Anthropic has announced the launch of a new API that enables its Claude AI models to perform web searches. Developers can now create Claude-powered applications that provide up-to-date information, allowing them to integrate real-time data into their projects, according to a press release from the company published Wednesday.

A New Tool for Developers

This API rollout comes as AI companies continue to innovate in ways that enhance their models and attract new customers. Last week, Anthropic introduced a new tool to connect applications with Claude and an expanded “deep research” feature that allows Claude to search enterprise accounts, websites, and more.

“Developers can now augment Claude’s comprehensive knowledge with current, real-world data by enabling the web search tool when making requests to our API,” Anthropic wrote in the release. “With web search, developers can now build AI solutions that tap into current information without needing to manage their own web search infrastructure.”

How the Web Search API Works

When the web search API is activated, Claude uses its reasoning capabilities to assess whether a given request would benefit from up-to-date or specialized information. If Claude determines that a web search is necessary, it will generate a search query, retrieve relevant results, analyze the data, and provide an answer complete with citations.

Claude is also capable of refining queries and conducting multiple searches, using previous results to inform subsequent searches. Developers can customize this functionality by specifying which domains Claude is permitted to search. They can also configure organizational-level permissions to either enable or block web search capabilities.

Pricing and Compatibility

The pricing for the web search API starts at $10 per 1,000 searches. This functionality works with Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Claude 3.5 Haiku models.

In related news, Anthropic is extending the web search feature to Claude Code, its tool for developers to leverage Claude for coding tasks. With web search enabled, Claude Code will be able to access current API documentation, technical articles, and other information about development tools and libraries.

Claude Code remains in beta as a research preview.