Web Search Agent

Expert agent for searching the web for real-time information using Tavily.

Overview
Capabilities
How It Works
Example Prompts
Configuration
See Also

Overview

The Web Search Agent searches the web for the latest information that may not be available in the local knowledge base. It uses Tavily for chemistry-aware web search and synthesizes results into helpful responses.

Expertise Areas

Latest research papers and preprints
Chemical protocols and procedures
Material safety information
Recent developments in membrane science
Technical specifications
Current news and updates

Tool Source

The Web Search Agent uses the search_web tool from the OHMind-Chem MCP server (Tavily-backed).

Capabilities

Capability	Description
Web Search	Search the internet for current information
Result Synthesis	Combine and summarize search results
Context Awareness	Distinguish web info from knowledge base
Chemistry Focus	Chemistry-aware search optimization

How It Works

Architecture

graph TD
    A[User Query] --> B[Web Search Agent]
    B --> C[search_web Tool]
    C --> D[Tavily API]
    D --> E[Search Results]
    E --> F[LLM Synthesis]
    F --> G[Formatted Response]

Search Process

Query Extraction: Extract search query from user message
Web Search: Call Tavily API via search_web MCP tool
Result Processing: Parse and format search results
Synthesis: LLM generates a comprehensive response
Attribution: Results are marked as web-sourced

Response Format

Responses are prefixed with a web search indicator:

🔍 **Web Search Results:**

[Synthesized information from web search...]

Example Prompts

Latest Research

What's the latest research on alkaline-stable cations for anion exchange 
membranes? Focus on papers from the last year.

Technical Protocols

Find current protocols for synthesizing piperidinium-based cations. 
Include any safety considerations.

Recent Developments

What are the recent developments in hydroxide exchange membrane technology? 
Are there any new commercial products?

Material Safety

Search for safety data and handling procedures for quaternary ammonium 
compounds used in membrane synthesis.

News and Updates

What's new in the field of fuel cell membranes? Any recent breakthroughs 
or announcements?

Comparative Information

Search for comparisons between different types of anion exchange membranes 
in terms of performance and durability.

Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable	Purpose	Default
`TAVILY_API_KEY`	Tavily API key for web search	Required

API Key Setup

Get a Tavily API key from tavily.com
Set the environment variable:

export TAVILY_API_KEY="tvly-your-api-key-here"

Or add to your .env file:

TAVILY_API_KEY=tvly-your-api-key-here

Tool Availability

The web search tool is loaded from the OHMind-Chem MCP server:

# Tool discovery
chem_tools = session_manager.get_tools("OHMind-Chem")
web_search_tool = None
for tool in chem_tools:
    if tool.name == "search_web":
        web_search_tool = tool
        break

Error Handling

Tool Not Available

If the web search tool is not loaded:

Web search is currently unavailable. The search tool could not be loaded.

Solutions:

Check that OHMind-Chem MCP server is running
Verify TAVILY_API_KEY is set
Check MCP server logs for errors

Search Failures

If the search fails:

Web search failed: [error message]

Common causes:

Invalid API key
Network connectivity issues
Rate limiting
Query too long or malformed

Best Practices

When to Use Web Search

Use the Web Search Agent for:

Current/recent information (last few months)
News and announcements
Technical specifications not in knowledge base
Safety data and protocols
Comparative market information

When to Use RAG Instead

Use the RAG Agent for:

Scientific literature review
Established research findings
Historical data
Peer-reviewed content

Query Tips

Be specific about time frames (“last year”, “recent”)
Include relevant technical terms
Specify the type of information needed
Mention if you need safety or regulatory information