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hermes-web-search

Configure web search and content extraction backends in Hermes Agent.

Updated Jul 3, 2026
Search Tags:#web search#firecrawl#configuration#mcp#exa#hermes#duckduckgo
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/CHENHUI-X/toolbox --skill hermes-web-search-chenhui-x
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: hermes-web-search
Source: https://github.com/CHENHUI-X/toolbox/tree/main/custom-skills/autonomous-ai-agents/hermes-web-search
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/CHENHUI-X/toolbox --skill hermes-web-search-chenhui-x

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires ddgs, exa-py, firecrawl-py, tavily-python, and includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Setting up web search in Hermes Agent requires choosing among 7 provider plugins, installing the right SDKs, managing API keys, and wiring search versus extract backends correctly. This Skill guides that configuration so web_search and web_extract tools work without trial and error. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Provider Setup: Step-by-step configuration for DuckDuckGo, Exa, Firecrawl, Tavily, Parallel, Brave Free, and SearXNG, including SDK installation and API key placement in ~/.hermes/.env. - Backend Switching: Change search_backend and extract_backend independently via hermes config set, with the shared web.backend field as fallback; changes apply immediately without restart. - Pitfall Avoidance: Covers secret redaction masking keys in output, search-only versus extract-capable providers, case-sensitive provider names, and SDK-versus-plugin separation. - Use Case: You start with free DuckDuckGo search, then upgrade to Exa for both search and full-page extraction by installing exa-py, adding EXA_API_KEY, and setting both backends to exa. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to configure Hermes web search to use Exa for both search and extract, including installing the SDK and verifying the provider works.

Frequently Asked Questions about hermes-web-search

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I set up web search in Hermes Agent?▼

Install the provider SDK (for example pip install ddgs), then run hermes config set web.search_backend with the provider name. DuckDuckGo needs no API key and works immediately; changes take effect on the next tool call without restart.

Which Hermes web search providers support content extraction?▼

Exa, Firecrawl, Tavily, and Parallel support both search and URL content extraction. DuckDuckGo, Brave Free, and SearXNG are search-only and return a typed error if used for extraction.

Exa vs DuckDuckGo for web search, which should I use?▼

DuckDuckGo is free with no API key but search-only with meta-description snippets. Exa requires an API key and exa-py SDK but returns semantic page highlights and full-text extraction, with a 20,000 requests per month free tier.

Why is my API key masked in Hermes terminal output?▼

The security.redact_secrets setting is enabled by default and masks keys in output. The real value remains in ~/.hermes/.env; verify it programmatically by checking key length and format rather than reading the displayed value.

Why does my Hermes web search provider not match the config?▼

Provider names are case-sensitive and must be lowercase: ddgs, exa, firecrawl, tavily. Uppercase values like DDGS or Exa will not match any registered plugin.

Can I use Exa through MCP instead of the native plugin?▼

Yes, Exa offers an MCP server at https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp with OAuth auth, exposing web_search_exa and web_fetch_exa tools. The native plugin is preferred because it integrates directly into the existing web_search and web_extract tool dispatch.

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