DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo Instant Answer API

The DuckDuckGo Instant Answer API returns the boxed answer that appears above DuckDuckGo search results - topic summaries (largely sourced from Wikipedia / structured sites), definitions, categories, disambiguations, and !bang redirects. It is a free, key-less GET endpoint that returns JSON (default), JSON-P (via callback) or XML. It does not return the DuckDuckGo search-results listing itself; it returns only zero-click / instant-answer payloads (Abstract, Answer, Definition, RelatedTopics, Results, Redirect for bangs, plus Image/Heading/Type metadata). Attribution to DuckDuckGo is required when displayed.

DuckDuckGo Instant Answer API is one of 4 APIs that DuckDuckGo publishes on the APIs.io network, described by a machine-readable OpenAPI specification.

This API exposes 1 JSON Schema definition.

Tagged areas include Search, Instant Answer, Public API, and Free. The published artifact set on APIs.io includes API documentation, an OpenAPI specification, a JSON-LD context, pricing, and 1 JSON Schema.

Documentation GitHub OpenAPI

OpenAPI Specification

openapi: 3.0.3
info:
  title: DuckDuckGo Instant Answer API
  version: '1.0'
  description: |
    The DuckDuckGo Instant Answer API returns the zero-click "instant answer"
    box that appears above DuckDuckGo search results. It supports topic
    summaries, definitions, categories, disambiguations, and !bang redirects.
    The API is free, key-less, and returns JSON by default. Attribution to
    DuckDuckGo is required when results are displayed.

    NOTE: This API does NOT return the DuckDuckGo search-results listing.
    It returns only the instant-answer payload.
  contact:
    name: DuckDuckGo
    url: https://duckduckgo.com/api
  license:
    name: DuckDuckGo Instant Answer API Terms
    url: https://duckduckgo.com/api
servers:
  - url: https://api.duckduckgo.com
    description: Production
tags:
  - name: Instant Answers
    description: Zero-click answers, abstracts, definitions and disambiguations.
  - name: Bangs
    description: Resolve !bang queries to redirect URLs.
paths:
  /:
    get:
      operationId: getInstantAnswer
      summary: Get Instant Answer
      description: |
        Returns the DuckDuckGo Instant Answer for the supplied query `q`.
        For !bang queries (e.g. `!w filter bubble`) the response contains a
        non-empty `Redirect` field pointing at the destination site's search
        results. For topical queries, expect `Abstract*`, `RelatedTopics`,
        and optionally `Image` / `Infobox`. Empty fields are normal when no
        instant answer is available for the query.
      tags:
        - Instant Answers
        - Bangs
      parameters:
        - name: q
          in: query
          required: true
          description: Query string.
          schema:
            type: string
          example: apple
        - name: format
          in: query
          required: false
          description: Response format. JSON is the default for programmatic use.
          schema:
            type: string
            enum: [json, xml]
            default: json
        - name: pretty
          in: query
          required: false
          description: Pretty-print JSON when set to 1.
          schema:
            type: integer
            enum: [0, 1]
            default: 0
        - name: no_html
          in: query
          required: false
          description: Strip HTML from response text fields when set to 1.
          schema:
            type: integer
            enum: [0, 1]
            default: 0
        - name: skip_disambig
          in: query
          required: false
          description: Skip disambiguation responses when set to 1.
          schema:
            type: integer
            enum: [0, 1]
            default: 0
        - name: no_redirect
          in: query
          required: false
          description: Skip HTTP redirects for !bang queries; return the redirect URL in the body instead.
          schema:
            type: integer
            enum: [0, 1]
            default: 0
        - name: callback
          in: query
          required: false
          description: JSON-P callback function name. When set, response is returned as JSON-P.
          schema:
            type: string
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Instant answer payload.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/InstantAnswer'
              examples:
                topicAbstract:
                  $ref: '#/components/examples/TopicAbstract'
                bangRedirect:
                  $ref: '#/components/examples/BangRedirect'
            application/xml:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/InstantAnswer'
components:
  schemas:
    InstantAnswer:
      type: object
      description: DuckDuckGo Instant Answer envelope.
      properties:
        Abstract:
          type: string
          description: Topic summary (may include HTML).
        AbstractText:
          type: string
          description: Topic summary, plain text.
        AbstractSource:
          type: string
          description: Source name (typically Wikipedia).
        AbstractURL:
          type: string
          format: uri
          description: Deep link to the source page for the abstract.
        Image:
          type: string
          description: Image URL associated with the topic.
        ImageHeight:
          type: string
        ImageWidth:
          type: string
        ImageIsLogo:
          type: string
          description: "1 if the image is a logo, 0 otherwise."
        Heading:
          type: string
          description: Topic heading.
        Answer:
          type: string
          description: Instant answer value (e.g. calculator result).
        AnswerType:
          type: string
          description: Type of instant answer (e.g. calc, color_code).
        Definition:
          type: string
          description: Dictionary definition text.
        DefinitionSource:
          type: string
          description: Source of the definition.
        DefinitionURL:
          type: string
          format: uri
        RelatedTopics:
          type: array
          description: Related topic items - either Result entries or Topic groups.
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/RelatedTopic'
        Results:
          type: array
          description: Direct external results matching the query.
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Result'
        Type:
          type: string
          description: "Response type: A=article, D=disambiguation, C=category, N=name, E=exclusive, empty=nothing."
        Redirect:
          type: string
          format: uri
          description: For !bang queries, the URL to redirect to.
        Entity:
          type: string
          description: Entity type (e.g. company, person).
        Infobox:
          type: string
          description: Infobox data (often empty string when absent).
        meta:
          type: object
          description: Metadata about the source and DuckDuckGo handling of the query.
          additionalProperties: true
    RelatedTopic:
      type: object
      properties:
        Result:
          type: string
          description: HTML snippet for the related topic.
        Icon:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/Icon'
        FirstURL:
          type: string
          format: uri
        Text:
          type: string
        Topics:
          type: array
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/RelatedTopic'
        Name:
          type: string
          description: Group name when this entry is a topic group.
    Result:
      type: object
      properties:
        Result:
          type: string
        Icon:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/Icon'
        FirstURL:
          type: string
          format: uri
        Text:
          type: string
    Icon:
      type: object
      properties:
        URL:
          type: string
        Height:
          oneOf:
            - type: string
            - type: integer
        Width:
          oneOf:
            - type: string
            - type: integer
  examples:
    TopicAbstract:
      summary: Topic abstract for "apple"
      value:
        Abstract: ''
        AbstractText: ''
        AbstractSource: Wikipedia
        AbstractURL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple
        Heading: Apple
        Answer: ''
        AnswerType: ''
        Definition: ''
        RelatedTopics:
          - Result: '<a href="https://duckduckgo.com/Apple">Apple</a>'
            FirstURL: https://duckduckgo.com/Apple
            Text: Apple - fruit and tree
        Results: []
        Type: A
        Redirect: ''
    BangRedirect:
      summary: !w bang redirect
      value:
        Abstract: ''
        AbstractText: ''
        Answer: ''
        Results: []
        RelatedTopics: []
        Type: ''
        Redirect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=filter+bubble

DuckDuckGo Instant Answer API

Documentation

Specifications

Schemas & Data

Other Resources

OpenAPI Specification