Brave Search

Brave Search API

OpenClaw supports Brave Search API as a web_search provider.

Get an API key

1. Create a Brave Search API account at https://brave.com/search/api/
2. In the dashboard, choose the Search plan and generate an API key.
3. Store the key in config or set BRAVE_API_KEY in the Gateway environment.

Config example

“`json5 theme={“theme”:{“light”:”min-light”,”dark”:”min-dark”}}
{
plugins: {
entries: {
brave: {
config: {
webSearch: {
apiKey: “BRAVE_API_KEY_HERE”,
},
},
},
},
},
tools: {
web: {
search: {
provider: “brave”,
maxResults: 5,
timeoutSeconds: 30,
},
},
},
}

Provider-specific Brave search settings now live under `plugins.entries.brave.config.webSearch.*`.
Legacy `tools.web.search.apiKey` still loads through the compatibility shim, but it is no longer the canonical config path.

## Tool parameters

| Parameter     | Description                                                         |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `query`       | Search query (required)                                             |
| `count`       | Number of results to return (1-10, default: 5)                      |
| `country`     | 2-letter ISO country code (e.g., "US", "DE")                        |
| `language`    | ISO 639-1 language code for search results (e.g., "en", "de", "fr") |
| `ui_lang`     | ISO language code for UI elements                                   |
| `freshness`   | Time filter: `day` (24h), `week`, `month`, or `year`                |
| `date_after`  | Only results published after this date (YYYY-MM-DD)                 |
| `date_before` | Only results published before this date (YYYY-MM-DD)                |

**Examples:**

```javascript  theme={"theme":{"light":"min-light","dark":"min-dark"}}
// Country and language-specific search
await web_search({
  query: "renewable energy",
  country: "DE",
  language: "de",
});

// Recent results (past week)
await web_search({
  query: "AI news",
  freshness: "week",
});

// Date range search
await web_search({
  query: "AI developments",
  date_after: "2024-01-01",
  date_before: "2024-06-30",
});

Notes

• OpenClaw uses the Brave Search plan. If you have a legacy subscription (e.g. the original Free plan with 2,000 queries/month), it remains valid but does not include newer features like LLM Context or higher rate limits.
• Each Brave plan includes $5/month in free credit (renewing). The Search plan costs $5 per 1,000 requests, so the credit covers 1,000 queries/month. Set your usage limit in the Brave dashboard to avoid unexpected charges. See the Brave API portal for current plans.
• The Search plan includes the LLM Context endpoint and AI inference rights. Storing results to train or tune models requires a plan with explicit storage rights. See the Brave Terms of Service.
• Results are cached for 15 minutes by default (configurable via cacheTtlMinutes).

See Web tools for the full web_search configuration.