Setup modes

This project is simple in one sense and a little messy in another.

The package itself is focused. The broader world around search and research workflows is not.

Basic use

The simplest path is just installing the package in Pi and using the tools as they exist today.

If all you want is the current package behavior, this is the setup that matters.

If you want to tune how tool output shows up in the transcript, see Presentation and settings.

Hosted backend setups

Brave Search and You.com are available as hosted search backends.

If you have a Brave Search API key, set PI_WEB_AGENT_BRAVE_API_KEY, then choose Brave from Settings → Backends. If you have a You.com API key, set YDC_API_KEY, then choose You.com from Settings → Backends. Each handles source discovery only; web_explore still fetches pages, ranks evidence, handles caveats, and synthesizes the answer itself.

Other hosted research providers may be added later, but do not assume every provider-backed path is already wired in.

Self-hosted setups

If you already run SearXNG or Firecrawl, pi-web-agent can connect to them through backend config.

See Backends for the config shape, verification steps, and troubleshooting notes.