Valyu Search

Use Valyu (valyu.ai) to search the web, extract content from web pages, answer with sources, and do deepresearch.

Security Scan

The skill mostly does what it says (wraps the Valyu API) and only needs an API key and node, but there are a few mismatches and a truncated file excerpt so I can't fully verify there is no unexpected behavior.

Purpose & Capability

Name/description (Valyu web/search/contents/answer/deepresearch) align with the included CLI script: it calls api.valyu.ai endpoints and implements search, contents, answer, and deepresearch functionality. Required binary (node) and primary env var (VALYU_API_KEY) are appropriate for this purpose.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md instructs the agent to run the included Node script and to set VALYU_API_KEY. The SKILL.md suggests storing the key in the Gateway env or ~/.openclaw/.env, but the script looks for process.env.VALYU_API_KEY or ~/.valyu/config.json — a documentation/config-path mismatch. The CLI script also reads/writes ~/.valyu/config.json (saves API key), which is reasonable for a CLI but is a persistent filesystem action the docs don't fully describe.

Install Mechanism

No install spec — instruction + included Node script only. No external downloads or installers; risk is limited to running the bundled script with node.

Credentials

Only VALYU_API_KEY is declared and used by the script (it posts requests to api.valyu.ai using x-api-key). That is proportionate. Note: the SKILL.md and code disagree on recommended config location (.openclaw/.env vs ~/.valyu/config.json).

Persistence & Privilege

always is false and the skill does not request persistent presence in the platform. The only persistent action is the script writing an API key to ~/.valyu/config.json (expected behavior for a CLI). The skill does not modify other skills or system-wide settings.

What to consider before installing

This skill appears to be a straightforward wrapper around Valyu's API and only needs node plus your VALYU_API_KEY, but consider the following before installing: - The included script will save your API key to ~/.valyu/config.json if you run the setup command; ensure you are comfortable storing the key on disk in that location. - The SKILL.md suggests putting the key in the Gateway env or ~/.openclaw/.env, but the script actually checks process.env and ~/.valyu/config.json — documentation and code differ. Confirm where your agent/runtime will provide the env var so the right key is used. - DeepResearch supports a webhookUrl option: if you supply an external webhook, results (potentially including extracted page contents) may be POSTed there. Only use webhooks you control and trust. - The provided file excerpt in the prompt was truncated. I could not inspect the full script content; review the complete scripts/valyu.mjs in the skill bundle to confirm there are no unexpected network endpoints, obfuscated code, or extra filesystem access before trusting the skill fully. - Principle of least privilege: only provide an API key that you intend for this use, and confirm Valyu's billing/usage expectations (the script references cost/deduction fields). If you verify the full script and are comfortable with the key storage behavior and webhook implications, the skill is consistent with its stated purpose. If you cannot review the entire file, consider treating it as untrusted until a full inspection is possible.

Search across the world's knowledge.

When to Use

Trigger this skill when the user asks for:

• "search the web", "web search", "look up", "find online", "find papers on..."
• "current news about...", "latest updates on..."
• "research [topic]", "what's happening with...", "deep research on..."
• "extract content from [URL]", "scrape this page", "get the text from..."
• "answer this with sources", "what does the research say about..."
• Fact-checking with citations needed
• Academic, medical, financial, or patent research
• Structured data extraction from web pages

Prerequisites

• Get an API key at valyu.ai
• Set VALYU_API_KEY in the Gateway environment (recommended) or in ~/.openclaw/.env.

---

Commands

Run a search across the web:

node {baseDir}/scripts/valyu.mjs search web "<query>"

Search across news, academic papers, financial data, patents and more

node {baseDir}/scripts/valyu.mjs search news "<query>"

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
query	string	Search query (required)
searchType	string	"web", "proprietary", "news", or "all" (default: "all")
maxNumResults	number	1-20 (default: 10)
includedSources	string[]	Limit to specific sources (e.g., ["valyu/valyu-arxiv"])
excludedSources	string[]	Exclude specific sources
startDate	string	Filter from date (YYYY-MM-DD)
endDate	string	Filter to date (YYYY-MM-DD)
countryCode	string	ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 (e.g., "US", "GB")
responseLength	string	"short", "medium", "large", "max"
fastMode	boolean	Reduced latency mode
category	string	Natural language category (e.g., "academic research")
relevanceThreshold	number	0.0-1.0 (default: 0.5)

Available Proprietary Sources

Source	Description
valyu/valyu-arxiv	Academic papers from arXiv
valyu/valyu-pubmed	Medical and life science literature
valyu/valyu-stocks	Global stock market data

Additional sources: BioRxiv, MedRxiv, clinical trials, FDA drug labels, WHO health data, SEC filings, USPTO patents, Wikipedia, UK Parliament, UK National Rail, maritime vessel tracking, and more.

2. Contents API

Extract clean, structured content from any URL. Converts web pages to markdown or structured data.

Usage

node {baseDir}/scripts/valyu.mjs contents "https://example.com" --summary

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
urls	string[]	Array of URLs to extract (required)
responseLength	string	Output length: "short", "medium", "large", "max"
extractEffort	string	"auto", "lightweight", "moderate", "heavy"
jsonSchema	object	JSON Schema for structured extraction

3. Answer API

Get AI-generated answers grounded in real-time search results with citations.

Usage

node {baseDir}/scripts/valyu.mjs answer "What is quantum computing?" --fast

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
query	string	Question or query (required)
searchType	string	Search scope: "web", "proprietary", "news", "all"
outputSchema	object	JSON Schema for structured responses

4. DeepResearch API

Launch async, multi-step research tasks that produce detailed reports with citations.

Modes

Mode	Duration	Use Case
fast	~5 min	Quick answers, lightweight research
standard	~10-20 min	Balanced research with deeper insights
heavy	~90 min	In-depth, complex analysis

Usage

node {baseDir}/scripts/valyu.mjs deepresearch create "AI market trends" --mode heavy --pdf

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
query	string	Research query (required)
mode	string	"fast", "standard", "heavy"
outputFormats	array	["markdown"], ["pdf"], or JSON Schema object
files	array	File attachments (base64 encoded, max 10)
urls	string[]	URLs to analyze (max 10)
webhookUrl	string	HTTPS URL for completion notification

Choosing the Right API

Need	API
Quick facts, current events, citations	Search
Read/parse a specific URL	Contents
AI-synthesized answer with sources	Answer
In-depth analysis or report	DeepResearch

References

• Valyu Docs
• Search API Reference
• Contents API Reference
• Answer API Reference
• DeepResearch Guide