Web Search

Turn It On

{
  "model": "moonshotai/kimi-k3",
  "messages": [{ "role": "user", "content": "What are the headline features of the latest release?" }],
  "web_search": true
}

"tools": [{ "type": "web_search" }] is equivalent; sending both is rejected. true requires a search for the turn. The object form {"mode": "auto"} lets the gateway skip retrieval when the conversation already answers the question, and "off" disables it. Suffix form for clients that can only set model: ?web_search=on|auto|off. See Model ID Convention. With auto, the gateway skips prompts that do not benefit (text transforms, creative writing, stable general knowledge). An explicit browse, fact-check, or lookup instruction forces retrieval; an explicit no-search instruction wins. A skipped search counts nothing.

Privacy

Search runs as Nito’s own step before the model call and the tool is stripped before the provider is called, so the model call keeps its privacy level. The query is generated from your prompt, redacted of secrets, email addresses, phone and card numbers, network addresses, and long numeric IDs, then sent to a search provider. The redaction is pattern-based and best-effort. Leave search off for prompts that must not reach a search provider. Encrypted requests reject hosted search. See Encrypted and Data Retention and Visibility.

Domain Controls

{
  "tools": [{
    "type": "web_search",
    "parameters": { "allowed_domains": ["docs.example.org"], "blocked_domains": ["example.net"] }
  }]
}

Conflicting allow and block lists fail closed.

Response

{
  "id": "...",
  "object": "chat.completion",
  "model": "moonshotai/kimi-k3",
  "choices": [ { "index": 0, "message": { "role": "assistant", "content": "..." }, "finish_reason": "stop" } ],
  "web_search": { "sources": [ { "title": "...", "url": "https://...", "domain": "..." } ], "retrieval_mode": "llm_context" },
  "usage": {
    "prompt_tokens": 412,
    "completion_tokens": 180,
    "total_tokens": 592,
    "server_tool_use": { "web_search_requests": 1, "web_search_results": 5 }
  }
}

web_search carries source metadata (title, url, domain, date, snippet), retrieval_mode, and the request count. Generated queries and planner decisions are never exposed. Nito does not persist web-tool parameters, injected context, or retrieved pages.

Model Support

supports_web_search on the catalog entry; GET /v1/models?supports=web_search. Elsewhere the request is rejected.

Server-Side Tools

Overview.

Web Fetch

Read a URL instead.

Web Search Reference

Reference.

Retrieve without a model

Use POST /api/v1/web/search with an API key to return retrieved content directly. This standalone call takes only query and is billed separately from inference. The chat options above remain available when a model should use the results itself.

Basics

Features

Server-Side Tools

Multimodal

Best Practices

SDKs

API Reference

Turn It On

Privacy

Domain Controls

Response

Model Support

Server-Side Tools

Web Fetch

Web Search Reference

Retrieve without a model

​Turn It On

​Privacy

​Domain Controls

​Response

​Model Support

​Related

Server-Side Tools

Web Fetch

Web Search Reference

​Retrieve without a model

Turn It On

Privacy

Domain Controls

Response

Model Support

Related

Retrieve without a model