n8n-nodes-duckduckgo-search

30.0.3 • Public • Published

DuckDuckGo Search Node for n8n

npm version License: MIT

A powerful and comprehensive n8n community node that seamlessly integrates DuckDuckGo search capabilities into your workflows. Search the web, find images, discover news, and explore videos - all with privacy-focused, reliable results.

✨ Features

🔍 Complete Search Coverage

  • Web Search: Comprehensive web search with rich content extraction
  • Image Search: High-quality image discovery with metadata
  • News Search: Real-time news from diverse sources worldwide
  • Video Search: Video content discovery across multiple platforms

🚀 Advanced Capabilities

  • Smart Query Processing: Intelligent query enhancement and optimization
  • Rich Results: Complete metadata including titles, descriptions, sources, and dates
  • Multiple Formats: Support for various content types and file formats
  • Language Support: 50+ language and region combinations
  • Search Operators: Advanced search syntax (site:, intitle:, filetype:, etc.)
  • Safe Search: Configurable content filtering options

🛡️ Privacy & Performance

  • No API Keys Required: Completely free to use without registration
  • Privacy-Focused: No user tracking or data collection
  • High Performance: Optimized for speed and reliability
  • Error Handling: Robust error recovery and retry mechanisms
  • Rate Limiting: Built-in protection against overuse

📦 Installation

Via npm

npm install n8n-nodes-duckduckgo-search

Via n8n Interface

  1. Go to SettingsCommunity Nodes
  2. Enter: n8n-nodes-duckduckgo-search
  3. Click Install
  4. Restart n8n if required

🚀 Quick Start

  1. Add Node: Drag the DuckDuckGo Search node into your workflow
  2. Choose Operation: Select Web, Image, News, or Video search
  3. Enter Query: Type your search terms
  4. Configure Options: Set result limits, language, and filters
  5. Execute: Run your workflow and get results!

🔧 Usage Examples

Web Search

{
  "operation": "search",
  "query": "artificial intelligence trends 2025",
  "webSearchOptions": {
    "maxResults": 20,
    "region": "us-en", 
    "safeSearch": 1
  }
}

Sample Output:

[
  {
    "title": "AI Trends 2025: What to Expect",
    "url": "https://example.com/ai-trends-2025",
    "description": "Comprehensive overview of artificial intelligence trends...",
    "hostname": "example.com"
  }
]

Image Search

{
  "operation": "searchImages",
  "imageQuery": "sunset mountains landscape",
  "imageSearchOptions": {
    "maxResults": 15,
    "safeSearch": 1,
    "size": "large",
    "color": "color",
    "type": "photo"
  }
}

Sample Output:

[
  {
    "title": "Beautiful Mountain Sunset",
    "url": "https://example.com/mountain-sunset.jpg",
    "thumbnail": "https://example.com/thumb.jpg",
    "height": 1080,
    "width": 1920,
    "source": "Photography Site"
  }
]

News Search

{
  "operation": "searchNews",
  "newsQuery": "renewable energy breakthrough",
  "newsSearchOptions": {
    "maxResults": 10,
    "region": "us-en",
    "safeSearch": 1,
    "timePeriod": "d"
  }
}

Sample Output:

[
  {
    "title": "Major Breakthrough in Solar Energy Efficiency",
    "url": "https://news.example.com/solar-breakthrough",
    "description": "Scientists announce 40% efficiency improvement...",
    "publishedDate": "2025-06-29",
    "source": "Tech News Daily"
  }
]

Video Search

{
  "operation": "searchVideos",
  "videoQuery": "machine learning tutorial",
  "videoSearchOptions": {
    "maxResults": 12,
    "safeSearch": 1,
    "duration": "medium",
    "resolution": "high"
  }
}

Sample Output:

[
  {
    "title": "Complete Machine Learning Tutorial",
    "url": "https://video.example.com/ml-tutorial",
    "thumbnail": "https://video.example.com/thumb.jpg",
    "duration": "15:30",
    "publishedDate": "2025-06-20",
    "views": "125000",
    "source": "Educational Channel"
  }
]

⚙️ Configuration Options

Search Types

Operation Description Max Results
Web Search General web content search 1-50
Image Search Image and visual content discovery 1-50
News Search News articles and current events 1-50
Video Search Video content from various platforms 1-50

Common Parameters

Parameter Type Description Default
query string Search terms Required
maxResults number Number of results to return 10
region string Language/region code (us-en, de-de, etc.) us-en
safeSearch number Safe search level (0=off, 1=moderate, 2=strict) 1

Advanced Options

Web Search Options

  • timePeriod: Filter by time range (d, w, m, y)
  • searchOperators: Use advanced search operators
  • useSearchOperators: Enable operator parsing

Image Search Options

  • size: Image size (small, medium, large, wallpaper)
  • color: Color filter (color, monochrome, red, orange, etc.)
  • type: Image type (photo, clipart, gif, transparent)
  • layout: Image layout (square, tall, wide)

News Search Options

  • timePeriod: Time range for news (d, w, m, y)
  • sortBy: Sort order (date, relevance)

Video Search Options

  • duration: Video length (short, medium, long)
  • resolution: Video quality (high, standard)
  • publishedTime: When published (d, w, m, y)

🔍 Advanced Search Operators

Use powerful search operators to refine your results:

Operator Example Description
site: site:github.com Search within specific site
filetype: filetype:pdf Find specific file types
intitle: intitle:"machine learning" Search in page titles
inurl: inurl:tutorial Search in URLs
"exact phrase" "artificial intelligence" Exact phrase matching
-exclude python -snake Exclude specific terms
OR cat OR dog Either term

Example with operators:

{
  "query": "site:github.com filetype:md machine learning",
  "useSearchOperators": true
}

🌍 Supported Languages & Regions

The node supports 50+ language and region combinations:

  • English: us-en, uk-en, au-en, ca-en, etc.
  • Spanish: es-es, mx-es, ar-es, etc.
  • French: fr-fr, ca-fr, ch-fr
  • German: de-de, at-de, ch-de
  • And many more: ja-jp, zh-cn, ru-ru, pt-br, it-it, nl-nl, etc.

💡 Use Cases

Content Marketing

  • Research trending topics and keywords
  • Find images for blog posts and social media
  • Monitor news about your industry
  • Discover video content for inspiration

Data Analysis

  • Gather web content for analysis
  • Build datasets from search results
  • Monitor brand mentions and sentiment
  • Track competitor content strategies

Research & Development

  • Academic research and literature review
  • Technical documentation discovery
  • Industry trend analysis
  • Competitive intelligence gathering

Automation Workflows

  • Automated content curation
  • News monitoring and alerts
  • Image collection for projects
  • SEO research and optimization

🛠️ Workflow Integration

Input Parameters

All search operations accept standardized input parameters that can be:

  • Hard-coded in the node configuration
  • Passed dynamically from previous workflow steps
  • Combined with expressions and variables

Output Structure

Results are returned as structured JSON arrays with consistent formatting:

  • Standardized fields across all search types
  • Rich metadata for comprehensive analysis
  • Clean, parsed content ready for further processing

Error Handling

Robust error handling provides:

  • Descriptive error messages for troubleshooting
  • Graceful failure handling to prevent workflow breaks
  • Retry mechanisms for temporary issues
  • Input validation to catch configuration errors

📊 Performance & Limits

Rate Limiting

  • Built-in protection against overuse
  • Intelligent delay mechanisms between requests
  • Configurable retry logic for failed requests

Result Limits

  • Web Search: Up to 50 results per request
  • Image Search: Up to 50 images per request
  • News Search: Up to 50 articles per request
  • Video Search: Up to 50 videos per request

Performance Tips

  • Use specific queries for better, faster results
  • Set appropriate result limits for your use case
  • Leverage caching for repeated searches
  • Use search operators to narrow results efficiently

🔒 Privacy & Security

Privacy-First Design

  • No user tracking or data collection
  • No API keys required - completely free
  • Direct DuckDuckGo integration without third-party services
  • Secure HTTP client configuration

Data Handling

  • Minimal data retention - results processed and returned immediately
  • No persistent storage of search queries or results
  • Clean HTTP requests without unnecessary headers or tracking

🆘 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Empty Results

  • Check your search query for typos
  • Try broader search terms
  • Verify region/language settings
  • Ensure safe search settings are appropriate

Slow Performance

  • Reduce the number of results requested
  • Use more specific search queries
  • Check your network connection
  • Consider using search operators to narrow results

Configuration Errors

  • Verify all required parameters are provided
  • Check parameter data types and formats
  • Ensure region codes are valid
  • Validate search operator syntax

📚 API Reference

Node Properties

Required Parameters

  • operation: The search operation to perform
  • query: The search terms (varies by operation type)

Optional Parameters

  • maxResults: Number of results to return (1-50)
  • region: Language/region code
  • safeSearch: Safe search filtering level
  • Additional operation-specific options

Output Format

All operations return an array of result objects with operation-specific fields but consistent structure for easy processing in your workflows.

🤝 Support & Contributing

Getting Help

  • Documentation: This README covers most use cases
  • GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
  • Community: Join the n8n community for discussions

Contributing

This is an open-source project. Contributions are welcome:

  • Bug Reports: Help us improve reliability
  • Feature Requests: Suggest new capabilities
  • Code Contributions: Submit pull requests
  • Documentation: Help improve guides and examples

📄 License

MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.


Ready to get started? Install the node and begin searching with DuckDuckGo's powerful, privacy-focused search capabilities in your n8n workflows today!

Package Sidebar

Install

npm i n8n-nodes-duckduckgo-search

Weekly Downloads

244

Version

30.0.3

License

MIT

Unpacked Size

343 kB

Total Files

36

Last publish

Collaborators

  • sam_nodehi