# search

Searches the web using the Bright Data CLI. Runs keyword SERP queries across Google, Bing, and Yandex or discovers pages ranked by semantic intent.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 7500 installs · ★ 268
- Author: brightdata
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/brightdata/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/search/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-15
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/brightdata-search

## What it does

The skill routes web searches through the `bdata` command-line tool. When you need exact keyword rankings, it uses `bdata search` to query Google, Bing, or Yandex. The output is formatted as structured JSON where standard web results sit in the `.organic[]` array. You can refine results by targeting specific countries with `--country`, picking languages with `--language`, or switching to mobile SERP via `--device mobile`.

For broader research, the skill switches to `bdata discover`. This command evaluates pages against an explicit goal passed via `--intent` and stores matches in the `.results[]` array. Adding `--include-content` pulls markdown page bodies straight into the search output. If you want structured data from platforms like Amazon or LinkedIn, the skill directs you to `data-feeds` instead.

A verification gate inspects your environment before any query runs. If the `bdata` CLI is missing or unauthenticated, execution halts immediately. That makes running `bdata login` upfront essential for uninterrupted workflows.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add brightdata/skills --skill search -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/search/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/search/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add brightdata/skills --skill search -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/search/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add brightdata/skills --skill search -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/search/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install brightdata/skills search
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/search/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add brightdata/skills --skill search -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/brightdata/skills --path skills/search
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/search/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add brightdata/skills --skill search -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/brightdata/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/search/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- extract keyword SERP results from Google, Bing, or Yandex into JSON
- find relevant web pages based on semantic intent via `bdata discover`
- pull search results and page content together in markdown
- collect localized or mobile search engine rankings for target countries

## Example prompts
- Search Google for "site:example.com privacy policy" using bdata search and return structured JSON
- Discover vendor pages with pricing for "enterprise LLM platforms" using bdata discover with an intent flag
- Run a German Bing search for "datenschutz" setting country and language to de

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: baf0319c9c11c182.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE baf0319c9c11c182
````text
---
name: search
description: Search the web via the Bright Data CLI — `bdata search` for Google/Bing/Yandex SERP, `bdata discover` for intent-ranked semantic results. Use when the user wants SERP results, needs URLs to feed into scraping, or wants semantic web discovery with optional page content. Hands off to `scrape` once target URLs are chosen, and to `data-feeds` when the user wants structured data from a known platform. Requires the Bright Data CLI; proactively guides install + login if missing.
---

# Bright Data — Search

Find things on the web. Two commands live in this skill:

- **`bdata search`** — classic keyword SERP (Google/Bing/Yandex). Best when you want "what ranks for keyword X."
- **`bdata discover`** — AI intent-ranked discovery with optional page content. Best when you want "pages about topic Y that match intent Z."

For structured data from a known platform (Amazon, LinkedIn, TikTok, …), **stop and use `data-feeds` instead**.

## Setup gate (run first)

```bash
if ! command -v bdata >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    echo "bdata CLI not installed — see bright-data-best-practices/references/cli-setup.md"
elif ! bdata zones >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    echo "bdata not authenticated — run: bdata login  (or: bdata login --device for SSH)"
fi
```

Halt and route to `skills/bright-data-best-practices/references/cli-setup.md` if either check fails.

## Pick your path

| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Single keyword query, just SERP | `bdata search "<query>" --engine google --json --pretty` |
| Paginated SERP (more results) | loop `--page 0`, `--page 1`, … (0-indexed) |
| Multiple queries | shell loop over a queries file |
| Intent-ranked / semantic (not keyword) | `bdata discover "<query>" --intent "<intent>" --num-results 20` |
| Want page bodies along with results, one pass | `bdata discover ... --include-content` |
| News / images / shopping SERP | `bdata search "<query>" --type news` (or `images`, `shopping`) |
| Want Amazon/LinkedIn/TikTok/… structured data | **stop — hand off to `data-feeds`** |
| Have URLs, want content | **hand off to `scrape`** |

## Action

Core commands:

```bash
# Google SERP, structured JSON
bdata search "site:example.com privacy policy" --engine google --json --pretty

# Localized Bing (German results, German language)
bdata search "datenschutz" --engine bing --country de --language de --json

# Second page of results (0-indexed)
bdata search "machine learning papers" --page 1 --json

# Mobile SERP (rankings differ from desktop)
bdata search "best coffee shops" --device mobile --json

# News vertical
bdata search "openai" --type news --json --pretty

# Intent-ranked discovery
bdata discover "enterprise LLM platforms" \
    --intent "vendor pages with pricing" \
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE baf0319c9c11c182

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