{
  "page": "best/web-search-api",
  "title": "Best web search API for AI agents",
  "task_type": "web_search",
  "question": "What is the best web search API for AI agents?",
  "answer": "Early results only. Brave Search API (Brave Search) has the highest score for returning relevant web results for an agent's query: 100.0 out of 100 in all regions, from 1 test result in the week of 2026-11-09. 4 tools were scored on the same cases. Arettic runs it with one key and charges only when the result passes the check. Scores firm up once each tool has 30 test results.",
  "indexable": false,
  "early": true,
  "region": "GLOBAL",
  "week": "2026-11-09",
  "samples": 4,
  "ranking": [
    {
      "tool_id": "brave-web-search",
      "name": "Brave Search API",
      "provider": "Brave Search",
      "task_type": "web_search",
      "region": "GLOBAL",
      "score": 100,
      "week": "2026-11-09",
      "inputs": {
        "A": 1,
        "S": 1,
        "P": 1,
        "R": 1,
        "L": 1,
        "D": 0
      },
      "sample_size": 1,
      "on_sale": true
    },
    {
      "tool_id": "serper-web-search",
      "name": "Serper Google Search",
      "provider": "Serper",
      "task_type": "web_search",
      "region": "GLOBAL",
      "score": 100,
      "week": "2026-11-09",
      "inputs": {
        "A": 1,
        "S": 1,
        "P": 1,
        "R": 1,
        "L": 1,
        "D": 0
      },
      "sample_size": 1,
      "on_sale": true
    },
    {
      "tool_id": "tavily-web-search",
      "name": "Tavily Search",
      "provider": "Tavily",
      "task_type": "web_search",
      "region": "GLOBAL",
      "score": 97.24,
      "week": "2026-11-09",
      "inputs": {
        "A": 1,
        "S": 1,
        "P": 1,
        "R": 1,
        "L": 0.4487,
        "D": 0
      },
      "sample_size": 1,
      "on_sale": true
    },
    {
      "tool_id": "exa-web-search",
      "name": "Exa Search",
      "provider": "Exa",
      "task_type": "web_search",
      "region": "GLOBAL",
      "score": 96.52,
      "week": "2026-11-09",
      "inputs": {
        "A": 1,
        "S": 1,
        "P": 1,
        "R": 1,
        "L": 0.303,
        "D": 0
      },
      "sample_size": 1,
      "on_sale": true
    }
  ],
  "picks": [
    {
      "label": "Highest score",
      "input": "score",
      "tool_id": "brave-web-search"
    },
    {
      "label": "Most accurate",
      "input": "A",
      "tool_id": "brave-web-search"
    },
    {
      "label": "Most reliable",
      "input": "R",
      "tool_id": "brave-web-search"
    },
    {
      "label": "Fastest",
      "input": "L",
      "tool_id": "brave-web-search"
    }
  ],
  "other_regions": [],
  "pass_rule": {
    "passes_if": "At least N results (5 by default) with valid, non-duplicate URLs",
    "partial_or_failed": "Fewer than N is charged pro rata"
  },
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "What is the best web search API for AI agents?",
      "a": "Early results only. Brave Search API (Brave Search) has the highest score for returning relevant web results for an agent's query: 100.0 out of 100 in all regions, from 1 test result in the week of 2026-11-09. 4 tools were scored on the same cases. Arettic runs it with one key and charges only when the result passes the check. Scores firm up once each tool has 30 test results."
    },
    {
      "q": "How is the score worked out?",
      "a": "Every tool runs the same test cases each week. The score combines accuracy, pass rate, audit precision, reliability, speed and upheld disputes. The formula and every input are public on the scores page. Paying never changes a score."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do I need an account with each provider?",
      "a": "No. One Arettic key runs every tool. Arettic holds the provider accounts and keys."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I pay when a lookup fails?",
      "a": "You pay only for what passes the check. It passes if: at least N results (5 by default) with valid, non-duplicate URLs. Fewer than N is charged pro rata."
    },
    {
      "q": "Can my agent pick the tool itself?",
      "a": "Yes. Call recommend with task_type web_search for the ranked list, then execute the tool you want. Both work over the HTTP API and the MCP server."
    }
  ],
  "license": {
    "id": "CC-BY-4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Arettic (arettic.com)"
  }
}