Web search
Web search is the retrieval of information from publicly accessible World Wide Web pages or indexes in response to a query.
AI for Everyday IT
Web search is the process of retrieving information from publicly available web pages through a search service.
- How it is used
- Supports current-information research for IT work, business calculations, source verification, and preparation for other AI tools.
- How deep it goes
- Explains natural-language searching, multi-page synthesis, citations, and smaller verification batches, but does not cover search internals.
- Examples
- Uses package versions, deprecated APIs, exchange rates, per diem rates, and subscription fees as research targets.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via ChatGPT or Gemini to gather current, cited information and pass verified findings to another AI tool.
Build an AI Agent (From Scratch)
Web search is a tool capability that retrieves information from internet-accessible search indexes or pages.
- How it is used
- Supplies agents with web results when answers require precise, current, or source-checked information.
- How deep it goes
- Builds a minimal Python search wrapper, adds query options, and handles exceptions; does not detail search-index internals.
- Examples
- Tests a Tavily query about Kipchoge’s marathon record and inspects results containing URLs, snippets, and relevance scores.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via Tavily by configuring an API key and writing a Python function that returns search results.
Read how Build an AI Agent (From Scratch) explains web search →
AI Agents and Applications
Web search is the retrieval of information from publicly accessible internet resources in response to a query.
- How it is used
- Automates research by finding relevant pages that an LLM application can scrape, summarize, and combine into a report.
- How deep it goes
- Descends from query generation through URL retrieval, scraping, truncation, per-page summaries, and aggregation.
- Examples
- Uses Astorga attractions, history, and cultural-sites queries with returned URLs and a summarized source page.
- What you can do after
- Build an automated research workflow that generates queries, collects URLs, scrapes pages, summarizes results, and joins them into a report.
Data Analysis with LLMs
Web search is the process of finding information on the World Wide Web in response to a query.
- How it is used
- Deploys web search as an agent tool for retrieving information unavailable in a connected SQL database.
- How deep it goes
- Explains setup, query formulation, returned snippets, and multi-tool sequencing without examining search-engine internals.
- Examples
- Uses the FIFA 17 question, a generated search string, returned text snippets, and an agent execution trace.
- What you can do after
- Operate web search through a LangChain SQL agent configured with SerpAPI and an OpenAI chat model.
WordPress Power Toolkit: Harness AI to build next-level websites
A search tool is a website interface that accepts a query and locates matching site content.
- How it is used
- Helps visitors locate specific site information and helps websites attract audiences through search engines and AI systems.
- How deep it goes
- Defines search tools, contrasts keyword and conversational search, and gives placement and quality guidance without detailing search algorithms.
- Examples
- Uses site search fields, specialized plugins, sitemaps, Google keyword queries, and conversational AI prompts as examples.
- What you can do after
- Operate a site search field, choose enhanced search features, and improve content so search systems can find and rank it.
Read how WordPress Power Toolkit: Harness AI to build next-level websites explains web search →
Related concepts
- ChatGPTused by · ChatGPT is OpenAI’s conversational AI service, which lets users interact with generative AI models and related tools through natural-language prompts.
- HTMLpart of · HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard markup language for structuring content and elements in web documents.
- Claudeuses · Claude is a family of large language models and conversational AI assistants developed by Anthropic.
- Perplexity AIused by · Perplexity AI is an AI-powered search and answer service that uses language models and web information to respond to queries, often with citations.
- conversational aipart of · Conversational AI is artificial intelligence that enables software systems to interact with users through natural-language dialogue.
These guides are generated from the text of Manning books by Manning's knowledge graph and link to the sections they draw on. The full books are available on liveBook and at manning.com.