diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index cc2fe7b2f23..b61abe98104 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Providers/xAI: give Grok `web_search` a 60s default timeout, harden malformed xAI Responses parsing, and return structured timeout errors instead of aborting the tool call. Fixes #58063 and #58733. Thanks @dnishimura, @marvcasasola-svg, and @Nanako0129.
 - Providers/configure: preserve the existing default model when adding or reauthing a provider whose plugin returns a default-model config patch. Fixes #50268. Thanks @rixcorp-oc.
 - Slack/message tool: let `read` fetch an exact Slack message timestamp, including a specific thread reply when paired with `threadId`, instead of returning only the parent thread or recent channel history. Fixes #53943. Thanks @zomars.
+- Web search: point missing-key errors to `web_fetch` for known URLs and the browser tool for interactive pages. Thanks @zhaoyang97.
 - Heartbeat: strip legacy `[TOOL_CALL]...[/TOOL_CALL]` and `[TOOL_RESULT]...[/TOOL_RESULT]` pseudo-call blocks from heartbeat replies before channel delivery. Fixes #54138. Thanks @Deniable9570.
 - macOS/Voice Wake: send wake-word and Push-to-Talk transcripts through the selected macOS session target instead of always falling back to main WebChat. Fixes #51040. Thanks @carl-jeffrolc.
 - Providers/xAI: give Grok `web_search` a 60s default timeout, harden malformed xAI Responses parsing, and return structured timeout errors instead of aborting the tool call. Fixes #58063 and #58733. Thanks @dnishimura, @marvcasasola-svg, and @Nanako0129.
diff --git a/extensions/brave/src/brave-web-search-provider.runtime.ts b/extensions/brave/src/brave-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
index 4785d81b027..43db33fd5b3 100644
--- a/extensions/brave/src/brave-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
+++ b/extensions/brave/src/brave-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ function resolveBraveApiKey(searchConfig?: SearchConfigRecord): string | undefin
 function missingBraveKeyPayload() {
   return {
     error: "missing_brave_api_key",
-    message: `web_search (brave) needs a Brave Search API key. Run \`${formatCliCommand("openclaw configure --section web")}\` to store it, or set BRAVE_API_KEY in the Gateway environment.`,
+    message: `web_search (brave) needs a Brave Search API key. Run \`${formatCliCommand("openclaw configure --section web")}\` to store it, or set BRAVE_API_KEY in the Gateway environment. If you do not want to configure a search API key, use web_fetch for a specific URL or the browser tool for interactive pages.`,
     docs: "https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/web",
   };
 }
diff --git a/extensions/brave/src/brave-web-search-provider.test.ts b/extensions/brave/src/brave-web-search-provider.test.ts
index cfc351e848d..a29fd1f7192 100644
--- a/extensions/brave/src/brave-web-search-provider.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/brave/src/brave-web-search-provider.test.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,22 @@ describe("brave web search provider", () => {
     global.fetch = priorFetch;
   });
 
+  it("points missing-key users to fetch/browser alternatives", async () => {
+    vi.stubEnv("BRAVE_API_KEY", "");
+    const provider = createBraveWebSearchProvider();
+    const tool = provider.createTool({ config: {}, searchConfig: {} });
+    if (!tool) {
+      throw new Error("Expected tool definition");
+    }
+
+    const result = await tool.execute({ query: "OpenClaw docs" });
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({
+      error: "missing_brave_api_key",
+      message: expect.stringContaining("use web_fetch for a specific URL or the browser tool"),
+    });
+  });
+
   it("normalizes brave language parameters and swaps reversed ui/search inputs", () => {
     expect(
       __testing.normalizeBraveLanguageParams({
diff --git a/extensions/google/src/gemini-web-search-provider.runtime.ts b/extensions/google/src/gemini-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
index dfb904a3397..defcc137f70 100644
--- a/extensions/google/src/gemini-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
+++ b/extensions/google/src/gemini-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ export async function executeGeminiSearch(
     return {
       error: "missing_gemini_api_key",
       message:
-        "web_search (gemini) needs an API key. Set GEMINI_API_KEY in the Gateway environment, or configure tools.web.search.gemini.apiKey.",
+        "web_search (gemini) needs an API key. Set GEMINI_API_KEY in the Gateway environment, or configure tools.web.search.gemini.apiKey. If you do not want to configure a search API key, use web_fetch for a specific URL or the browser tool for interactive pages.",
       docs: "https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/web",
     };
   }
diff --git a/extensions/google/web-search-provider.test.ts b/extensions/google/web-search-provider.test.ts
index fa6b7af6b68..93d546b65ab 100644
--- a/extensions/google/web-search-provider.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/google/web-search-provider.test.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,24 @@
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/config-types";
-import { withEnv } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/test-env";
+import { withEnv, withEnvAsync } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/test-env";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { __testing, createGeminiWebSearchProvider } from "./src/gemini-web-search-provider.js";
 
 describe("google web search provider", () => {
+  it("points missing-key users to fetch/browser alternatives", async () => {
+    await withEnvAsync({ GEMINI_API_KEY: undefined }, async () => {
+      const provider = createGeminiWebSearchProvider();
+      const tool = provider.createTool({ config: {}, searchConfig: {} });
+      if (!tool) {
+        throw new Error("Expected tool definition");
+      }
+
+      await expect(tool.execute({ query: "OpenClaw docs" })).resolves.toMatchObject({
+        error: "missing_gemini_api_key",
+        message: expect.stringContaining("use web_fetch for a specific URL or the browser tool"),
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   it("falls back to GEMINI_API_KEY from the environment", () => {
     withEnv({ GEMINI_API_KEY: "AIza-env-test" }, () => {
       expect(__testing.resolveGeminiApiKey()).toBe("AIza-env-test");
diff --git a/extensions/moonshot/src/kimi-web-search-provider.runtime.ts b/extensions/moonshot/src/kimi-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
index 8627a95378b..6e35319eaa4 100644
--- a/extensions/moonshot/src/kimi-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
+++ b/extensions/moonshot/src/kimi-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ export async function executeKimiWebSearchProviderTool(
     return {
       error: "missing_kimi_api_key",
       message:
-        "web_search (kimi) needs a Moonshot API key. Set KIMI_API_KEY or MOONSHOT_API_KEY in the Gateway environment, or configure tools.web.search.kimi.apiKey.",
+        "web_search (kimi) needs a Moonshot API key. Set KIMI_API_KEY or MOONSHOT_API_KEY in the Gateway environment, or configure tools.web.search.kimi.apiKey. If you do not want to configure a search API key, use web_fetch for a specific URL or the browser tool for interactive pages.",
       docs: "https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/web",
     };
   }
diff --git a/extensions/moonshot/src/kimi-web-search-provider.test.ts b/extensions/moonshot/src/kimi-web-search-provider.test.ts
index fcceab8480f..f6eaeab7ada 100644
--- a/extensions/moonshot/src/kimi-web-search-provider.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/moonshot/src/kimi-web-search-provider.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/provider-onboard";
+import { withEnvAsync } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/test-env";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { __testing } from "../test-api.js";
+import { createKimiWebSearchProvider } from "./kimi-web-search-provider.js";
 
 const kimiApiKeyEnv = ["KIMI_API", "KEY"].join("_");
 
@@ -24,6 +26,23 @@ function withEnv(overrides: Record<string, string>, run: () => void): void {
 }
 
 describe("kimi web search provider", () => {
+  it("points missing-key users to fetch/browser alternatives", async () => {
+    await withEnvAsync({ KIMI_API_KEY: undefined, MOONSHOT_API_KEY: undefined }, async () => {
+      const provider = createKimiWebSearchProvider();
+      const tool = provider.createTool({ config: {}, searchConfig: {} });
+      if (!tool) {
+        throw new Error("Expected tool definition");
+      }
+
+      const result = await tool.execute({ query: "OpenClaw docs" });
+
+      expect(result).toMatchObject({
+        error: "missing_kimi_api_key",
+        message: expect.stringContaining("use web_fetch for a specific URL or the browser tool"),
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   it("uses configured model and base url overrides with sane defaults", () => {
     expect(__testing.resolveKimiModel()).toBe("kimi-k2.6");
     expect(__testing.resolveKimiModel({ model: "kimi-k2" })).toBe("kimi-k2");
diff --git a/extensions/perplexity/src/perplexity-web-search-provider.runtime.ts b/extensions/perplexity/src/perplexity-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
index 1e4b0ce9d62..41e343cb6d6 100644
--- a/extensions/perplexity/src/perplexity-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
+++ b/extensions/perplexity/src/perplexity-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ export async function executePerplexitySearch(
     return {
       error: "missing_perplexity_api_key",
       message:
-        "web_search (perplexity) needs an API key. Set PERPLEXITY_API_KEY or OPENROUTER_API_KEY in the Gateway environment, or configure tools.web.search.perplexity.apiKey.",
+        "web_search (perplexity) needs an API key. Set PERPLEXITY_API_KEY or OPENROUTER_API_KEY in the Gateway environment, or configure tools.web.search.perplexity.apiKey. If you do not want to configure a search API key, use web_fetch for a specific URL or the browser tool for interactive pages.",
       docs: "https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/web",
     };
   }
diff --git a/extensions/perplexity/src/perplexity-web-search-provider.test.ts b/extensions/perplexity/src/perplexity-web-search-provider.test.ts
index 8724210859c..11f4bdf7cd5 100644
--- a/extensions/perplexity/src/perplexity-web-search-provider.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/perplexity/src/perplexity-web-search-provider.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import { withEnv } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/test-env";
+import { withEnv, withEnvAsync } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/test-env";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { createPerplexityWebSearchProvider } from "./perplexity-web-search-provider.js";
 import { __testing } from "./perplexity-web-search-provider.runtime.js";
 
 const openRouterApiKeyEnv = ["OPENROUTER_API", "KEY"].join("_");
@@ -9,6 +10,24 @@ const directPerplexityApiKey = ["pplx", "test"].join("-");
 const enterprisePerplexityApiKey = ["enterprise", "perplexity", "test"].join("-");
 
 describe("perplexity web search provider", () => {
+  it("points missing-key users to fetch/browser alternatives", async () => {
+    await withEnvAsync(
+      { [perplexityApiKeyEnv]: undefined, [openRouterApiKeyEnv]: undefined },
+      async () => {
+        const provider = createPerplexityWebSearchProvider();
+        const tool = provider.createTool({ config: {}, searchConfig: {} });
+        if (!tool) {
+          throw new Error("Expected tool definition");
+        }
+
+        await expect(tool.execute({ query: "OpenClaw docs" })).resolves.toMatchObject({
+          error: "missing_perplexity_api_key",
+          message: expect.stringContaining("use web_fetch for a specific URL or the browser tool"),
+        });
+      },
+    );
+  });
+
   it("infers provider routing from api key prefixes", () => {
     expect(__testing.inferPerplexityBaseUrlFromApiKey("pplx-abc")).toBe("direct");
     expect(__testing.inferPerplexityBaseUrlFromApiKey("sk-or-v1-abc")).toBe("openrouter");
diff --git a/extensions/xai/src/web-search-provider.runtime.ts b/extensions/xai/src/web-search-provider.runtime.ts
index 8ce5829d07b..76601db9a3f 100644
--- a/extensions/xai/src/web-search-provider.runtime.ts
+++ b/extensions/xai/src/web-search-provider.runtime.ts
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ export async function executeXaiWebSearchProviderTool(
     return {
       error: "missing_xai_api_key",
       message:
-        "web_search (grok) needs an xAI API key. Set XAI_API_KEY in the Gateway environment, or configure plugins.entries.xai.config.webSearch.apiKey.",
+        "web_search (grok) needs an xAI API key. Set XAI_API_KEY in the Gateway environment, or configure plugins.entries.xai.config.webSearch.apiKey. If you do not want to configure a search API key, use web_fetch for a specific URL or the browser tool for interactive pages.",
       docs: "https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/web",
     };
   }
diff --git a/extensions/xai/web-search.test.ts b/extensions/xai/web-search.test.ts
index 3c6c7a71a73..290b6a9ab7c 100644
--- a/extensions/xai/web-search.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/xai/web-search.test.ts
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ describe("xai web search config resolution", () => {
 
       await expect(maybeTool.execute({ query: "OpenClaw" })).resolves.toMatchObject({
         error: "missing_xai_api_key",
+        message: expect.stringContaining("use web_fetch for a specific URL or the browser tool"),
       });
     });
   });