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95 lines
3.7 KiB
Text
95 lines
3.7 KiB
Text
---
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title: "Brave Search"
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description: "Give Fabro agents web search capabilities via the Brave Search API"
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---
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Fabro's [`web_search`](/agents/tools#web_search) tool lets agents search the web during workflow execution. It uses the [Brave Search API](https://brave.com/search/api/) to return titles, URLs, and descriptions for any query.
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Fabro selects the backend from the credentials in its vault. Direct Brave Search is preferred whenever `BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY` is present. When that key is absent, Fabro can use [Venice Search](/integrations/venice-search) with `VENICE_API_KEY` instead.
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## Setup
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1. Get a Brave Search API key from the [Brave Search API dashboard](https://brave.com/search/api/)
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2. Store it on the Fabro server:
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```bash
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fabro secret set BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY BSA...
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```
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3. Verify the key is working:
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```bash
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fabro doctor
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```
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The doctor output should show **Web Search** as `brave: configured and reachable`. If the Brave key is missing but a Venice key exists, Fabro checks Venice instead. If neither key exists, web search is reported as a warning. Workflows still run, but the `web_search` tool is omitted from the agent's tool set and its system prompt.
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The Fabro server reads this key from the vault only. It does not read `BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY` from process env or `server.env`.
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## How it works
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Agents call the `web_search` tool with a query string. Fabro sends the query to the Brave Web Search API (`/res/v1/web/search`) and returns numbered results with title, URL, and description:
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```
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1. Rust Lang
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https://rust-lang.org
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A systems language
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2. Rust Book
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https://doc.rust-lang.org/book
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The Rust book
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```
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If `BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY` is not configured, Fabro uses Venice when `VENICE_API_KEY` is available. If neither key is configured, the tool is not registered.
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See the [`web_search` tool reference](/agents/tools#web_search) for parameters and details.
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## Permissions
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`web_search` is classified as a `shell` category tool, requiring the `full` [permission level](/agents/permissions) for auto-approval. At lower permission levels:
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- **Interactive mode** — the user is prompted to approve each call
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- **Non-interactive mode** (`--auto-approve`) — calls are denied
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## Example workflow
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A workflow that researches a topic before writing about it:
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<Frame>
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<img src="/images/brave-search-research.svg" alt="Research workflow: Start → Research → Summarize → Exit" />
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</Frame>
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```dot title="research.fabro"
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digraph Research {
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graph [goal="Research and summarize a topic"]
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rankdir=LR
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start [shape=Mdiamond, label="Start"]
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exit [shape=Msquare, label="Exit"]
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research [label="Research", prompt="Use web_search to find recent information about {{ goal }}. Save your findings to research.md."]
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summarize [label="Summarize", shape=tab, prompt="Read research.md and write a concise summary of the key findings."]
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start -> research -> summarize -> exit
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}
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```
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## Troubleshooting
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**"BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY is not configured"** — Add the key with `fabro secret set BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY <key>`. Run `fabro doctor` to verify.
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**"Brave Search API returned status 401"** — The API key is invalid or expired. Generate a new key from the [Brave Search API dashboard](https://brave.com/search/api/).
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**"Brave Search API returned status 429"** — Rate limit exceeded. The Brave Search free tier has usage limits. Upgrade your plan or reduce the frequency of `web_search` calls.
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## Further reading
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<Columns cols={2}>
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<Card title="Tools" icon="wrench" href="/agents/tools#web_search">
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Full `web_search` tool reference — parameters, output format, and error handling.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Permissions" icon="lock" href="/agents/permissions">
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How tool permissions control web search access.
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</Card>
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</Columns>
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