doi_resolver seen as list even if it's a string in settings.yml #4902

Mansitos · 2025-06-09T08:55:48Z

Mansitos
Jun 9, 2025

Hello,
i'm trying to host searxng with the provided docker compose file.
By deploying it with use_default_settings: true I'm unable to give external access to APIs since i get the ValueError: ('Searx API returned an error: ', 'Too Many Requests') error.
To fix this, I have to set use_default_settings to false so that i can specify my custom settings, like these ones to enable API external access:

public_instance: true --> Allow public use (required for API access)
limiter: false --> Set to true to rate-limit public usage

I also need to add default_doi_resolver and doi_resolver fields since they are mandatory (by deploying without them in the settings.yml I get a missing key error):

default_doi_resolver: https://doi.org/
doi_resolver: ["https://doi.org/"]

So, my final settings.yml looks like this:

# Disable default settings to apply your custom config
use_default_settings: false

default_doi_resolver: https://doi.org/
doi_resolver: ["https://doi.org/"]

# Server configuration
server:
  base_url: "http://77.72.198.227:8888"  # Replace with your IP or domain
  secret_key: "zmlrGdHWLpnzYttAqJZDPtgeBCjHau"              # Change this to something random/secure
  public_instance: true                     # Allow public use (required for API access)
  limiter: false                            # Set to true to rate-limit public usage
  image_proxy: true                         # Optional: enables image proxying

# User interface options
ui:
  static_use_hash: true                     # Improves caching; recommended

# Redis settings (used for suggestions, caching, etc.)
redis:
  url: redis://redis:6379/0

By running docker compose and trying to do an API call I get Internal server error. By watching the logs i see the following:

searxng  |   File "/usr/local/searxng/searx/preferences.py", line 104, in __init__
searxng  |     self._validate_selections(self.value)
searxng  |   File "/usr/local/searxng/searx/preferences.py", line 109, in _validate_selections
searxng  |     raise ValidationException('Invalid value: "{0}"'.format(selections))
searxng  | searx.preferences.ValidationException: Invalid value: "['https://doi.org/']"

The error suggests that I'm passing a list as parameter/setting value, but it makes no sense since I'm passing a string.
I've tried different ways of passing this parameter but I alwasy get the same error.
What I'm doing wrong?
I Just need a basic settings.yml to give API access via AWS EC2 machine.
Thank you.

Entire log here:

PS C:\GitHub_HPA\searxng-docker-hpa> docker compose logs -f searxng       
time="2025-06-09T10:49:21+02:00" level=warning msg="C:\\GitHub_HPA\\searxng-docker-hpa\\docker-compose.yaml: the attribute `version` is obsolete, it will be ignored, please remove it to avoid potential confusion"
searxng  | SearXNG 2025.6.3+eb36de8
searxng  | [uWSGI] getting INI configuration from /etc/searxng/uwsgi.ini
searxng  | [uwsgi-static] added mapping for /static => /usr/local/searxng/searx/static
searxng  | *** Starting uWSGI 2.0.30 (64bit) on [Mon Jun  9 08:49:14 2025] ***
searxng  | compiled with version: 14.3.0 on 03 June 2025 19:30:19
searxng  | os: Linux-6.6.87.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2 searxng/searxng-docker#1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Mon Apr 21 17:08:54 UTC 2025
searxng  | nodename: c21afaca9f2a
searxng  | machine: x86_64
searxng  | clock source: unix
searxng  | detected number of CPU cores: 20
searxng  | current working directory: /usr/local/searxng
searxng  | detected binary path: /usr/local/searxng/venv/bin/uwsgi
searxng  | !!! no internal routing support, rebuild with pcre support !!!
searxng  | setgid() to 977
searxng  | setuid() to 977
searxng  | chdir() to /usr/local/searxng/searx/
searxng  | your memory page size is 4096 bytes
searxng  | detected max file descriptor number: 1048576
searxng  | building mime-types dictionary from file /etc/mime.types...1390 entry found
searxng  | lock engine: pthread robust mutexes
searxng  | thunder lock: disabled (you can enable it with --thunder-lock)
searxng  | uwsgi socket 0 bound to TCP6 address [::]:8080 fd 3
searxng  | Python version: 3.12.10 (main, May 21 2025, 16:23:36) [GCC 14.2.0]
searxng  | Python main interpreter initialized at 0x724c888421d0
searxng  | python threads support enabled
searxng  | your server socket listen backlog is limited to 100 connections
searxng  | your mercy for graceful operations on workers is 60 seconds
searxng  | mapped 603040 bytes (588 KB) for 16 cores
searxng  | *** Operational MODE: preforking+threaded ***
searxng  | added /usr/local/searxng/ to pythonpath.
searxng  | spawned uWSGI master process (pid: 1)
searxng  | spawned uWSGI worker 1 (pid: 21, cores: 4)
searxng  | spawned uWSGI worker 2 (pid: 23, cores: 4)
searxng  | spawned 4 offload threads for uWSGI worker 1
searxng  | spawned uWSGI worker 3 (pid: 26, cores: 4)
searxng  | spawned 4 offload threads for uWSGI worker 2
searxng  | spawned uWSGI worker 4 (pid: 31, cores: 4)
searxng  | spawned 4 offload threads for uWSGI worker 3
searxng  | spawned 4 offload threads for uWSGI worker 4
searxng  | 2025-06-09 08:49:14,884 WARNING:searx: Be aware you have activated features intended only for public instances. This force the usage of the limiter and link_token / see https://docs.searxng.org/admin/searx.limiter.html
searxng  | 2025-06-09 08:49:14,884 WARNING:searx: Be aware you have activated features intended only for public instances. This force the usage of the limiter and link_token / see https://docs.searxng.org/admin/searx.limiter.html
searxng  | 2025-06-09 08:49:14,884 WARNING:searx: Be aware you have activated features intended only for public instances. This force the usage of the limiter and link_token / see https://docs.searxng.org/admin/searx.limiter.html
searxng  | 2025-06-09 08:49:14,892 WARNING:searx: Be aware you have activated features intended only for public instances. This force the usage of the limiter and link_token / see https://docs.searxng.org/admin/searx.limiter.html
searxng  | WSGI app 0 (mountpoint='') ready in 1 seconds on interpreter 0x724c888421d0 pid: 31 (default app)
searxng  | WSGI app 0 (mountpoint='') ready in 1 seconds on interpreter 0x724c888421d0 pid: 23 (default app)
searxng  | WSGI app 0 (mountpoint='') ready in 1 seconds on interpreter 0x724c888421d0 pid: 21 (default app)
searxng  | WSGI app 0 (mountpoint='') ready in 1 seconds on interpreter 0x724c888421d0 pid: 26 (default app)
searxng  | 2025-06-09 08:49:17,040 ERROR:searx.webapp: Exception on / [GET]
searxng  | Traceback (most recent call last):
searxng  |   File "/usr/local/searxng/venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/flask/app.py", line 1511, in wsgi_app
searxng  |     response = self.full_dispatch_request()
searxng  |                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
searxng  |   File "/usr/local/searxng/venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/flask/app.py", line 919, in full_dispatch_request
searxng  |     rv = self.handle_user_exception(e)
searxng  |          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
searxng  |   File "/usr/local/searxng/venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/flask/app.py", line 915, in full_dispatch_request
searxng  |     rv = self.preprocess_request()
searxng  |          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
searxng  |   File "/usr/local/searxng/venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/flask/app.py", line 1291, in preprocess_request
searxng  |     rv = self.ensure_sync(before_func)()
searxng  |          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
searxng  |   File "/usr/local/searxng/searx/webapp.py", line 435, in pre_request
searxng  |     preferences = Preferences(themes, list(categories.keys()), engines, searx.plugins.STORAGE, client_pref)
searxng  |                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
searxng  |   File "/usr/local/searxng/searx/preferences.py", line 444, in __init__
searxng  |     'doi_resolver': MultipleChoiceSetting(
searxng  |                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
searxng  |   File "/usr/local/searxng/searx/preferences.py", line 104, in __init__
searxng  |     self._validate_selections(self.value)
searxng  |   File "/usr/local/searxng/searx/preferences.py", line 109, in _validate_selections
searxng  |     raise ValidationException('Invalid value: "{0}"'.format(selections))
searxng  | searx.preferences.ValidationException: Invalid value: "['https://doi.org/']"
searxng  | [pid: 26|app: 0|req: 1/1] 172.20.0.1 () {28 vars in 449 bytes} [Mon Jun  9 08:49:17 2025] GET /?language=en&format=json&q=What+is+the+capital+of+France => generated 265 bytes in 7 msecs (HTTP/1.1 500) 4 headers in 164 bytes (1 switches on core 0)

Answered by return42

Jun 9, 2025

Its not doi_resolver its doi_resolvers (with s at the end) .. and its not a list or string value, its a dictionary ..

searxng/searx/settings.yml

Lines 2770 to 2778 in d0bb977

     doi_resolvers:  
   oadoi.org: 'https://oadoi.org/'  
   doi.org: 'https://doi.org/'  
   doai.io: 'https://dissem.in/'  
   sci-hub.se: 'https://sci-hub.se/'  
   sci-hub.st: 'https://sci-hub.st/'  
   sci-hub.ru: 'https://sci-hub.ru/'  
    
   default_doi_resolver: 'oadoi.org'  

 

BTW most of your assumptions are wrong / read the docs to understand the meaning of the options:

public_instance: https://docs.searxng.org/admin/settings/settings_server.html
use_default_settings: https://docs.searxng.org/…

View full answer

return42 · 2025-06-09T13:39:55Z

return42
Jun 9, 2025
Maintainer

Its not doi_resolver its doi_resolvers (with s at the end) .. and its not a list or string value, its a dictionary ..

searxng/searx/settings.yml

Lines 2770 to 2778 in d0bb977

    
           doi_resolvers: 
        
             oadoi.org: 'https://oadoi.org/' 
        
             doi.org: 'https://doi.org/' 
        
             doai.io: 'https://dissem.in/' 
        
             sci-hub.se: 'https://sci-hub.se/' 
        
             sci-hub.st: 'https://sci-hub.st/' 
        
             sci-hub.ru: 'https://sci-hub.ru/' 
        
           default_doi_resolver: 'oadoi.org'

BTW most of your assumptions are wrong / read the docs to understand the meaning of the options:

public_instance: https://docs.searxng.org/admin/settings/settings_server.html
use_default_settings: https://docs.searxng.org/admin/settings/settings.html#use-default-settings

I'm unable to give external access to APIs since

What you are looking for is a local SearXNG instance .. not reachable for the public .. so disable limiter, don't activate public_instance ..

The docker image is made for public SearXNG instance / therefore it has some defaults you don't want for API access ..

It is best to discuss such setups on Matrix #searxng:matrix.org .. and yes, .. reading the documentation also helps

0 replies

Provide feedback

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

Uh oh!

doi_resolver seen as list even if it's a string in settings.yml #4902

Uh oh!

{{title}}

Uh oh!

Replies: 1 comment

Uh oh!

{{title}}

Uh oh!

Select a reply

Uh oh!

	doi_resolvers:
	oadoi.org: 'https://oadoi.org/'
	doi.org: 'https://doi.org/'
	doai.io: 'https://dissem.in/'
	sci-hub.se: 'https://sci-hub.se/'
	sci-hub.st: 'https://sci-hub.st/'
	sci-hub.ru: 'https://sci-hub.ru/'

	default_doi_resolver: 'oadoi.org'

doi_resolver seen as list even if it's a string in settings.yml #4902

Uh oh!

Mansitos Jun 9, 2025

Replies: 1 comment

Uh oh!

return42 Jun 9, 2025 Maintainer

Mansitos
Jun 9, 2025

return42
Jun 9, 2025
Maintainer