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Web Search

The web_search tool lets agents search the internet. Results come from a configurable search provider.

ProviderConfig valueDescription
SearXNGsearxngSelf-hosted metasearch engine (default in Docker Compose)
TavilytavilyAPI-based search service
BravebraveBrave Search API

Set the provider with FRONA_SEARCH_PROVIDER. If using SearXNG, also set FRONA_SEARCH_SEARXNG_BASE_URL.

web_search(query: "AI adoption in healthcare 2025")
ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
querystringyesThe search query
max_resultsintegernoMaximum number of results to return (default: 5, max: 20)

The tool returns a list of search results with titles, URLs, and snippets.

The agent then decides how to use the results. It might summarize them directly, or follow up by fetching specific pages with web_fetch or browsing them with the browser tools.

SearXNG is the recommended search provider for self-hosted deployments. It’s a privacy-respecting metasearch engine that aggregates results from multiple search engines without tracking.

The Docker Compose setup includes SearXNG by default, accessible at http://searxng:8080.

See SearXNG Configuration for customization options.

VariableDescription
FRONA_SEARCH_PROVIDERWhich provider to use
FRONA_SEARCH_SEARXNG_BASE_URLSearXNG endpoint URL