Enable and use web search (original) (raw)

You can have Claude search the internet to provide you with up-to-date information and insights when using the following models:

Web search expands Claude's knowledge with real-time data, helping you make better-informed decisions with current information.

How to enable web search in a chat

You can disable the feature at any time by following the same steps and turning the toggle off.

How web search works

When you ask about topics that benefit from current information, Claude invokes a search tool to inform and ground its generated responses with content from the live web. Every response includes citations, so you can easily verify sources yourself.

During a search

When Claude searches the web:

Web fetch and direct links

When “Web search” is toggled on, Claude can also retrieve content directly from web pages when provided with specific URLs. This feature, called web fetch, allows Claude to access and analyze the full content of articles, blog posts, and other web pages you want to discuss.

Image results

When web search is enabled, Claude can also search for and display images directly in your conversation. You don't need to enable a separate setting — image results are part of web search.

For example, you might ask Claude to:

Claude selects images from web search results, powered by Bing, and displays them alongside its text response. Each image includes a source link so you can visit the original page for more details.

Claude can also display interactive content in search results. For more detailed information, see here: Visual and interactive content.

Managing usage on free Claude accounts

As a free user, you have daily usage limits for Claude. Since web search and fetch both contribute to these limits, here are some tips to make the most of your capacity:

To disable web search and conserve your capacity:

You can re-enable it anytime you need current information.

Tips for effective use

Limitations

Support

How large is the context window on paid Claude plans?Change the model, effort, and thinking settings Release notes Use enterprise search MCP: Web Search