# Zhihu Search API Skill

> Extracts structured article details and full content from Zhihu search results via the BrowserAct API, with keyword and date filtering.

- Skill: `browser-act/zhihu-search-api-skill` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add browser-act/zhihu-search-api-skill`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/browser-act/zhihu-search-api-skill/raw
- Safety review: CAUTION (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML, Research & Search, Web Research
- Tags: Api Integration, Article Extraction, Browseract, Social Listening, Web Scraping, Zhihu
- Author: BrowserAct (https://skillmd.com/u/browser-act)
- Updated: 2026-07-06
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/browser-act/zhihu-search-api-skill

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# Zhihu Search API Automated Extraction Skill

## 📖 Brief
This skill uses BrowserAct's Zhihu Search API template to provide a one-stop article extraction service. It extracts structured article details and full content from Zhihu article search results based on keywords and publication date filters.

## ✨ Features
1. **No hallucinations, ensuring stable and precise data extraction**: Pre-set workflows avoid AI generative hallucinations.
2. **No CAPTCHA issues**: No need to handle reCAPTCHA or other verification challenges.
3. **No IP access restrictions and geo-fencing**: No need to deal with regional IP limits.
4. **Faster execution speed**: Compared to pure AI-driven browser automation solutions, task execution is much faster.
5. **Extremely high cost-effectiveness**: Significantly reduces data acquisition costs compared to AI solutions that consume a large number of tokens.

## 🔑 API Key Guide
Before running, you need to check the `BROWSERACT_API_KEY` environment variable. If it is not set, do not take other actions; wait for the user to provide it.
**The Agent must inform the user at this time:**
> "Since you have not configured the BrowserAct API Key yet, please go to the [BrowserAct Console](https://www.browseract.com/reception/integrations) first to get your Key."

## 🛠️ Input Parameters
The Agent should flexibly configure the following parameters according to user needs when calling the script:

1. **keyword (Search Keywords)**
   - **Type**: `string`
   - **Description**: Search keywords used to find Zhihu articles. Can be company name, industry term, etc.
   - **Example**: `AI agent`, `openclaw`

2. **Publish_date (Publication Date Range)**
   - **Type**: `string`
   - **Description**: Filter articles by publication date.
   - **Options**:
     - `7d`: Past 7 days
     - `30d`: Past 30 days
     - `90d`: Past 90 days
     - `1y`: Past year
     - `all`: Any time
   - **Default**: `7d`

3. **Date_limit (Extraction Limit)**
   - **Type**: `number`
   - **Description**: Maximum number of articles to extract.
   - **Default**: `10`

## 🚀 Recommended Usage
The Agent should execute the following independent script to achieve "one command gets results":

```bash
# Example call
python -u ./scripts/zhihu_search_api.py "keyword" "Publish_date" limit
```

### ⏳ Execution Status Monitoring
Because this task involves automated browser operations, it may take a long time (several minutes). The script will **continuously output status logs with timestamps** (e.g., `[14:30:05] Task Status: running`) while running.
**Agent Must Know:**
- While waiting for the script to return a result, keep monitoring the terminal output.
- As long as the terminal is still outputting new status logs, it means the task is running normally, do not mistake it for a deadlock or unresponsiveness.
- If the status remains unchanged for a long time or the script stops outputting without returning a result, then consider triggering the retry mechanism.

## 📊 Data Output
Upon successful execution, the script will directly parse and print the result from the API response. The result includes:
- `title`: Full article title
- `body_content`: Full body content of the article
- `image_url`: Main image URL or article cover image URL
- `author`: Article author or publishing account name
- `publication_date`: Article publication date
- `url_link`: Original article URL

## ⚠️ Error Handling & Retry
During the execution of the script, if an error is encountered (such as network fluctuations or task failure), the Agent should follow this logic:

1. **Check the output content**:
   - If the output **contains** `"Invalid authorization"`, it means the API Key is invalid or expired. Do **not retry** at this time, and guide the user to check and provide the correct API Key.
   - If the output **does not contain** `"Invalid authorization"` but the task execution fails (for example, the output starts with `Error:` or the return result is empty), the Agent should **automatically try to execute the script once more**.

2. **Retry limits**:
   - Automatic retry is limited to **one time**. If the second attempt still fails, stop retrying and report the specific error information to the user.

## 🌟 Typical Use Cases
1. **Industry Trend Tracking**: Find the latest industry dynamics on specific topics like "low-altitude economy" or "generative AI" on Zhihu.
2. **Public Relations Monitoring**: Monitor the media exposure of a specific brand or company on Zhihu over the past 30 days.
3. **Competitor Intelligence Gathering**: Collect recent product information or market activities published by competitors on Zhihu.
4. **Market Hotspot Research**: Get popular Zhihu reports on specific keywords across different time dimensions.
5. **Character Dynamics Tracking**: Retrieve the latest Zhihu articles and interviews of industry leaders or public figures.
6. **Daily Briefing Summary**: Automatically extract and summarize daily industry news briefings from Zhihu.
7. **Global Event Monitoring**: Real-time access to major breaking news and discussions on Zhihu.
8. **Structured Data Extraction**: Extract structured information such as article titles, authors, and links from Zhihu for market research analysis.
9. **Media Exposure Analysis**: Evaluate the spread and popularity of a specific project or event on Zhihu.
10. **Long-term Thematic Research**: Retrieve in-depth reports and discussions on a specific technical topic from the past year.