diff --git a/services/kiloclaw/controller/src/config-writer.test.ts b/services/kiloclaw/controller/src/config-writer.test.ts
index fe03506b1..824c8afa9 100644
--- a/services/kiloclaw/controller/src/config-writer.test.ts
+++ b/services/kiloclaw/controller/src/config-writer.test.ts
@@ -153,6 +153,127 @@ describe('generateBaseConfig', () => {
     expect(config.tools.web.search.provider).toBe('brave');
   });
 
+  it('auto-assigns kilo-exa when provider is missing and mode is unset', () => {
+    const existing = JSON.stringify({ tools: { web: { search: {} } } });
+    const { deps } = fakeDeps(existing);
+    const config = generateBaseConfig(minimalEnv(), '/tmp/openclaw.json', deps);
+
+    expect(config.tools.web.search.provider).toBe('kilo-exa');
+    expect(config.tools.web.search.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(config.plugins.entries['kiloclaw-customizer'].config.webSearch.enabled).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('auto-assigns kilo-exa even when web search was explicitly disabled but provider is missing', () => {
+    const existing = JSON.stringify({
+      tools: {
+        web: {
+          search: {
+            enabled: false,
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const { deps } = fakeDeps(existing);
+    const config = generateBaseConfig(minimalEnv(), '/tmp/openclaw.json', deps);
+
+    expect(config.tools.web.search.provider).toBe('kilo-exa');
+    expect(config.tools.web.search.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(config.plugins.entries['kiloclaw-customizer'].config.webSearch.enabled).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('preserves explicit kilo-exa provider when mode is unset', () => {
+    const existing = JSON.stringify({
+      tools: {
+        web: {
+          search: {
+            provider: 'kilo-exa',
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const { deps } = fakeDeps(existing);
+    const config = generateBaseConfig(minimalEnv(), '/tmp/openclaw.json', deps);
+
+    expect(config.tools.web.search.provider).toBe('kilo-exa');
+    expect(config.plugins.entries['kiloclaw-customizer'].config.webSearch.enabled).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('selects kilo-exa provider when KILO_EXA_SEARCH_MODE=kilo-proxy', () => {
+    const { deps } = fakeDeps();
+    const env = { ...minimalEnv(), KILO_EXA_SEARCH_MODE: 'kilo-proxy' };
+    const config = generateBaseConfig(env, '/tmp/openclaw.json', deps);
+
+    expect(config.tools.web.search.provider).toBe('kilo-exa');
+    expect(config.tools.web.search.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(config.plugins.entries['kiloclaw-customizer'].config.webSearch.enabled).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('switches to brave when Exa is disabled and BRAVE_API_KEY is configured', () => {
+    const existing = JSON.stringify({
+      tools: {
+        web: {
+          search: {
+            provider: 'kilo-exa',
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const { deps } = fakeDeps(existing);
+    const env = {
+      ...minimalEnv(),
+      KILO_EXA_SEARCH_MODE: 'disabled',
+      BRAVE_API_KEY: 'BSA' + 'A'.repeat(20),
+    };
+    const config = generateBaseConfig(env, '/tmp/openclaw.json', deps);
+
+    expect(config.tools.web.search.provider).toBe('brave');
+    expect(config.tools.web.search.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(config.plugins.entries['kiloclaw-customizer'].config.webSearch.enabled).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('preserves explicit non-Exa provider when Exa is disabled and BRAVE_API_KEY is configured', () => {
+    const existing = JSON.stringify({
+      tools: {
+        web: {
+          search: {
+            provider: 'perplexity',
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const { deps } = fakeDeps(existing);
+    const env = {
+      ...minimalEnv(),
+      KILO_EXA_SEARCH_MODE: 'disabled',
+      BRAVE_API_KEY: 'BSA' + 'A'.repeat(20),
+    };
+    const config = generateBaseConfig(env, '/tmp/openclaw.json', deps);
+
+    expect(config.tools.web.search.provider).toBe('perplexity');
+    expect(config.plugins.entries['kiloclaw-customizer'].config.webSearch.enabled).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('clears kilo-exa provider when Exa is disabled and Brave is not configured', () => {
+    const existing = JSON.stringify({
+      tools: {
+        web: {
+          search: {
+            provider: 'kilo-exa',
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const { deps } = fakeDeps(existing);
+    const env = {
+      ...minimalEnv(),
+      KILO_EXA_SEARCH_MODE: 'disabled',
+    };
+    const config = generateBaseConfig(env, '/tmp/openclaw.json', deps);
+
+    expect(config.tools.web.search.provider).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(config.plugins.entries['kiloclaw-customizer'].config.webSearch.enabled).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it('defaults tool profile to full when not previously set', () => {
     const { deps } = fakeDeps();
     const config = generateBaseConfig(minimalEnv(), '/tmp/openclaw.json', deps);
@@ -984,7 +1105,7 @@ describe('writeBaseConfig', () => {
     expect(config.tools.profile).toBe('full');
   });
 
-  it('does not steer web search provider on config restore path', () => {
+  it('auto-assigns Exa web search provider on restore path when provider is missing', () => {
     const { deps, written } = fakeDeps();
     const env = minimalEnv();
     delete env.KILOCLAW_FRESH_INSTALL;
@@ -992,7 +1113,8 @@ describe('writeBaseConfig', () => {
     writeBaseConfig(env, '/tmp/openclaw.json', deps);
 
     const config = JSON.parse(written[0].data);
-    expect(config.tools?.web?.search?.provider).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(config.tools?.web?.search?.provider).toBe('kilo-exa');
+    expect(config.tools?.web?.search?.enabled).toBe(true);
   });
 
   it('throws if KILOCODE_API_KEY is missing', () => {
diff --git a/services/kiloclaw/controller/src/config-writer.ts b/services/kiloclaw/controller/src/config-writer.ts
index 1d4223707..d6a57022b 100644
--- a/services/kiloclaw/controller/src/config-writer.ts
+++ b/services/kiloclaw/controller/src/config-writer.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,29 @@ const ONBOARD_FLAGS = [
   '--skip-health',
 ] as const;
 
+const KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_ID = 'kiloclaw-customizer';
+const KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_PATH = '/usr/local/lib/node_modules/@kiloclaw/kiloclaw-customizer';
+const KILO_EXA_PROVIDER_ID = 'kilo-exa';
+
+type KiloExaSearchMode = 'kilo-proxy' | 'disabled';
+
+type KiloExaSearchModeState = KiloExaSearchMode | 'unset';
+
+function resolveKiloExaSearchMode(value: string | undefined): KiloExaSearchModeState {
+  const normalized = value?.trim().toLowerCase();
+  if (normalized === 'kilo-proxy') {
+    return 'kilo-proxy';
+  }
+  if (normalized === 'disabled') {
+    return 'disabled';
+  }
+  if (normalized === undefined || normalized === '') {
+    return 'unset';
+  }
+  console.warn(`Unknown KILO_EXA_SEARCH_MODE value "${value}"; treating as "disabled"`);
+  return 'disabled';
+}
+
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
 type ConfigObject = Record<string, any>;
 
@@ -272,14 +295,56 @@ export function generateBaseConfig(
   config.plugins.load.paths = Array.isArray(config.plugins.load.paths)
     ? config.plugins.load.paths
     : [];
-  const customizerPluginPath = '/usr/local/lib/node_modules/@kiloclaw/kiloclaw-customizer';
-  if (!(config.plugins.load.paths as string[]).includes(customizerPluginPath)) {
-    (config.plugins.load.paths as string[]).push(customizerPluginPath);
+  if (!(config.plugins.load.paths as string[]).includes(KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_PATH)) {
+    (config.plugins.load.paths as string[]).push(KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_PATH);
   }
   config.plugins.entries = config.plugins.entries ?? {};
-  const customizerEntry = 'kiloclaw-customizer';
-  config.plugins.entries[customizerEntry] = config.plugins.entries[customizerEntry] ?? {};
-  config.plugins.entries[customizerEntry].enabled = true;
+  config.plugins.entries[KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_ID] =
+    config.plugins.entries[KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_ID] ?? {};
+  config.plugins.entries[KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_ID].enabled = true;
+
+  const customizerPluginConfig = config.plugins.entries[KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_ID].config ?? {};
+  const customizerWebSearchConfig = customizerPluginConfig.webSearch ?? {};
+  const searchProvider = config.tools?.web?.search?.provider;
+  const hasExplicitSearchProvider =
+    typeof searchProvider === 'string' && searchProvider.trim().length > 0;
+
+  const kiloExaSearchMode = resolveKiloExaSearchMode(env.KILO_EXA_SEARCH_MODE);
+  const shouldForceExa = kiloExaSearchMode === 'kilo-proxy';
+  const shouldAutoAssignExa = kiloExaSearchMode === 'unset' && !hasExplicitSearchProvider;
+  if (shouldForceExa || shouldAutoAssignExa) {
+    customizerWebSearchConfig.enabled = true;
+    config.tools = config.tools ?? {};
+    config.tools.web = config.tools.web ?? {};
+    config.tools.web.search = config.tools.web.search ?? {};
+    config.tools.web.search.enabled = true;
+    config.tools.web.search.provider = KILO_EXA_PROVIDER_ID;
+    if (shouldAutoAssignExa) {
+      console.log('[config-writer] Auto-assigned web search provider to kilo-exa (mode=unset)');
+    }
+  } else if (kiloExaSearchMode === 'disabled') {
+    customizerWebSearchConfig.enabled = false;
+
+    const braveConfigured = Boolean(env.BRAVE_API_KEY?.trim());
+    if (
+      braveConfigured &&
+      (!hasExplicitSearchProvider || config.tools?.web?.search?.provider === KILO_EXA_PROVIDER_ID)
+    ) {
+      config.tools = config.tools ?? {};
+      config.tools.web = config.tools.web ?? {};
+      config.tools.web.search = config.tools.web.search ?? {};
+      config.tools.web.search.enabled = true;
+      config.tools.web.search.provider = 'brave';
+    } else if (config.tools?.web?.search?.provider === KILO_EXA_PROVIDER_ID) {
+      delete config.tools.web.search.provider;
+    }
+  } else if (hasExplicitSearchProvider) {
+    customizerWebSearchConfig.enabled =
+      config.tools?.web?.search?.provider === KILO_EXA_PROVIDER_ID;
+  }
+
+  customizerPluginConfig.webSearch = customizerWebSearchConfig;
+  config.plugins.entries[KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_ID].config = customizerPluginConfig;
 
   // Telegram
   if (env.TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN) {
diff --git a/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/openclaw.plugin.json b/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/openclaw.plugin.json
index 9ba06146b..e6da5e539 100644
--- a/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/openclaw.plugin.json
+++ b/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/openclaw.plugin.json
@@ -8,6 +8,16 @@
   "configSchema": {
     "type": "object",
     "additionalProperties": false,
-    "properties": {}
+    "properties": {
+      "webSearch": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "properties": {
+          "enabled": {
+            "type": "boolean"
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/src/kilo-exa-web-search-provider.test.ts b/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/src/kilo-exa-web-search-provider.test.ts
index a82a73550..4eafdc60a 100644
--- a/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/src/kilo-exa-web-search-provider.test.ts
+++ b/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/src/kilo-exa-web-search-provider.test.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,36 @@ describe('kilo-exa web search provider', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('does not create a tool when plugin webSearch.enabled is false', () => {
+    const provider = createKiloExaWebSearchProvider();
+    const tool = provider.createTool({
+      config: {
+        plugins: {
+          entries: {
+            'kiloclaw-customizer': {
+              config: {
+                webSearch: {
+                  enabled: false,
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      searchConfig: {},
+    });
+
+    expect(tool).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('applySelectionConfig enables plugin web search flag', () => {
+    const provider = createKiloExaWebSearchProvider();
+    const config = provider.applySelectionConfig?.({}) ?? {};
+
+    expect(config.plugins?.entries?.['kiloclaw-customizer']?.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(config.plugins?.entries?.['kiloclaw-customizer']?.config?.webSearch?.enabled).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it('normalizes uppercase freshness values', async () => {
     webSearchSdkStub.setPostHandler(async () => ({ results: [] }));
     const tool = getTool();
diff --git a/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/src/kilo-exa-web-search-provider.ts b/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/src/kilo-exa-web-search-provider.ts
index 784d26f4e..396ea4e0d 100644
--- a/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/src/kilo-exa-web-search-provider.ts
+++ b/services/kiloclaw/plugins/kiloclaw-customizer/src/kilo-exa-web-search-provider.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {
 } from 'openclaw/plugin-sdk/provider-web-search';
 
 const KILO_EXA_PROVIDER_ID = 'kilo-exa';
+const KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_ID = 'kiloclaw-customizer';
 const DEFAULT_KILO_API_ORIGIN = 'https://api.kilo.ai';
 const EXA_SEARCH_TYPES = ['auto', 'neural', 'fast', 'deep', 'deep-reasoning', 'instant'] as const;
 const EXA_FRESHNESS_VALUES = ['day', 'week', 'month', 'year'] as const;
@@ -66,6 +67,53 @@ function isRecord(value: unknown): value is Record<string, unknown> {
   return typeof value === 'object' && value !== null && !Array.isArray(value);
 }
 
+function resolveCustomizerWebSearchConfig(
+  config:
+    | {
+        plugins?: {
+          entries?: Record<string, unknown>;
+        };
+      }
+    | undefined
+): Record<string, unknown> | undefined {
+  const pluginEntry = config?.plugins?.entries?.[KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_ID];
+  if (!isRecord(pluginEntry)) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const pluginConfig = isRecord(pluginEntry.config) ? pluginEntry.config : undefined;
+  return isRecord(pluginConfig?.webSearch) ? pluginConfig.webSearch : undefined;
+}
+
+function setCustomizerWebSearchEnabled(
+  config: {
+    plugins?: {
+      entries?: Record<string, unknown>;
+    };
+  },
+  enabled: boolean
+): void {
+  const existingEntries = config.plugins?.entries;
+  const entries = isRecord(existingEntries) ? existingEntries : {};
+  const existingEntry = entries[KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_ID];
+  const pluginEntry = isRecord(existingEntry) ? existingEntry : {};
+  const existingPluginConfig = pluginEntry.config;
+  const pluginConfig = isRecord(existingPluginConfig) ? existingPluginConfig : {};
+  const existingWebSearch = pluginConfig.webSearch;
+  const webSearch = isRecord(existingWebSearch) ? existingWebSearch : {};
+
+  webSearch.enabled = enabled;
+  pluginConfig.webSearch = webSearch;
+  pluginEntry.config = pluginConfig;
+
+  config.plugins = {
+    ...(config.plugins ?? {}),
+    entries: {
+      ...entries,
+      [KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_ID]: pluginEntry,
+    },
+  };
+}
+
 function parsePositiveInteger(value: unknown): number | undefined {
   return typeof value === 'number' && Number.isInteger(value) && value > 0 ? value : undefined;
 }
@@ -658,11 +706,20 @@ export function createKiloExaWebSearchProvider(): WebSearchProviderPlugin {
       getScopedCredentialValue(searchConfig, KILO_EXA_PROVIDER_ID),
     setCredentialValue: (searchConfigTarget, value) =>
       setScopedCredentialValue(searchConfigTarget, KILO_EXA_PROVIDER_ID, value),
-    applySelectionConfig: config => enablePluginInConfig(config, 'kiloclaw-customizer').config,
-    createTool: ctx =>
-      createKiloExaToolDefinition(
+    applySelectionConfig: config => {
+      const next = enablePluginInConfig(config, KILOCLAW_CUSTOMIZER_PLUGIN_ID).config;
+      setCustomizerWebSearchEnabled(next, true);
+      return next;
+    },
+    createTool: ctx => {
+      const pluginWebSearchConfig = resolveCustomizerWebSearchConfig(ctx.config);
+      if (pluginWebSearchConfig?.enabled === false) {
+        return null;
+      }
+      return createKiloExaToolDefinition(
         isSearchConfigRecord(ctx.searchConfig) ? ctx.searchConfig : undefined
-      ),
+      );
+    },
   };
 }