" -m 5 -o json
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```
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### CLI Flags
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| Flag | Description | Example |
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|------|-------------|---------|
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| `-k` | Keywords (query) — **required** | `-k "search terms"` |
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| `-m` | Max results | `-m 5` |
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| `-r` | Region | `-r us-en` |
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| `-t` | Time limit | `-t w` (week) |
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| `-s` | Safe search | `-s off` |
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| `-o` | Output format | `-o json` |
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## Method 2: Python API (Only After Verification)
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Use the `DDGS` class in `execute_code` or another Python runtime only after verifying that `ddgs` is installed there. Do not assume `execute_code` includes third-party packages by default.
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Safe wording:
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- "Use `execute_code` with `ddgs` after installing or verifying the package if needed"
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Avoid saying:
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- "`execute_code` includes `ddgs`"
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- "DuckDuckGo search works by default in `execute_code`"
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**Important:** `max_results` must always be passed as a **keyword argument** — positional usage raises an error on all methods.
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@@ -76,7 +146,7 @@ from ddgs import DDGS
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with DDGS() as ddgs:
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for r in ddgs.images("semiconductor chip", max_results=5):
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print(r["title"])
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print(r["image"]) # direct image URL
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print(r["image"])
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print(r.get("thumbnail", ""))
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print(r.get("source", ""))
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print()
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@@ -94,9 +164,9 @@ from ddgs import DDGS
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with DDGS() as ddgs:
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for r in ddgs.videos("FastAPI tutorial", max_results=5):
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print(r["title"])
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print(r.get("content", "")) # video URL
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print(r.get("duration", "")) # e.g. "26:03"
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print(r.get("provider", "")) # YouTube, etc.
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print(r.get("content", ""))
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print(r.get("duration", ""))
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print(r.get("provider", ""))
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print(r.get("published", ""))
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print()
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```
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@@ -112,50 +182,17 @@ Returns: `title`, `content`, `description`, `duration`, `provider`, `published`,
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| `images()` | Visuals, diagrams | title, image, thumbnail, url |
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| `videos()` | Tutorials, demos | title, content, duration, provider |
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## CLI (Alternative)
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Use the `ddgs` command via terminal when you don't need structured field access.
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```bash
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# Text search
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ddgs text -k "python async programming" -m 5
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# News search
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ddgs news -k "artificial intelligence" -m 5
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# Image search
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ddgs images -k "landscape photography" -m 10
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# Video search
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ddgs videos -k "python tutorial" -m 5
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# With region filter
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ddgs text -k "best restaurants" -m 5 -r us-en
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# Recent results only (d=day, w=week, m=month, y=year)
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ddgs text -k "latest AI news" -m 5 -t w
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# JSON output for parsing
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ddgs text -k "fastapi tutorial" -m 5 -o json
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```
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### CLI Flags
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| Flag | Description | Example |
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|------|-------------|---------|
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| `-k` | Keywords (query) — **required** | `-k "search terms"` |
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| `-m` | Max results | `-m 5` |
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| `-r` | Region | `-r us-en` |
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| `-t` | Time limit | `-t w` (week) |
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| `-s` | Safe search | `-s off` |
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| `-o` | Output format | `-o json` |
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## Workflow: Search then Extract
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DuckDuckGo returns titles, URLs, and snippets — not full page content. To get full content, follow up with `web_extract`:
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DuckDuckGo returns titles, URLs, and snippets — not full page content. To get full page content, search first and then extract the most relevant URL with `web_extract`, browser tools, or curl.
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1. **Search** with ddgs to find relevant URLs
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2. **Extract** content using the `web_extract` tool (if available) or curl
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CLI example:
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```bash
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ddgs text -k "fastapi deployment guide" -m 3 -o json
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```
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Python example, only after verifying `ddgs` is installed in that runtime:
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```python
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from ddgs import DDGS
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@@ -164,25 +201,37 @@ with DDGS() as ddgs:
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results = list(ddgs.text("fastapi deployment guide", max_results=3))
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for r in results:
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print(r["title"], "->", r["href"])
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# Then use web_extract tool on the best URL
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```
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Then extract the best URL with `web_extract` or another content-retrieval tool.
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## Limitations
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- **Rate limiting**: DuckDuckGo may throttle after many rapid requests. Add a short delay between searches if needed.
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- **No content extraction**: ddgs returns snippets, not full page content. Use `web_extract` or curl for that.
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- **No content extraction**: `ddgs` returns snippets, not full page content. Use `web_extract`, browser tools, or curl for the full article/page.
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- **Results quality**: Generally good but less configurable than Firecrawl's search.
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- **Availability**: DuckDuckGo may block requests from some cloud IPs. If searches return empty, try different keywords or wait a few seconds.
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- **Field variability**: Return fields may vary between results or ddgs versions. Use `.get()` for optional fields to avoid KeyError.
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- **Field variability**: Return fields may vary between results or `ddgs` versions. Use `.get()` for optional fields to avoid `KeyError`.
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- **Separate runtimes**: A successful `ddgs` install in terminal does not automatically mean `execute_code` can import it.
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## Troubleshooting
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| Problem | Likely Cause | What To Do |
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|---------|--------------|------------|
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| `ddgs: command not found` | CLI not installed in the shell environment | Install `ddgs`, or use built-in web/browser tools instead |
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| `ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'ddgs'` | Python runtime does not have the package installed | Do not use Python DDGS there until that runtime is prepared |
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| Search returns nothing | Temporary rate limiting or poor query | Wait a few seconds, retry, or adjust the query |
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| CLI works but `execute_code` import fails | Terminal and `execute_code` are different runtimes | Keep using CLI, or separately prepare the Python runtime |
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## Pitfalls
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- **`max_results` is keyword-only**: `ddgs.text("query", 5)` raises an error. Use `ddgs.text("query", max_results=5)`.
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- **Do not assume the CLI exists**: Check `command -v ddgs` before using it.
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- **Do not assume `execute_code` can import `ddgs`**: `from ddgs import DDGS` may fail with `ModuleNotFoundError` unless that runtime was prepared separately.
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- **Package name**: The package is `ddgs` (previously `duckduckgo-search`). Install with `pip install ddgs`.
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- **Don't confuse `-k` and `-m`** (CLI): `-k` is for keywords, `-m` is for max results count.
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- **Package name**: The package is `ddgs` (was previously `duckduckgo-search`). Install with `pip install ddgs`.
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- **Empty results**: If ddgs returns nothing, it may be rate-limited. Wait a few seconds and retry.
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- **Empty results**: If `ddgs` returns nothing, it may be rate-limited. Wait a few seconds and retry.
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## Validated With
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Smoke-tested with `ddgs==9.11.2` on Python 3.13. All four methods (text, news, images, videos) confirmed working with keyword `max_results`.
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Validated examples against `ddgs==9.11.2` semantics. Skill guidance now treats CLI availability and Python import availability as separate concerns so the documented workflow matches actual runtime behavior.
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@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ Skills for academic research, paper discovery, literature review, domain reconna
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| `arxiv` | Search and retrieve academic papers from arXiv using their free REST API. No API key needed. Search by keyword, author, category, or ID. Combine with web_extract or the ocr-and-documents skill to read full paper content. | `research/arxiv` |
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| `blogwatcher` | Monitor blogs and RSS/Atom feeds for updates using the blogwatcher CLI. Add blogs, scan for new articles, and track what you've read. | `research/blogwatcher` |
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| `domain-intel` | Passive domain reconnaissance using Python stdlib. Subdomain discovery, SSL certificate inspection, WHOIS lookups, DNS records, domain availability checks, and bulk multi-domain analysis. No API keys required. | `research/domain-intel` |
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| `duckduckgo-search` | Free web search via DuckDuckGo — text, news, images, videos. No API key needed. Use the Python DDGS library or CLI to search, then web_extract for full content. | `research/duckduckgo-search` |
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| `duckduckgo-search` | Free web search via DuckDuckGo — text, news, images, videos. No API key needed. Prefer the `ddgs` CLI when installed; use the Python DDGS library only after verifying that `ddgs` is available in the current runtime. | `research/duckduckgo-search` |
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| `ml-paper-writing` | Write publication-ready ML/AI papers for NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, AAAI, COLM. Use when drafting papers from research repos, structuring arguments, verifying citations, or preparing camera-ready submissions. Includes LaTeX templates, reviewer guidelines, and citation verificatio… | `research/ml-paper-writing` |
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| `polymarket` | Query Polymarket prediction market data — search markets, get prices, orderbooks, and price history. Read-only via public REST APIs, no API key needed. | `research/polymarket` |
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