openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix web_search broken — DuckDuckGo returns bot detection since 2026-03-30 [1 participants]

Error:

TL;DR

Implement a fallback search backend, such as Tavily or Brave Search, to replace or supplement DuckDuckGo when bot detection fails.

Guidance

• Investigate the bot detection challenge returned by DuckDuckGo to understand the specific requirements for passing the challenge.
• Configure a secondary search backend, like Tavily or Brave Search, as a fallback option when the primary backend (DuckDuckGo) fails.
• Consider implementing a rotating or randomizing user agent in the web_search calls to mitigate bot detection.
• Evaluate the feasibility of integrating SerpAPI as an alternative or additional search backend for improved reliability.

Example

No explicit code example is provided due to the lack of specific implementation details in the issue.

Notes

The exact implementation of the fallback search backend may vary depending on the specific requirements and constraints of the project, including the compatibility of the alternative search backends with the existing web_search functionality.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround by implementing a fallback search backend, as this allows for continued functionality of critical workflows like x:daily-post and research tasks while a more permanent solution to the DuckDuckGo bot detection issue is explored.