Set Up Bright Data With OpenClaw

Account management is not a supported use case on the Bright Data platform as of April 1, 2026. This includes managing accounts on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or similar services. Bright Data proxies cannot be used for this purpose. See Acceptable Use Policy for details.

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OpenClaw is a self-hosted AI assistant gateway that connects messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and iMessage to AI coding agents. It features a plugin system that lets you extend your agent with new tools and capabilities. The Bright Data plugin for OpenClaw brings the full power of Bright Data’s web data infrastructure directly into your OpenClaw agent. Install once, and your agent gains:

Real-time web search via Google, Bing, and Yandex with geo-targeting
Bot-bypass scraping through Web Unlocker, which handles CAPTCHAs, JS rendering, and rate limits automatically
Full browser automation via a real Chromium instance routed through Bright Data’s residential proxy network
50+ structured data tools for Amazon, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and more

The plugin registers 66 tools across five categories: search, scrape, batch operations, browser automation, and structured web data.

Steps to Get Started

Prerequisites

OpenClaw installed and running
A Bright Data account with an API key
Node.js 22+ (managed by OpenClaw)

Obtain Your Bright Data API Key

Log in to your Bright Data dashboard.
Go to Account Settings.
Generate an API key if you haven’t already done so.

Install the Bright Data Plugin

Install the plugin using the OpenClaw CLI:

openclaw plugins install @brightdata/brightdata-plugin

Verify the installation:

openclaw plugins inspect brightdata

You should see the plugin ID brightdata along with all registered tools.

Configure Your API Key

Choose one of the following methods to provide your Bright Data API key:

Environment Variable (recommended for local dev)
OpenClaw Config (recommended for persistent setups)

export BRIGHTDATA_API_TOKEN=your_token_here

openclaw config set plugins.entries.brightdata.config.webSearch.apiKey your_token_here

The plugin automatically creates two proxy zones on first use: mcp_unlocker (Web Unlocker) and mcp_browser (Browser API). No manual zone setup is required.

To use existing zones instead:

export BRIGHTDATA_UNLOCKER_ZONE=my_existing_zone
export BRIGHTDATA_BROWSER_ZONE=my_existing_browser_zone

Enable the Plugin

Enable the plugin and restart the gateway:

openclaw plugins enable brightdata
openclaw gateway restart

If the plugin tools are not being exposed to your agent, you may need to explicitly allow plugin tools:

openclaw config set tools.alsoAllow '["group:plugins"]'

Start Using the Tools

Your OpenClaw agent now has access to all 66 Bright Data tools. Try these example prompts:

Search the web

Use the brightdata_search tool to search for "latest AI news" and return the top 5 results.

Scrape a webpage

Use the brightdata_scrape tool on https://example.com and summarize the page in 3 bullets.

Automate a browser

Use brightdata_browser_navigate to open https://example.com, then use brightdata_browser_get_text to return the visible page text.

Get structured data

Use brightdata_amazon_product to get details for https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2Q9397Y

Available Tools

Search

Tool	Description
`brightdata_search`	Search Google, Bing, or Yandex with geo-targeting. Returns structured results with pagination support.
`brightdata_search_batch`	Run up to 5 search queries in parallel. Partial failures are returned inline.

Parameters for brightdata_search:

Parameter	Type	Description
`query`	`string`	Required. Search query
`engine`	`"google"` \| `"bing"` \| `"yandex"`	Search engine (default: `google`)
`count`	`number`	Results to return, 1-10
`cursor`	`string`	Pagination cursor for next page
`geo_location`	`string`	2-letter ISO country code (e.g. `us`, `de`)

Scrape

Tool	Description
`brightdata_scrape`	Fetch any page through Web Unlocker. Works on bot-protected sites, JS-rendered pages, and geo-restricted content.
`brightdata_scrape_batch`	Scrape up to 5 URLs in parallel with the same extraction options.

Parameters for brightdata_scrape:

Parameter	Type	Description
`url`	`string`	Required. HTTP/HTTPS URL to scrape
`extractMode`	`"markdown"` \| `"text"` \| `"html"`	Output format (default: `markdown`)
`maxChars`	`number`	Maximum characters to return (min: 100)

Browser Automation

Full Chromium browser control routed through Bright Data’s residential proxy network. Sessions idle-timeout after 10 minutes.

Tool	Description
`brightdata_browser_navigate`	Navigate to a URL with optional country routing
`brightdata_browser_snapshot`	Capture an ARIA snapshot with interactive element refs
`brightdata_browser_click`	Click an element by its snapshot ref
`brightdata_browser_type`	Type into a field by ref (optional Enter to submit)
`brightdata_browser_fill_form`	Fill multiple form fields in a single operation
`brightdata_browser_screenshot`	Take a viewport or full-page screenshot
`brightdata_browser_get_html`	Get current page HTML
`brightdata_browser_get_text`	Get current page text content
`brightdata_browser_scroll`	Scroll to the bottom of the page
`brightdata_browser_scroll_to`	Scroll to a specific element by ref
`brightdata_browser_wait_for`	Wait for an element to become visible
`brightdata_browser_network_requests`	List network requests since page load
`brightdata_browser_go_back`	Navigate back
`brightdata_browser_go_forward`	Navigate forward

Structured Web Data (50+ Platforms)

Each tool accepts a url or keyword and returns clean, typed JSON. No scraping or parsing required.

E-commerce (10 tools)

Tool	Data
`brightdata_amazon_product`	Product details, pricing, specs
`brightdata_amazon_product_reviews`	Customer reviews and ratings
`brightdata_amazon_product_search`	Search results with rankings
`brightdata_walmart_product`	Product details and availability
`brightdata_walmart_seller`	Seller profile and metrics
`brightdata_ebay_product`	Listing details and bids
`brightdata_homedepot_products`	Product catalog and pricing
`brightdata_zara_products`	Fashion catalog data
`brightdata_etsy_products`	Handmade and vintage listings
`brightdata_bestbuy_products`	Electronics catalog and deals

Professional Networks (7 tools)

Tool	Data
`brightdata_linkedin_person_profile`	Full person profile
`brightdata_linkedin_company_profile`	Company overview and stats
`brightdata_linkedin_job_listings`	Open positions with details
`brightdata_linkedin_posts`	Post content and engagement
`brightdata_linkedin_people_search`	People search results
`brightdata_crunchbase_company`	Funding, investors, founders
`brightdata_zoominfo_company_profile`	Company intelligence data

Social Media (17 tools)

Instagram

Tool	Data
`brightdata_instagram_profiles`	Profile stats and bio
`brightdata_instagram_posts`	Post content and engagement
`brightdata_instagram_reels`	Reel metadata and views
`brightdata_instagram_comments`	Comment threads

Facebook

Tool	Data
`brightdata_facebook_posts`	Post content and reactions
`brightdata_facebook_marketplace_listings`	Marketplace items
`brightdata_facebook_company_reviews`	Page reviews and ratings
`brightdata_facebook_events`	Event details and attendance

TikTok

Tool	Data
`brightdata_tiktok_profiles`	Creator profile and stats
`brightdata_tiktok_posts`	Video content and metrics
`brightdata_tiktok_shop`	TikTok Shop product data
`brightdata_tiktok_comments`	Comment threads

X (Twitter)

Tool	Data
`brightdata_x_posts`	Post content and metrics
`brightdata_x_profile_posts`	Profile post history

YouTube & Reddit

Tool	Data
`brightdata_youtube_profiles`	Channel stats and info
`brightdata_youtube_videos`	Video details and metrics
`brightdata_youtube_comments`	Comment threads
`brightdata_reddit_posts`	Post content and scores

Maps, Shopping & Apps (4 tools)

Tool	Data
`brightdata_google_maps_reviews`	Location reviews and ratings
`brightdata_google_shopping`	Shopping results and prices
`brightdata_google_play_store`	App details and reviews
`brightdata_apple_app_store`	App details and reviews

Finance, News & Code (3 tools)

Tool	Data
`brightdata_yahoo_finance_business`	Company financials and news
`brightdata_github_repository_file`	Repository file contents

Real Estate & Travel (2 tools)

Tool	Data
`brightdata_zillow_properties_listing`	Property listings and estimates
`brightdata_booking_hotel_listings`	Hotel listings and pricing

AI Insights (3 tools)

Tool	Data
`brightdata_chatgpt_ai_insights`	ChatGPT responses
`brightdata_grok_ai_insights`	Grok responses
`brightdata_perplexity_ai_insights`	Perplexity responses

Web Search Provider Integration

The plugin also registers as an OpenClaw web search provider. To set Bright Data as your default search provider:

openclaw config set tools.web.search.provider brightdata

Once set, any generic web search your agent performs will route through Bright Data’s search infrastructure.

Configuration Reference

All settings can be provided via environment variable or OpenClaw config. Environment variables take priority.

Setting	Environment Variable	OpenClaw Config Path	Default
API Key	`BRIGHTDATA_API_TOKEN`	`plugins.entries.brightdata.config.webSearch.apiKey`	required
Base URL	`BRIGHTDATA_BASE_URL`	`plugins.entries.brightdata.config.webSearch.baseUrl`	`https://api.brightdata.com`
Unlocker Zone	`BRIGHTDATA_UNLOCKER_ZONE`	`plugins.entries.brightdata.config.webSearch.unlockerZone`	`mcp_unlocker`
Browser Zone	`BRIGHTDATA_BROWSER_ZONE`	`plugins.entries.brightdata.config.webSearch.browserZone`	`mcp_browser`
Request Timeout	-	`plugins.entries.brightdata.config.webSearch.timeoutSeconds`	`30s` search / `60s` scrape
Polling Timeout	-	`plugins.entries.brightdata.config.webSearch.pollingTimeoutSeconds`	`600s`

Plugin Management

# Verify installation and loaded tools
openclaw plugins inspect brightdata

# Update to latest version
openclaw plugins update brightdata

# Temporarily disable
openclaw plugins disable brightdata

# Re-enable
openclaw plugins enable brightdata

# Uninstall
openclaw plugins uninstall brightdata

Troubleshooting

Plugin not found after install

Run openclaw plugins list to verify the plugin is installed.
Check that the plugin ID is brightdata with openclaw plugins inspect brightdata.
Run openclaw plugins doctor for diagnostic information.

Tools not registering

Ensure the plugin is enabled: openclaw plugins enable brightdata.
Restart the gateway: openclaw gateway restart.

Authentication errors

Verify your API key is set correctly via env var or config.
Check that the token has not expired in your Bright Data dashboard.

Zone creation failures

The plugin auto-creates mcp_unlocker and mcp_browser zones on first use.
If auto-creation fails, create the zones manually in your Bright Data dashboard and set them via environment variables.

Documentation Index

Building an AI startup?

​Steps to Get Started

​Available Tools

​Search

​Scrape

​Browser Automation

​Structured Web Data (50+ Platforms)

​Web Search Provider Integration

​Configuration Reference

​Plugin Management

​Troubleshooting

​Additional Resources

Steps to Get Started

Available Tools

Search

Scrape

Browser Automation

Structured Web Data (50+ Platforms)

Web Search Provider Integration

Configuration Reference

Plugin Management

Troubleshooting

Additional Resources