About DuckDuckGo Search MCP 🔍
DDG Search is an open source web search tool usable from the command line or through MCP. It returns DuckDuckGo web results and can also request AI-generated answers from IAsk or Monica, without requiring API keys.
Key features
- 01DuckDuckGo web result retrieval
- 02AI answer mode via IAsk or Monica
- 03Command line and MCP server usage
- 04Adjustable result count and IAsk mode
- 05Proxy support through environment variables
Use cases
- 01Running quick web searches from the command line
- 02Adding current web information to MCP client workflows
- 03Giving an agent web search through its system prompt
MCP support
The project can run as an MCP server, exposing a single unified web-search tool to MCP clients such as Claude Desktop and OpenCode.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
Tools
Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.
Details
From the project READMEDDG Search
Web search and AI-powered answers from the command line or MCP.
DuckDuckGo, IAsk AI, and Monica AI. No API keys required.
Quick Start
# Search from the command line
npx -y @oevortex/ddg_search@latest "your search query"
# Or install globally
npm install -g @oevortex/ddg_search
ddg "your search query"
Usage
CLI
# Basic web search (DuckDuckGo)
ddg "quantum computing"
# Get more results
ddg "latest news" -n 10
# AI-generated answer (IAsk)
ddg "explain recursion" -m ai
# AI-generated answer (Monica)
ddg "hello world" -m ai -b monica
# IAsk with options
ddg "gravity" -m ai --iask-mode academic --detail-level comprehensive
Flags
| Flag | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
-m, --mode | web or ai | web |
-b, --backend | iask or monica (AI mode only) | iask |
-n, --num-results | Number of results (1-20, web mode) | 3 |
--iask-mode | question, academic, forums, wiki, thinking | thinking |
--detail-level | concise, detailed, comprehensive | — |
-h, --help | Show help | |
-v, --version | Show version |
MCP Server
Start the MCP server for use with Claude Desktop, OpenCode, or other MCP clients:
ddg --server
Claude Desktop config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"ddg-search": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@oevortex/ddg_search@latest"]
}
}
}
Global install config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"ddg-search": {
"command": "ddg"
}
}
}
Programmatic API
import { searchDuckDuckGo } from '@oevortex/ddg_search/src/utils/search.js';
import { searchIAsk } from '@oevortex/ddg_search/src/utils/search_iask.js';
import { searchMonica } from '@oevortex/ddg_search/src/utils/search_monica.js';
// DuckDuckGo
const results = await searchDuckDuckGo("query", 5);
// IAsk AI
const answer = await searchIAsk("query", "thinking", null);
// Monica AI
const answer = await searchMonica("query");
MCP Tool Schema
Single unified tool web-search:
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
query | string | required | Search query |
mode | "web" | "ai" | "web" | DuckDuckGo results or AI answer |
backend | "iask" | "monica" | "iask" | AI backend (mode=ai only) |
numResults | integer | 3 | Results count (web mode, 1-20) |
iaskMode | string | "thinking" | IAsk mode (backend=iask only) |
detailLevel | string | — | IAsk detail level (backend=iask only) |
Agent Prompt
Add this to your agent's system prompt to enable web search:
When you need to search the web or find current information, use the DDG Search CLI:
npx -y @oevortex/ddg_search@latest "<query>" -m ai
This runs an AI-powered web search via IAsk. For standard DuckDuckGo results (titles + URLs + snippets), use mode "web" instead:
npx -y @oevortex/ddg_search@latest "<query>" -m web -n 5
For a different AI backend (Monica), add -b monica. Use this for any research, fact-checking, or current events task.
Proxy Support
Respects HTTP_PROXY, HTTPS_PROXY, and NO_PROXY environment variables automatically.
HTTPS_PROXY=http://proxy:8080 ddg "search query"
Install
npm install -g @oevortex/ddg_search
Or use npx without installing.
Project Structure
bin/cli.js CLI entry point
src/
index.ts MCP server
tools/
searchTool.js Unified search tool
utils/
search.js DuckDuckGo scraper
search_iask.js IAsk AI client
search_monica.js Monica AI client
user_agents.js User agent rotation
skills/
ddg-search/ Agent skill for marketplace
Contributing
Pull requests welcome. Open an issue for bugs or feature requests.
License
Apache 2.0
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.