Damn Good Search

What is Damn Good Search?

Damn Good Search is a single API that gives AI agents and RAG systems access to a proprietary web index. It returns ranked JSON results from its own index and can pull any URL back as clean markdown. Developers use it to get search results and page content without paying for bundled data they don't need. The service is built for speed, with repeat queries returning in about 40ms and fresh queries taking 1–3 seconds.

Application scenarios

AI agent search
Agents call the search endpoint to get ranked URLs, snippets, and related queries without fetching full page text.
RAG content ingestion
The contents endpoint extracts any URL as clean markdown, feeding directly into retrieval-augmented generation pipelines.
Competitive research
Compare product rankings and pricing across web sources using structured JSON output.
Real-time data collection
Pull fresh search results on demand, with fast response times for repeated queries.
Content summarization
Use the markdown output to feed pages into LLMs for summarization or analysis.

Core Features

Two separate endpoints
Search returns ranked URLs, snippets, and related queries; Contents returns any URL as clean markdown. You pay only for the endpoint you use.
Own web index
Damn Good Search maintains its own index, returning results like "The 14 Best Espresso Machines of 2026" from Serious Eats.
Clean JSON response
Both endpoints return structured JSON with the same shape—results include title, URL, snippet, rank, and source.
Fast response times
Repeat queries complete in ~40ms; fresh queries take 1–3 seconds.
Related queries included
The search response includes a "related" array (e.g., "best espresso machine for home", "best budget espresso machine").
Multi-language support
You can switch endpoints and language in the API call.
Prepaid credits model
No subscription required—buy credits and use them as needed.

Target users

Engineers and developers building AI agents, RAG pipelines, or any application that needs real-time web search and content extraction. Teams at companies like Google, Microsoft, Notion, and Cloudflare already use it. It's ideal for anyone who wants a single API for both search and page reading without paying for unused data.

How to use Damn Good Search?

Get an API key from the website, then make POST requests to the search or contents endpoint. For search, send a query like "best espresso machines 2026" and get back ranked results with snippets and related queries. For contents, send a URL and receive clean markdown. The API supports curl, Python, and JavaScript—examples are provided in the docs. No subscription is needed; just prepay credits and start calling.

Pricing and free trial

Pricing is flat: $1.50 per 1,000 calls for search, $1.50 per 1,000 calls for contents, or $3.00 per 1,000 for both combined. This undercuts competitors: Brave Search at $5, Exa at $7, and Google at $5 per 1,000. Credits are prepaid with no subscription. No free trial is mentioned on the site.

Effect review

Damn Good Search delivers exactly what it promises: a fast, cheap, and simple API for web search and content extraction. The split endpoint design is a smart differentiator—you don't pay for page text you never read, unlike Brave and Exa which bundle it. Response times are impressive, especially for repeated queries at ~40ms. The pricing is aggressively lower than competitors, making it a strong choice for high-volume agent workloads. For developers who need clean JSON and markdown without bloat, this is a solid, no-frills option.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of data does Damn Good Search provide?

Damn Good Search provides ranked JSON from its own web index and clean markdown from any page.

How does Damn Good Search pricing compare to competitors?

Damn Good Search offers competitive pricing below Brave, Exa, and Google.

Who is Damn Good Search designed for?

It is designed for AI agents and RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) systems.

Does Damn Good Search require multiple APIs?

No, it offers a single API for both search results and page content extraction.

What format does Damn Good Search return search results in?

Search results are returned as ranked JSON.

Can I get clean content from any web page?

Yes, Damn Good Search can extract clean markdown from any page.