Introducing Web Search on the Anthropic API

Summary

Today, we're introducing web search on the Anthropic API—a new tool that gives Claude access to current information from across the web. With web search enabled, developers can build Claude-powered applications and agents that deliver up-to-date insights.Power AI agents with the latest information from the webDevelopers can now augment Claude’s comprehensive knowledge with current, real-world data by enabling the web search tool when making requests to the Messages API.When Claude receives a request that would benefit from up-to-date information or specialized knowledge, it uses its reasoning capabilities to determine whether the web search tool would help provide a more accurate response. If searching the web would be beneficial, Claude generates a targeted search query, retrieves relevant results, analyzes them for key information, and provides a comprehensive answer with citations back to the source material.Claude can also operate agentically and conduct multiple progressive searches, using earlier results to inform subsequent queries in order to do light research and generate a more comprehensive answer. Developers can control this by adjusting the max_uses parameter. Behind the scenes, Claude may also refine its queries to deliver a more accurate response.With web search, developers can now build AI solutions that tap into current information without needing to manage their own web search infrastructure.Use casesWeb search enables Claude to power a wide range of use cases that benefit from real-time data and specialized knowledge across various industries. Use cases include:Financial services: Build AI agents that analyze real-time stock prices, market trends, and regulatory updates.Legal research: Create tools that access recent court decisions, regulatory changes, and legal news.Developer tools: Enable Claude to reference the latest API documentation, GitHub releases, and technology updates.Productivity: Build agents that incorporate the latest company repor...