searxng-search
Free meta-search via SearXNG — aggregates results from 70+ search engines. Self-hosted or use a public instance. No API key needed. Falls back automatically when the web search toolset is unavailable.
Best for privacy-conscious developersWorks with GitHubLow risk
⌘source
- author
@NousResearch- language
- Python
★138kstars
21kforks
May 7, 2026
✦overview.md
Key Features
- ·Free meta-search, no API key needed
- ·Aggregates results from 70+ search engines
- ·Self-hosted or public instance
- ·Automatic fallback when web search unavailable
Use Cases
- →Searching the web when no paid search API is configured
- →Privacy-focused search aggregating multiple engines
- →Using a self-hosted search instance for full control
Best for
- ✓privacy-conscious developers
- ✓self-hosted setups
- ✓fallback scenarios
Not ideal for
- !heavy production traffic without caching
- !users without a SearXNG instance
FAQs
name
searxng-search
description
Free meta-search via SearXNG — aggregates results from 70+ search engines. Self-hosted or use a public instance. No API key needed. Falls back automatically when the web search toolset is unavailable.
license
MIT
version:1.0.0
author:hermes-agent
metadata:{"hermes":{"tags":["search","searxng","meta-search","self-hosted","free","fallback"],"related_skills":["duckduckgo-search","domain-intel"],"fallback_for_toolsets":["web"]}}
SearXNG Search
Free meta-search using SearXNG — a privacy-respecting, self-hosted search aggregator that queries 70+ search engines simultaneously.
No API key required when using a public instance. Can also be self-hosted for full control. Automatically appears as a fallback when the main web search toolset (FIRECRAWL_API_KEY) is not configured.
Configuration
SearXNG requires a SEARXNG_URL environment variable pointing to your SearXNG instance:
# Public instances (no setup required)
SEARXNG_URL=https://searxng.example.com
# Self-hosted SearXNG
SEARXNG_URL=http://localhost:8888
If no instance is configured, this skill is unavailable and the agent falls back to other search options.
Detection Flow
Check what is actually available before choosing an approach:
# Check if SEARXNG_URL is set and the instance is reachable
curl -s --max-time 5 "${SEARXNG_URL}/search?q=test&format=json" | head -c 200
Decision tree:
- If
SEARXNG_URLis set and the instance responds, use SearXNG - If
SEARXNG_URLis unset or unreachable, fall back to other available search tools
$install
1-click copynpx skills add NousResearch/hermes-agent --skill searxng-searchSafety assessment
★
Clarity score
How clear and easy to understand the SKILL.md instructions are, rated from 1 to 5.
3/ 5
goodMostly clear, but there are still a few confusing or poorly structured parts.
◎
Actionability score
How directly an agent can act on the SKILL.md instructions, rated from 1 to 5.
3/ 5
mediumPartially actionable with several concrete steps, but still missing important details.