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Cloudflare announced its Web Search API beta on October 2, 2026, giving AI agents and applications a way to retrieve live web results. The service runs through AI Gateway and launches with Ceramic.ai, Exa and Linkup; pricing follows each provider’s list API price, with no additional markup from Cloudflare.
Cloudflare announced a beta of its Web Search API on October 2, offering AI agents and applications a way to search the live internet and use current results in responses. The service runs through Cloudflare AI Gateway and initially supports three providers: Ceramic.ai, Exa and Linkup.
The API is designed to let applications retrieve web search results instead of relying only on a model’s training data or guessing URLs, according to Cloudflare’s announcement. Developers can send a query through a REST endpoint or call the service from a Cloudflare Worker using the AI binding. Requests can specify a provider and a result limit; Cloudflare’s examples show five results for a query about autumn activities in Salt Lake City.
Search requests pass through AI Gateway, where they appear in gateway logs. Cloudflare says usage is billed against AI Gateway credits at each search provider’s list API price, with no additional Cloudflare markup. Developers may also use their own provider API key, according to the company.
Cloudflare says all three launch 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 launch announcement; the post does not provide further detail about how those commitments are implemented or independently assessed.
Live Search for AI Applications
The beta gives developers using Cloudflare’s AI Gateway a direct way to add live search to applications that generate answers. That can help systems draw on information published after a model’s training cutoff, a practical issue for queries about changing events, services or other current details. Search results can supply material for an application to use, but the announcement does not establish that an AI system will interpret or cite those results accurately.
Routing search through a gateway also places requests in the same logging and credit-billing environment as other gateway activity, according to Cloudflare. The three-provider launch offers developers an initial choice of search services, while the option to provide their own key gives them another way to connect an account. Cloudflare has not published comparative performance data for the providers in the announcement.
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How the Beta Fits AI Gateway
Cloudflare’s October 2 post describes Web Search API as part of its AI Gateway offering. The service is intended for AI agents and applications that need internet search results while answering user queries. The launch announcement provides two integration paths: a REST API request and a call from a Worker through the AI binding.
At launch, the provider choices are Ceramic.ai, Exa and Linkup. Cloudflare says billing uses each provider’s list API price and that requests are recorded in AI Gateway logs. Its announcement links developers to a separate guide, “How to use Web Search API,” for setup instructions.
““Web Search API is now available in beta.””
— Cloudflare
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Questions During the Beta
The announcement does not give a schedule for when the API might leave beta, nor does it specify whether additional search providers will be added. It also provides no details about service availability, request limits, search-result ranking, or performance across providers. Those details may be covered in the linked usage guide or subsequent product updates, but they are not set out in the launch post.
Cloudflare’s post does not describe the scope of the providers’ Zero Data Retention support beyond requests made through Cloudflare, or explain how adherence to its verified bot crawling standards is monitored. The announcement also does not include independent evaluations of the providers’ search quality. Developers evaluating the beta will need to consult the service documentation and provider terms for operational details.
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Developers Can Try the API
Developers can begin using the beta through Cloudflare’s REST API or from a Worker with the AI binding, following the company’s “How to use Web Search API” guide. Cloudflare has not announced a general availability date or a timetable for further provider or feature announcements.
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Key Questions
What did Cloudflare announce?
Cloudflare announced a beta Web Search API on October 2, 2026. It lets AI agents and applications submit internet search queries through Cloudflare AI Gateway.
Which search providers are available at launch?
The launch providers are Ceramic.ai, Exa and Linkup, according to Cloudflare.
How is Web Search API usage billed?
Cloudflare says requests are charged to 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.
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 describe the scope or verification process for that support in further detail.
When will the API leave beta?
Cloudflare has not announced a date for general availability. The service is currently described as being in beta.
Source: hn
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