← Back to Learning Path
🔍

Step 4 of 9

Enable Web Search

By default, OpenClaw only knows what it was trained on. Adding web search lets it find current information, check facts, and stay up to date. This is one of the most important upgrades.

Why This Matters

Without web search, your AI's knowledge has a cutoff date. With web search, it can check current news, research topics, verify facts, and find the latest information. It's the difference between "I think..." and "According to today's report..."

What We're Adding: Brave Search

We'll use Brave Search API because:

  • ✓ Free tier: 2,000 queries per month at no cost
  • ✓ Privacy-focused: Doesn't track you like Google
  • ✓ Fast: Good results, quick response times
  • ✓ Easy setup: One API key, simple configuration

Step 1: Get Your API Key

1

Go to Brave Search API

Visit brave.com/search/api

2

Sign up for free

Create a free account (no credit card required for the free tier)

3

Generate an API key

Go to your dashboard and create a new API key. Copy it somewhere safe.

⚠️ Keep Your Key Secret

Your API key is like a password. Don't share it, don't commit it to GitHub, and don't paste it in public places. We'll configure it securely in OpenClaw.

Step 2: Configure OpenClaw

Now tell OpenClaw to use Brave for web search. Run these commands in your terminal: 

# Set Brave as the search provider
openclaw config set tools.web.search.provider brave
# Add your API key (replace with your actual key)
openclaw config set tools.web.search.apiKey 'YOUR_BRAVE_API_KEY_HERE'
# Restart the gateway to apply changes
openclaw gateway restart

Step 3: Test It

Let's verify web search is working. In the OpenClaw interface, try asking:

Try one of these:

  • → "What's the latest news in AI?"
  • → "Search for OpenClaw documentation"
  • → "What are people saying about vibe coding on Reddit?"

Your AI should now search the web and return current results. You'll see: 

🔍 Searching the web...

According to recent articles...
[Current information from web search]

Understanding the Limits

Free Tier Limits

  • • 2,000 queries per month — plenty for personal use
  • • 1 query = 1 search (not per result)
  • • Resets monthly
  • • If you hit the limit, searches stop working until next month

For most users, 2,000 searches is more than enough. That's ~65 searches per day. If you need more, paid plans start at $3/month for 5,000 queries.

Troubleshooting

"Search failed" or "API error"

Usually means the API key is wrong or missing:

  1. Double-check you copied the full key
  2. Run: openclaw config get tools.web.search.apiKey
  3. Make sure there's no extra spaces or quotes
  4. Restart gateway: openclaw gateway restart
"Rate limit exceeded"

You've hit the 2,000 query monthly limit. Options:

  1. Wait until next month (resets automatically)
  2. Upgrade to paid plan at brave.com
  3. Be more selective about when to search
AI doesn't seem to be searching

Be explicit in your prompts. Try:

  • "Search for..."
  • "Look up..."
  • "What's the latest on..."

What's Next?

Web search is now enabled! Next, let's build a visual dashboard so you can manage your memories and tasks more easily.

Step 5: Create Your Dashboard → Complete Setup Guide