Web Search Skill
Search the web for real-time information via the Skywork search API. This skill lets you run up to 3 queries in a single invocation and returns structured results with source URLs and content snippets.
When to use
- The user asks you to research a topic or find current information
- You need up-to-date facts, statistics, or news to answer a question
- Another task (writing a report, creating a PPT, drafting a document) needs web research as a preliminary step
- The user explicitly asks to search or look something up
Authentication (Required First)
Before using this skill, authentication must be completed. Run the auth script first:
# Authenticate: checks env token / cached token / browser login
python3 <skill-dir>/scripts/skywork_auth.py || exit 1Token priority:
- Environment variable
SKYBOT_TOKEN→ if set, use directly - Cached token file
~/.skywork_token→ validate via API, if valid, use it - No valid token → opens browser for login, polls until complete, saves token
IMPORTANT - Login URL handling: If script output contains a line starting with [LOGIN_URL], you MUST immediately send that URL to the user in a clickable message (e.g. "Please open this link to log in: <url>"). The user may be in an environment where the browser cannot open automatically, so always surface the login URL.
How to use
Run the bundled script from this skill's scripts/ directory:
python3 <skill-path>/scripts/web_search.py "query1" ["query2"] ["query3"]- Pass 1–3 search queries as positional arguments
- Results are saved to individual text files in a temporary directory
- The script prints the file paths to stdout so you can read them
Crafting good queries
Search quality depends heavily on query phrasing. A few tips:
- Be specific: "Tesla Q4 2025 revenue" works better than "Tesla financials"
- Use natural language: The API handles full questions well — "What is the current population of Tokyo?" is fine
- Split broad topics: If the user wants a comprehensive overview, break it into 2–3 focused queries rather than one vague one
- Include time context when relevant: "best Python web frameworks 2026" rather than just "best Python web frameworks"
Reading results
After running the script, read the output files. Each file contains:
query: <the original query>
[result-1] <source URL>
<content snippet>
[result-2] <source URL>
<content snippet>
...Synthesize the results into a clear answer for the user. Always cite sources when presenting factual information — include the URLs from the results so the user can verify.
Example workflow
User asks: "What are the latest developments in quantum computing?"
- Run the search with focused queries:
``bash python3 <skill-path>/scripts/web_search.py \ "quantum computing breakthroughs 2026" \ "quantum computing industry news latest" ``
- Read the result files
- Synthesize findings into a clear, sourced summary for the user
Limitations
- Maximum 3 queries per invocation (the script caps it)
- Each query has a 30-second timeout
- Results depend on the Skywork search API availability