Configuring Brave Search

I have spent a lot of time trying to fix search integrations that do not provide the right data when they should. It is a struggle when you build a tool that needs to know what is happening in the world right now, but it keeps returning outdated results.

If you want your project to stay current, you need a reliable way to get live web results. OpenClaw uses Brave Search as the default provider for its web_search feature, and I find it very straightforward to get running.

What You’ll Need

• A Brave Search API account.
• The Data for Search plan.
• A generated API key.
• Access to your OpenClaw configuration.

Quick Start

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

I recommend using the config file for your settings. Here is how that looks:

{
  tools: {
    web: {
      search: {
        provider: "brave",
        apiKey: "BRAVE_API_KEY_HERE",
        maxResults: 5,
        timeoutSeconds: 30,
      },
    },
  },
}

Troubleshooting

• Plan Compatibility: The “Data for AI” plan is not compatible with web_search. You must select the Data for Search plan in your dashboard.
• Rate Limits: Brave provides a free tier plus paid plans. If you run into issues with result delivery, check the Brave API portal for your current usage and limits.

If you have more questions about your setup, you can talk to the AI Setup Assistant.

What’s Next

See Web tools for the full web_search configuration.