> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ceramic.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# OpenClaw

> Add web-scale search to your OpenClaw agent using Ceramic

There are two ways to integrate Ceramic search into OpenClaw: a **plugin** and a **skill**. The plugin is recommended — it registers `ceramic_search` as a native agent tool, handles rewriting natural language queries into keyword queries internally via an LLM call, and runs searches in parallel with deduplication. This produces more consistent and higher-quality results than the prompt-based skill approach. OpenClaw agents also generally remember to call Ceramic search more with the plugin, as skills are merely system prompt-level suggestions that agents aren't required to follow.

The skill is simpler in that the instructions for query rewriting are included in the skill description, and there is no additional LLM call. The skill may also be easier to customize.

## Setup

### 1. API key

Obtain and set your Ceramic API key:

<Card title="Get API Key" icon="key" href="https://platform.ceramic.ai/keys" arrow="true">
  Create a Ceramic account for free to get an API key.
</Card>

```bash theme={null}
export CERAMIC_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
```

To persist it across sessions, add the line above to your `~/.zshrc`, `~/.bashrc`, or equivalent.

If using the plugin, you can also do:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw config set plugins.entries.ceramic-search.config.apiKey your_api_key_here
```

### 2. Installation

To install the plugin, run:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw plugins install clawhub:@ceramicai/openclaw-ceramic-search
```

To install the skill instead, run:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw skills install ceramic-search
```

### 3. Allow the plugin and expose the tool

If using the plugin, do:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw config set plugins.allow '["ceramic-search"]' --strict-json
openclaw config set tools.alsoAllow '["ceramic_search"]' --strict-json
```

### 4. Modify TOOLS.md

Add the following to `~/.openclaw/workspace/TOOLS.md` (create the file if it doesn't exist) to ensure Ceramic search gets used:

```markdown theme={null}
## Web Search

Always use the `ceramic_search` tool for web searches. Do not use built-in model web search or any other search tool.
```

Replace "`ceramic_search` tool" with "`ceramic-search` skill" if using the skill instead of the plugin.

### 5. Disable competing web search tools

```bash theme={null}
openclaw config set tools.deny '["web_search"]' --strict-json
```

This prevents the agent from using the built-in model search and forces it to use Ceramic search instead.

### 6. Restart the gateway

```bash theme={null}
openclaw gateway restart
```

### 7. Test it

```bash theme={null}
openclaw agent --agent main --message "What are the top AI news stories right now?"
```

A successful run will show Ceramic search results via citations in the agent response.

<Columns cols={3}>
  <Card title="ClawHub Plugin" icon="lobster" href="https://clawhub.ai/plugins/@ceramicai/openclaw-ceramic-search" arrow="true">
    View plugin
  </Card>

  <Card title="ClawHub Skill" icon="lobster" href="https://clawhub.ai/ceramicai/ceramic-search" arrow="true">
    View skill
  </Card>

  <Card title="GitHub" icon="github" href="https://github.com/CeramicTeam/openclaw-ceramic" arrow="true">
    View source code
  </Card>
</Columns>