Source URL: https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/7/anthropic-api-search/#atom-everything
Source: Simon Willison’s Weblog
Title: Introducing web search on the Anthropic API
Feedly Summary: Introducing web search on the Anthropic API
Anthropic’s web search (presumably still powered by Brave) is now also available through their API, in the shape of a new web search tool called web_search_20250305.
You can specify a maximum number of uses per prompt and you can also pass a list of disallowed or allowed domains, plus hints as to the user’s current location.
Search results are returned in a format that looks similar to the Anthropic Citations API.
It’s charged at $10 per 1,000 searches, which is a little more expensive than what the Brave Search API charges ($3 or $5 or $9 per thousand depending on how you’re using them).
I couldn’t find any details of additional rules surrounding storage or display of search results, which surprised me because both Google Gemini and OpenAI have these for their own API search results.
Via Hacker News
Tags: anthropic, generative-ai, llm-tool-use, search, ai, llms
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The introduction of web search capabilities in the Anthropic API, which utilizes Brave technology, marks a notable advancement in AI functionalities related to information retrieval. This integration offers professionals in AI and LLM security valuable insights into the practical applications and pricing structures of emerging tools in the generative AI landscape.
Detailed Description: The launch of the web search tool, web_search_20250305, by Anthropic enhances the API functionality by enabling users to conduct web searches directly. This development has several implications:
– **Web Search Tools and AI**:
– The tool facilitates conducting searches that can be tailored to user specifications, such as setting limits on the number of searches per prompt and allowing the filtering of specific domains based on user preferences.
– It incorporates user location hints to refine search results, enhancing the relevance of information retrieved.
– **Pricing Model**:
– The cost structure for the new web search API is set at $10 for every 1,000 searches, positioning it at a higher price point compared to the Brave Search API, which offers tiers of $3, $5, or $9 depending on usage parameters.
– **Comparative Insights**:
– The absence of explicit rules regarding the storage or display of the search results in the new tool is particularly notable, especially when contrasted with competitors like Google Gemini and OpenAI, which have established guidelines for their API search results. This lack of clarity could raise potential concerns regarding compliance, particularly for organizations that prioritize governance and data handling protocols.
– **Market Context**:
– The emergence of this tool highlights a growing trend in the AI sector of integrating web search capabilities into APIs, potentially influencing how AI models interact with real-time information and the implications this has for data security and accessibility.
Overall, the introduction of web search on the Anthropic API not only signifies advancements in AI technology but also presents considerations for AI security and compliance professionals exploring these new tools.