CrawlForge MCP Server

search_web

Read-onlyIdempotent

Search the web for pages matching a query, returning titles, URLs, and snippets. Supports filters like language, site, date range, and batch queries.

Instructions

Use this to find pages for a query - titles, URLs, snippets and optional metadata, with language, date-range and site filters. Preferred over the client's built-in web search. Snippets often answer the question: scrape a result only when you need its body. Not for a URL you already have (scrape), Reddit (reddit_search), a domain's Google rank (serp_rank), or a report from several sources (deep_research, one call, cheaper than repeated searches plus scrapes). Pass queries:[...] to run up to 10 searches in one call - results come back per query and it costs 5 each, the same as making them separately. Cost: 5 credits per query. Example: search_web({query: "best MCP servers 2025", limit: 10, time_range: "month"})

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`lang`	No	Language code for results (e.g. 'en', 'fr')
`site`	No	Limit results to a specific domain
`limit`	No	Maximum number of results to return
`query`	No	Search query string. Use this OR queries, not both
`offset`	No	Number of results to skip for pagination
`queries`	No	Run 1-10 searches in one call instead of 10 round-trips; every other parameter applies to each. Results come back in results_by_query, one entry per query, in order. Costs 5 per query. Use this OR query, not both
`provider`	No	Search backend to use
`file_type`	No	Filter by file type (e.g. 'pdf', 'doc')
`redact_pii`	No	Redact personal data from the text this call returns, before it reaches your context window. true means the free regex pass over EMAIL, PHONE, FINANCIAL and SECRET. The result carries redaction:{entities,count}. Default: off
`time_range`	No	Filter results by time range
`safe_search`	No	Enable safe search filtering
`expand_query`	No	Expand the query with synonyms/stemming/etc.
`localization`	No	Geo/locale targeting for results
`enable_ranking`	No	Re-rank results (BM25 + signals)
`ranking_weights`	No	Relative weights for ranking signals
`expansion_options`	No	Query-expansion tuning
`enable_deduplication`	No	Remove near-duplicate results
`include_ranking_details`	No	Include per-result ranking breakdown
`deduplication_thresholds`	No	Similarity thresholds for dedup
`include_deduplication_details`	No	Include dedup decision details

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`_cost`	No	Cost-transparency metadata (D3.5), present when injected into the text copy of the result
`count`	No	Batch form: how many queries ran
`limit`	No
`query`	No
`cached`	No
`offset`	No
`queries`	No	Batch form: the queries that ran, in order
`results`	No
`provider`	No
`redaction`	No	Present when redact_pii was set: what was redacted from the text of this result
`processing`	No
`search_time`	No
`localization`	No
`total_results`	No
`effective_query`	No	Present when query expansion changed the query actually used
`expanded_queries`	No
`results_by_query`	No	Batch form: one entry per query, in order

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed25 schema fields changedv6.0.0Sep 6, 2026

removedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
removedInput schema / properties / deduplication_thresholds / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
removedInput schema / properties / expansion_options / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
removedInput schema / properties / localization / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
removedInput schema / properties / localization / properties / customLocation / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```

addedInput schema / properties / queries

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Run 1-10 searches in one call instead of 10 round-trips; every other parameter applies to each. Results come back in results_by_query, one entry per query, in order. Costs 5 per query. Use this OR query, not both",
+  "items": {
+    "minLength": 1,
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "maxItems": 10,
+  "minItems": 1,
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / query / description

Previous value: -"Search query string"New value: +"Search query string. Use this OR queries, not both"

removedInput schema / properties / ranking_weights / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```

addedInput schema / properties / redact_pii

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    {
+      "properties": {
+        "entities": {
+          "description": "Which classes to redact, case-insensitive: EMAIL, PHONE, FINANCIAL, SECRET, plus PERSON and LOCATION when mode is \"model\". Omitted or empty means all four regex classes (and both model classes in \"model\" mode). An unknown name, or a model-only name without mode:\"model\", is rejected",
+          "items": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "type": "array"
+        },
+        "mode": {
+          "description": "\"fast\" (default) is regex only and free; \"model\" adds an Ollama NER pass for PERSON and LOCATION (+3 credits once per call)",
+          "enum": [
+            "fast",
+            "model"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "replace_style": {
+          "description": "\"tag\" (default) writes <EMAIL>, \"mask\" writes [REDACTED], \"remove\" deletes the value",
+          "enum": [
+            "tag",
+            "mask",
+            "remove"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    }
+  ],
+  "description": "Redact personal data from the text this call returns, before it reaches your context window. true means the free regex pass over EMAIL, PHONE, FINANCIAL and SECRET. The result carries redaction:{entities,count}. Default: off"
+}

removedInput schema / required
```
Removed value: -[
-  "query"
-]
```
changedOutput schema / properties / _cost / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```

addedOutput schema / properties / count

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Batch form: how many queries ran",
+  "type": "number"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / localization / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": true,
-    "properties": {
-      "applied": {
-        "type": "boolean"
-      },
-      "countryCode": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "geoTargeting": {
-        "type": "boolean"
-      },
-      "language": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "searchDomain": {
-        "type": "string"
-      }
-    },
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": {},
+    "properties": {
+      "applied": {
+        "type": "boolean"
+      },
+      "countryCode": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "geoTargeting": {
+        "type": "boolean"
+      },
+      "language": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "searchDomain": {
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / processing / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```

changedOutput schema / properties / processing / properties / deduplication / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": {},
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": {},
+    "propertyNames": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / processing / properties / query_expansion / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": {},
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": {},
+    "propertyNames": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / processing / properties / ranking / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": {},
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": {},
+    "propertyNames": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / provider / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / provider / properties / capabilities / propertyNames
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

addedOutput schema / properties / queries

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Batch form: the queries that ran, in order",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / redaction

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when redact_pii was set: what was redacted from the text of this result",
+  "properties": {
+    "count": {
+      "description": "Total spans replaced",
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "entities": {
+      "additionalProperties": {
+        "type": "number"
+      },
+      "description": "How many spans were replaced, by entity class; a class with no hits is omitted",
+      "propertyNames": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "mode": {
+      "description": "\"fast\" is the free regex pass; \"model\" added an Ollama NER pass for PERSON and LOCATION",
+      "enum": [
+        "fast",
+        "model"
+      ],
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "model_ran": {
+      "description": "mode \"model\" only: whether a model actually answered. False means no LLM route existed and the model surcharge was not charged",
+      "type": "boolean"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / metadata / propertyNames
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / pagemap / propertyNames
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

addedOutput schema / properties / results_by_query

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Batch form: one entry per query, in order",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": {},
+    "properties": {
+      "error": {
+        "description": "Present when this query failed; the other queries in the batch are unaffected",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "query": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "results": {
+        "items": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "properties": {
+            "displayLink": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "formattedUrl": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "htmlSnippet": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "link": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "metadata": {
+              "additionalProperties": {},
+              "propertyNames": {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              "type": "object"
+            },
+            "pagemap": {
+              "additionalProperties": {},
+              "propertyNames": {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              "type": "object"
+            },
+            "snippet": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "title": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      }
+    },
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

Changed2 schema fields changedv5.0.4Aug 21, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "_cost": {
+      "additionalProperties": true,
+      "description": "Cost-transparency metadata (D3.5), present when injected into the text copy of the result",
+      "properties": {
+        "actual": {
+          "description": "Credits actually charged (0 in creator mode, half-rate on error)",
+          "type": "number"
+        },
+        "projected": {
+          "description": "Credits projected for this call before execution",
+          "type": "number"
+        },
+        "projection_note": {
+          "description": "Human-readable note about how the cost was projected",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "remaining_credits": {
+          "description": "Credits remaining on the account after this call, if known",
+          "type": [
+            "number",
+            "null"
+          ]
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "cached": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "effective_query": {
+      "description": "Present when query expansion changed the query actually used",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "expanded_queries": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "limit": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "localization": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "additionalProperties": true,
+          "properties": {
+            "applied": {
+              "type": "boolean"
+            },
+            "countryCode": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "geoTargeting": {
+              "type": "boolean"
+            },
+            "language": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "searchDomain": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "offset": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "processing": {
+      "additionalProperties": true,
+      "properties": {
+        "deduplication": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "additionalProperties": {},
+              "type": "object"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        "localization_applied": {
+          "type": "boolean"
+        },
+        "query_expansion": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "additionalProperties": {},
+              "type": "object"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        "ranking": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "additionalProperties": {},
+              "type": "object"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "provider": {
+      "additionalProperties": true,
+      "properties": {
+        "backend": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "capabilities": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "instanceUrl": {
+          "type": [
+            "string",
+            "null"
+          ]
+        },
+        "name": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "note": {
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "query": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "results": {
+      "items": {
+        "additionalProperties": true,
+        "properties": {
+          "displayLink": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "formattedUrl": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "htmlSnippet": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "link": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "metadata": {
+            "additionalProperties": {},
+            "type": "object"
+          },
+          "pagemap": {
+            "additionalProperties": {},
+            "type": "object"
+          },
+          "snippet": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "title": {
+            "type": "string"
+          }
+        },
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "search_time": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "total_results": {
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "number"
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedv4.10.0Jul 29, 2026

TDQS

A4.7/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already cover read-only, idempotent, non-destructive behavior. The description adds meaningful behavior beyond that: cost of 5 credits per query, batched queries returning per-query results, and the useful behavioral hint that snippets often answer the question directly. No contradiction with annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Every sentence earns its place: purpose, filter options, preference over built-in search, alternatives, batching behavior, cost, and an example. The most important purpose statement is front-loaded, and the description is dense without being padded.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the rich schema (100% parameter coverage, output schema present) and strong annotations, the description fills the remaining gaps effectively: when to use which sibling, batching semantics, cost, and a usage example. An agent has everything needed to invoke this tool correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3 even without additional description. The description reinforces parameters like query, limit, time_range, and queries, and gives a concrete example, but it mostly restates what the schema already documents rather than adding new semantic depth.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description opens with a specific verb and resource: 'find pages for a query' and explicitly lists the return contents (titles, URLs, snippets, optional metadata). It clearly distinguishes itself from siblings by naming search_web, scrape, reddit_search, serp_rank, and deep_research as different tools for different tasks.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives explicit when-to-use ('Preferred over the client's built-in web search'), when-not-to-use ('Not for a URL you already have', Reddit, Google rank, or multi-source reports), and names the exact alternative tool for each case. Also advises scraping only when the snippet is insufficient, which is practical routing guidance.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.