Private Search

Route OpenClaw web searches through privacy-respecting engines (Brave Search, Kagi, SearXNG) instead of Google or Bing. Eliminates ad-network tracking from your AI agent's research. Configurable engine, result count, and tracking-param stripping.

Audits

Pass

ClawScanReview

Agentic behavior and permission review.

Static analysisPass

Pattern checks against bundled files.

VirusTotalPass

Multi-engine malware detections and file reputation.

Install

openclaw skills install private-search

Private Search for OpenClaw

Route all web searches through privacy-respecting engines. No ads. No tracking. No query monetization.

Why This Exists

OpenAI now shows ads to ChatGPT users and routes queries through ad-network-partnered search APIs. OpenClaw defaults to Google/Bing-backed search — both of which monetize your queries. This skill replaces that with:

Brave Search — independent index, no ad tracking, free tier available
Kagi — premium ad-free search, best result quality
SearXNG — fully self-hosted, zero third-party dependency

Quick Setup (Brave Search — Recommended)

Get a free Brave Search API key: https://api.search.brave.com/
Set env var: BRAVE_API_KEY=your_key_here
Done. All agent web searches now route through Brave.

Configuration

Set any of these in your OpenClaw environment:

Variable	Description	Default
`BRAVE_API_KEY`	Brave Search API key	Required for Brave
`KAGI_API_KEY`	Kagi API key	Optional
`SEARXNG_URL`	Self-hosted SearXNG URL	Optional
`PRIVATE_SEARCH_ENGINE`	`brave`, `kagi`, or `searxng`	`brave`
`PRIVATE_SEARCH_RESULTS`	Number of results to return	`5`
`PRIVATE_SEARCH_STRIP_TRACKING`	Strip UTM/tracking params from URLs	`true`

Usage

Once configured, use web search naturally. This skill overrides the default search behavior:

Search for the latest OpenAI news
Find me pricing for Hetzner VPS plans
What are the top AI tools this week?

All queries route through your chosen private engine.

Engine Comparison

Engine	Cost	Privacy	Index Quality	Best For
Brave	Free tier (2,000/mo) / $3/mo for 20K	High	Good	Most users
Kagi	$10–$25/mo	Highest	Excellent	Power users
SearXNG	Self-hosted (free)	Maximum	Varies	Devs/privacy maximalists

How It Works

This skill provides a private_web_search tool that:

Accepts a query string and optional parameters
Routes to your configured engine via API
Strips tracking parameters from all result URLs (UTM, fbclid, gclid, etc.)
Returns clean, structured results
Never logs queries to third-party ad networks

Scripts

Run the setup script for guided configuration:

bash scripts/setup-brave-search.sh

References

See references/privacy-engines.md for full engine documentation, pricing tiers, and self-hosting instructions for SearXNG.

Privacy Guarantee

This skill never sends your queries to Google, Bing, or any ad-network-affiliated search provider when properly configured. Your research stays private.

Published on ClawHub. Built in response to OpenAI's March 2026 ad rollout.