MIT-licensed DeepSeek Harness plugin that gives the agent free, keyless web search through multiple backends (DuckDuckGo, Bing, SearXNG, …), with unified engine fallback, time-range filtering, result caching and a `/free-search-engine` switcher — so the agent can answer live questions without a DeepSeek API key.
DSH integration
Native runtime
Author-claimed
Safety audit
Unaudited
Last verified
2026-08-29
License
MIT
01What can it help you accomplish?
Give a DeepSeek Harness agent free, keyless web search so it can answer current-event and lookup questions
Search results returned through the built-in `web_search` tool, with the engine that actually served them noted at the top of the result
DeepSeek Harness users who run without a `DEEPSEEK_API_KEY` or behind an OpenAI-compatible gateway (e.g. opencode-go) whose endpoint lacks `web_search`
Switch search engines and test them without leaving the chat
A settings page plus a `/free-search-engine` popup command to switch engines, configure API keys, and run `free_search_test` across every engine
Operators who want to pick a backend (DuckDuckGo / Bing / SearXNG / Exa / Tavily / etc.) or verify connectivity
02How to install into DeepSeek Harness
Not specified by the author
03DSH integration and capability boundaries
Native dsh plugin that registers a multi-engine web-search provider into the dsh `ctx.web` seam; the built-in `web_search` tool auto-selects it, no DeepSeek API key required
Free multi-engine web search
natural-language web query (optionally with a time filter)→ranked web results via the built-in `web_search` tool, no key for DuckDuckGo / Bing / SearXNG and other free engines
Unified engine fallback
a query that fails on the preferred engine→automatically retries the next engine in a fallback chain; the result notes which engine actually served it
Engine switcher & tester
chat command or settings-page interaction→switch the active engine (and save it) via `/free-search-engine`, or run `free_search_test` to test every engine at once
Advanced time-range search
query plus a `timeRange` argument→results narrowed by time via `advanced_search` — fixed presets, a custom relative value, or an absolute date
Web fetch (web_fetch)
a URL→fetched page content for the agent to read
Platform search (platform_search)
a query scoped to a platform→results from platforms such as GitHub / V2EX / Bilibili / Reddit / Hacker News / Stack Overflow
04Who is it for? When not to use it?
Good for
- DeepSeek Harness users who run without a `DEEPSEEK_API_KEY` or behind an OpenAI-compatible gateway (e.g. opencode-go) whose endpoint lacks `web_search`
- Operators who want to pick a backend (DuckDuckGo / Bing / SearXNG / Exa / Tavily / etc.) or verify connectivity
Not for
- Paid engines (Exa / Tavily / Keenable / Perplexity / DeepSeek 官方) require an API key configured in the settings page. Without a key they report an error when tested directly; the settings page marks paid engines with an orange `API KEY` badge.
05Compatibility, maintenance and safety notes
- Free engines issue live queries to third-party backends, so results need outbound network access. Free engines may rate-limit under load; a 5-minute LRU result cache mitigates this (configurable 0–5 minutes in the settings page, 0 disables it).
- Paid engines (Exa / Tavily / Keenable / Perplexity / DeepSeek 官方) require an API key configured in the settings page. Without a key they report an error when tested directly; the settings page marks paid engines with an orange `API KEY` badge.
- Requires DeepSeek Harness (dsh): the plugin replaces the default search provider that depends on `DEEPSEEK_API_KEY`. With no DeepSeek key and no OpenAI-compatible gateway that supports `web_search`, the built-in search fails until this plugin is active.
MIT · actively maintained (latest release v0.4.17, 2026-08-28)
06Frequently asked questions
Do I need a DeepSeek API key to use dsh-free-search?
No. The free engines (DuckDuckGo, Bing, SearXNG and more) need no key and no sign-up. The plugin is built for people who have no `DEEPSEEK_API_KEY` or run behind an OpenAI-compatible gateway whose endpoint doesn't support `web_search`. Paid engines (Exa, Tavily, Keenable, Perplexity, DeepSeek) optionally take a key you configure in the settings page.
How do I switch search engines?
Open the settings page to switch engines and configure API keys, or type `/free-search-engine` in the chat box to pop up an engine picker — selecting one switches and saves it immediately. You can also run the `free_search_test` tool to test every engine at once.
What happens if one search engine fails?
Search never directly fails. Any engine failure (missing key, 401, rate-limit, network) automatically tries the next engine in a unified fallback chain, and the top of the result notes which engine actually served it (e.g. `Note: perplexity unavailable or failed, using exa.`).
Can I filter results by time?
Yes. The `advanced_search` tool supports `timeRange` in three forms — fixed presets, a custom relative value, or an absolute date — so you can narrow results to recent content.
Does it cache results?
Yes. Identical queries (including engine and time-filter params) hit a 50-entry LRU cache for 5 minutes by default, which protects free engines from rate-limiting and saves paid quota. The cache window is configurable from 0 to 5 minutes in the settings page (0 disables it).
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08Data and sources
一个给 DeepSeek Harness (dsh) 添加多引擎搜索 provider 的插件，注册进 `ctx.web` seam。
**DeepSeek Harness 免费搜索插件 —— 无需 API key，零成本，多引擎可切换。**
This page is generated from the project’s public documentation, repository metadata and a structured parse of DSH Plugins; last verified on 2026-08-29. Found an error? Submit a correction.
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