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Request Search Assist explicitly instead of relying on automatic display - #163

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variablenix merged 1 commit into
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fix/ask-explicit-search-assist
Sep 26, 2026
Merged

variablenix merged 1 commit into
mainfrom
fix/ask-explicit-search-assist

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Summary

Request Search Assist explicitly using assiston=1, the destination of DuckDuckGo's official !assist bang, instead of relying on the normal search page to choose to show an answer.

  • Use the explicit route in both lightweight and rendered-browser requests.
  • Include it in no-answer links and uncited Search Assist fallback links.
  • Preserve the question with URL encoding, including punctuation, Unicode, and query-parameter-like input.
  • Document that this is a web route, not a public API or a challenge bypass.

Source: https://duckduckgo.com/bang.js (assist entry).

Verification

  • go test -race ./...
  • go vet ./...
  • git diff --check
  • Regression test checks that original and normalized retry requests both explicitly request Search Assist.
  • Live server tests passed for the cost comparison and existing definition/question smoke cases.

Search Assist availability remains provider-controlled. This does not guarantee answers for every query or override anti-automation challenges.

@variablenix
variablenix merged commit 7dc2b64 into main Sep 26, 2026
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@variablenix
variablenix deleted the fix/ask-explicit-search-assist branch September 26, 2026 07:03
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