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Cloudflare announced on October 2 that its Web Search API is available in beta, giving AI agents and applications a way to retrieve live internet search results. The service launches with Ceramic.ai, Exa and Linkup, and runs through AI Gateway, where requests are logged and billed at each provider’s listed API price.
Cloudflare announced October 2 that its Web Search API is available in beta, allowing AI agents and applications to search the live internet and use results to ground their responses. The API launches with Ceramic.ai, Exa and Linkup as provider options and runs through Cloudflare’s AI Gateway, placing search requests in gateway logs and billing them at providers’ list API prices.
The service is intended to let applications retrieve current web information instead of relying only on a model’s training data or guessing at URLs. Cloudflare describes it as a way for AI agents and applications to search the internet and ground their responses in live information. The announcement does not specify how search results are ranked, how much of the web each provider indexes, or how the API handles conflicting results.
At launch, developers can select Ceramic.ai, Exa or Linkup. Cloudflare says all three providers support Zero Data Retention for requests made through Cloudflare and have committed to its verified bot crawling standards. These are statements in Cloudflare’s announcement; it does not provide further detail there about the providers’ retention controls or how compliance with the crawling standards is checked.
Requests run through AI Gateway. Cloudflare says they appear in gateway logs and are billed against AI Gateway credits at the selected provider’s listed API price, with no additional markup from Cloudflare. Developers may also use their own provider API key. The API can be called through a REST endpoint or from a Cloudflare Worker using the AI binding. The example requests in the announcement show a query, a provider selection, a result limit and, for the REST request, a gateway identifier.
Live Search Inside AI Workflows
The beta gives developers a way to add live web retrieval to AI applications through a Cloudflare API. A model’s training data can become dated, while an application that searches during a request can draw on information available at that time. This may help developers build workflows that need recent material, though Cloudflare’s announcement does not claim that search alone makes model responses accurate or complete.
Routing requests through AI Gateway also brings search activity into an existing service layer for developers who use it. Cloudflare says the requests appear in gateway logs, which can give teams a place to review their API activity. Billing at each provider’s list price, with no additional Cloudflare markup, describes the announced pricing arrangement; the source does not state the providers’ prices or whether other charges may apply under a developer’s wider account setup.
The launch also gives developers a choice of three providers rather than a single search source. That choice could matter for applications with different result needs or provider preferences. Cloudflare has not published comparative performance data in the announcement, so it is not possible from this material to say which provider offers better coverage, speed or relevance for a particular use.
web search API for AI applications
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Cloudflare’s Gateway-Based Launch
Cloudflare presents Web Search API as part of a developer workflow for AI agents and applications. The company says the API can be used either through its REST interface or from a Worker with the AI binding. Its examples show developers submitting a search query, naming a provider and setting a limit on the number of results. The examples demonstrate how to make a request; they do not establish the quality or completeness of the resulting search.
The API is available in beta, rather than being described as a finished general release. Cloudflare directs developers to its guide, “How to use Web Search API,” for setup information. Its announcement does not give a timetable for leaving beta, list geographic availability, or describe service-level commitments. The October 2 post is the launch notice and the factual basis for the details reported here.
““Web Search API is now available in beta.””
— Cloudflare
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Beta Details Still Unspecified
Cloudflare’s announcement does not explain the scope or duration of the beta, when a general release might occur, or whether the available providers and features will change. It also does not publish details on result ranking, source coverage, response times, availability commitments or independent comparisons among Ceramic.ai, Exa and Linkup. Those points remain open based on the launch material.
The announcement says providers support Zero Data Retention for requests made through Cloudflare and have committed to verified bot crawling standards, but does not describe the technical controls, verification process or exceptions. Developers assessing the service will need to consult the provider and Cloudflare documentation for the terms that apply to their use. Pricing is described as each provider’s list API price with no additional Cloudflare markup; actual rates are not included in the announcement.
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Developers Can Try the Beta
Cloudflare points developers to its Web Search API usage guide to get started. They can test a request through the REST endpoint or call the API from a Worker, choosing one of the three launch providers and setting a result limit. Developers using AI Gateway can review search requests in gateway logs, according to the company.
The next public milestones are not specified in the announcement. Cloudflare has not given a date for a general release or said when it will publish additional provider, pricing or performance information. Further details will depend on updates to the beta documentation and any subsequent company announcements.
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Key Questions
What is Cloudflare’s Web Search API?
It is a beta API that lets AI agents and applications submit internet search requests and use live results to ground their responses, according to Cloudflare.
Which search providers are available at launch?
Cloudflare lists Ceramic.ai, Exa and Linkup as the three launch providers.
How are requests billed?
Cloudflare says requests are billed against AI Gateway credits at the selected provider’s list API price, with no additional Cloudflare markup. Developers can also bring their own provider API key.
Is the API generally available?
No. Cloudflare announced it as a beta on October 2, 2026. The announcement does not give a general release date.
What does Cloudflare say about data retention?
Cloudflare says all three launch providers support Zero Data Retention for requests made through Cloudflare. The announcement does not give further detail on controls or exceptions.
Source: hn
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