Jimmmmmies Skillsframework Web Search

Web Search Skill

Overview

This skill enables Claude to perform web searches using DuckDuckGo, a privacy-focused search engine. It provides both API-based search and HTML fallback methods to retrieve web results including titles, URLs, and snippets.

Quick Start

To perform a basic web search:

# Using the simple search script (recommended)
python scripts/simple_search.py "your search query" --max-results 3

# Using the advanced search script (requires BeautifulSoup)
python scripts/duckduckgo_search.py "your search query" --max-results 5

Search Methods

1. Simple Search (Recommended)

The simple_search.py script uses DuckDuckGo's Instant Answer API and includes a fallback HTML parser. It doesn't require additional dependencies beyond requests.

Features:

• Instant answers for factual queries
• Related topics and web results
• Automatic fallback to HTML search
• Consistent JSON output format

2. Advanced Search

The duckduckgo_search.py script uses BeautifulSoup for more robust HTML parsing. It requires beautifulsoup4 and requests.

Features:

• More comprehensive web search results
• Better snippet extraction
• Region and safe search controls
• Detailed result parsing

How to Use This Skill

Basic Search Workflow

1. Identify the search need: Determine what information you need to find
2. Formulate the query: Create specific, clear search terms
3. Execute the search: Run the appropriate search script
4. Analyze results: Review titles, URLs, and snippets
5. Extract information: Gather relevant data from results
6. Follow up if needed: Perform additional searches for more information

Common Search Patterns

Factual Information

python scripts/simple_search.py "population of Tokyo" --max-results 2

Technical Documentation

python scripts/simple_search.py "Python requests library POST example" --max-results 3

News and Current Events

python scripts/simple_search.py "latest AI developments 2024" --max-results 4

How-to Guides

python scripts/simple_search.py "how to set up Python virtual environment" --max-results 3

Integration with Claude's Workflow

When Claude needs to search the web:

1. Direct execution: Use the bash tool to run search scripts
2. Result processing: Parse JSON output or text results
3. Information synthesis: Combine multiple search results
4. Citation: Include URLs when referencing information

Script Details

simple_search.py

• Dependencies: Only requests (already available)
• Output: JSON or formatted text
• Best for: Most search needs, quick results

duckduckgo_search.py

• Dependencies: beautifulsoup4 and requests
• Output: JSON or formatted text
• Best for: Comprehensive web searches, detailed results

Result Format

Search results are returned as a list of dictionaries:

[
    {
        "title": "Result Title",
        "url": "https://example.com/path",
        "snippet": "Brief description or excerpt from the page",
        "type": "instant_answer|related_topic|html_fallback"
    }
]

Best Practices

1. Be Specific: Use precise search terms for better results
2. Use Appropriate max_results: Start with 3-5 results, increase if needed
3. Verify URLs: Check domain credibility before using information
4. Combine Sources: Use multiple results to verify information
5. Respect Privacy: DuckDuckGo doesn't track searches - maintain this privacy focus

Error Handling

• Network errors return empty results
• Invalid queries may return fewer results
• API rate limits are handled gracefully
• Timeouts are set to 10 seconds

Examples of When to Use This Skill

Scenario 1: Answering Current Questions

User: "What's the latest version of Python?" Claude Action: Search for "Python latest version release date"

Scenario 2: Finding Documentation

User: "How do I use the pandas groupby function?" Claude Action: Search for "pandas groupby function examples tutorial"

Scenario 3: Research Topics

User: "Tell me about renewable energy sources" Claude Action: Search for "types of renewable energy sources pros and cons"

Scenario 4: Technical Troubleshooting

User: "I'm getting a 'module not found' error in Python" Claude Action: Search for the specific error message

Resources

For detailed usage examples and API documentation, see:

• Search Usage Guide - Comprehensive guide with examples

Notes

• DuckDuckGo is privacy-focused and doesn't track searches
• Results may vary based on region (default: us-en)
• Some queries trigger instant answers (concise summaries)
• Always verify critical information from multiple sources

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