---
title: web_search - Web Search
description: Search the internet for real-time information, with support for multiple search providers
---

Search the internet for real-time information, news, research, and more. Supports four backends — Bocha, ERNIE, GLM, and LinkAI — and works once any one of them is configured.

<Tip>
  It is recommended to configure providers and routing strategy visually from the "Model Management → Search" panel in the [Web console](/en/channels/web), without manually editing the configuration file.
</Tip>

## Providers

| Provider | Credential | Apply |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bocha | `tools.web_search.bocha_api_key` | [Bocha Open Platform](https://open.bochaai.com/) |
| ERNIE | Reuses `qianfan_api_key` | [Qianfan Console](https://cloud.baidu.com/doc/qianfan/s/2mh4su4uy) |
| Zhipu | Reuses `zhipu_ai_api_key` | [Zhipu Open Platform](https://docs.bigmodel.cn/cn/guide/tools/web-search) |
| LinkAI | Reuses `linkai_api_key` | [LinkAI Console](https://link-ai.tech/console/interface) |

Except for Bocha which requires a dedicated `bocha_api_key`, the other three reuse the corresponding model's API key — configuring the model automatically grants search capability.

## Routing Strategy

```json
{
  "tools": {
    "web_search": {
      "strategy": "auto",
      "provider": ""
    }
  }
}
```

- `auto` (default): the Agent intelligently picks among configured providers and may call multiple providers in a single task to gather more comprehensive results; when none is specified, falls back through `bocha → qianfan → zhipu → linkai`.
- `fixed`: always use the provider specified in `provider`; falls back to the auto order if that provider's credentials are missing.

## Tool Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `query` | string | Yes | Search keywords |
| `count` | integer | No | Number of results (1–50, default 10) |
| `freshness` | string | No | Time range: `noLimit` (default), `oneDay`, `oneWeek`, `oneMonth`, `oneYear`, or date range like `2025-01-01..2025-02-01` |
| `summary` | boolean | No | Whether to return page summaries (default false) |
| `provider` | string | No | Available when multiple providers are configured under the `auto` strategy; used to switch provider for a single call |

<Note>
  If none of the four credentials are configured, this tool is not registered with the Agent.
</Note>