Tools Config#

The Tools Config section lets administrators configure built-in AI tools that are available across the platform, such as web search.

Web Search#

When configured, the Web Search tool allows AI assistants to retrieve real-time information from the internet. This is useful for questions about current events, prices, local businesses, or any topic where fresh data is more valuable than general knowledge.

Once an API key is saved and a provider is selected as the default, a Web Search tool appears automatically in the MCP tools list. Users can enable it from the Actions menu in the Playground or any Chat AI Task.

Supported Providers#

QAnswer supports four web search providers. Choose the one that best fits your use case and obtain an API key from the provider's dashboard.

Brave Search#

Privacy-focused search engine with rich snippets. No user tracking. Good general-purpose choice.

• Get your API key at api.search.brave.com
• Sign up, create a subscription plan, and copy the API key from your account page.

Linkup#

AI-optimised search that returns structured content designed for LLMs. Produces clean, citation-ready results.

• Get your API key at app.linkup.so
• Register, choose a plan, and copy the API key from the dashboard.

Serper#

Google Search API proxy that returns results including knowledge graph entries and answer boxes. High relevance for factual queries.

• Get your API key at serper.dev
• Sign up and copy the API key shown on the dashboard home page.

Exa#

Semantic neural search that returns full page content rather than snippets. Well suited for in-depth research queries.

• Get your API key at exa.ai/dashboard
• Create an account at exa.ai, navigate to the API Keys section in your dashboard, and generate a new key.

Configuration Steps#

To enable web search for the platform:

• Go to the Admin Panel and open the Tools Config tab.
• Select a provider by clicking its radio button.
• Enter the API key in the field provided.
• Click Test Connection to verify the key is valid. A success or error message is displayed immediately.
• Click Save. The web search tool becomes available in the MCP tools list.

Disabling Web Search#

Select the Disabled option and click Save to remove the web search tool from the MCP tools list. No API keys are deleted — you can re-enable the provider at any time.