How do q and qvalue differ in Kagi Assistant links?

Definition: In Kagi Assistant URL links, q submits a prompt immediately after the page loads. qvalue prefills the prompt box and leaves the prompt unsubmitted, according to Kagi's Assistant documentation.

Key facts

• Kagi documents q for submitting a prompt immediately after page load in the Assistant URL parameters section of its Assistant documentation.
• The same documentation assigns qvalue to prefilling the prompt box without submitting it.
• The profile parameter selects a particular model in the Assistant URL.
• The internet parameter enables internet access with true; any other value disables it and overrides the selected profile's internet setting.
• Kagi's Bangs documentation says custom bangs can be created in Advanced Settings and through the Search Shortcuts menu.

What does each parameter do?

As of 17 October 2026, Kagi's Assistant documentation describes two different actions. The q parameter submits the prompt immediately after the page loads. The qvalue parameter places the prompt in the prompt box without submitting it. The distinction is therefore about the action taken when the link opens: q starts the request, while qvalue leaves a draft in the input field.

The page also documents a prompt submission trigger setting. It can make the send shortcut Enter or Command/Ctrl plus Enter, and says that adding a modifier key makes accidental submission less likely while a prompt is being written.

How should the URL be formed?

The parameter follows the Assistant URL after a question mark. Kagi's Assistant documentation uses %s as the value after q in its custom bang example:

https://kagi.com/assistant?q=%s

For a link that opens with text in the prompt box and waits for submission, the corresponding form is:

https://kagi.com/assistant?qvalue=%s

Kagi's page gives a combined q example with a selected model, internet access, and a lens:

https://kagi.com/assistant?profile=claude-5-5-sonnet&internet=true&lens=recipes&q=%s

The documented example submits the prompt after loading. The profile parameter names the model, internet=true enables internet access, and lens=recipes selects the Recipes lens when internet access is enabled.

How do custom bangs use these links?

Kagi defines bangs as shortcuts that open particular search or Assistant destinations. Its Bangs documentation says that custom bangs can be created in Advanced Settings and that the Search Shortcuts menu can also create them. The same page documents a regex pattern whose capture groups can be placed in a URL template.

The Assistant documentation presents the q=%s URL as a possible target for a custom bang. In that pattern, the bang's query replaces %s, and the resulting Assistant URL uses q to submit the prompt. A qvalue link uses the same parameter name documented above when the intended result is a populated prompt box awaiting the user's action.

Related terms

• Kagi Assistant
• Can Kagi Assistant answer without web access?
• Can Kagi Assistant use a custom list of sites?

FAQ

Does qvalue submit the prompt?

No. Kagi's Assistant documentation documents qvalue as prefilling the prompt box without submitting it. Use q when the link should submit the prompt immediately after page load.

Can a link select the model as well as submit a prompt?

Yes. Kagi documents the separate profile parameter for selecting a model and shows it combined with internet, lens, and q in one Assistant URL.

What should a link use for an editable draft?

Use qvalue. The documented behavior leaves the text in the prompt box, so you can review or change it before submitting.

Sources

1. Kagi, "Kagi Assistant", undated
2. Kagi, "Bangs", undated

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