Live Web Search lets an AI Answer node look up current public information while responding to a customer.

It is useful when the answer may depend on information that changes over time, such as:

Weather
News
Opening hours
Travel information
Public events
Current prices or rates published online
Information from your own public website
Other live public information

Live Web Search is enabled by default in AI Answer and can be turned off when the AI agent should not browse the internet.

When should I use Live Web Search?

Use Live Web Search when the AI agent may need information that is not fixed inside your own knowledge.

For example:

“What will the weather be like this weekend?”

“Is the museum open tomorrow?”

“What time does the airport shuttle start?”

“What events are happening nearby tonight?”

“What are the current opening hours on our website?”

These questions may require current information rather than information stored in the AI agent's instructions or uploaded files.

How Live Web Search works

When Live Web Search is enabled, AI Answer can decide to browse the web when the customer's question requires current information.

A typical interaction works like this:

The customer asks a question.
AI Answer determines that current information is needed.
Live Web Search retrieves relevant public information.
AI Answer uses that information to respond inside the conversation.

The customer stays in the same conversation.

You do not need to create a separate workflow node for the web search.

Example: current weather

A hotel guest asks:

“Will it rain tomorrow afternoon?”

AI Answer with Live Web Search enabled can look up the current forecast and respond with the latest available information.

Without Live Web Search, the AI agent should not be expected to know a current weather forecast.

Example: current business information

A customer asks:

“Is the spa open this Thursday?”

If the spa's current opening hours are published online, AI Answer can use Live Web Search to retrieve the latest information before answering.

This is useful when information may change more often than your uploaded knowledge is updated.

Restrict Live Web Search to approved websites

You can keep Live Web Search enabled while limiting which websites the AI agent is allowed to use.

This is useful when you want current information but do not want the AI agent searching the open web.

For example, you might allow:

Your own website
An airline website
An airport website
A tourism authority website
A government website
A partner website
Another trusted public source

This gives you more control over where live information comes from.

Example: travel agent

A travel AI agent might be allowed to search:

The travel agency's website
Airline websites
Airport websites
Official tourism websites

The agent can retrieve current information from those approved sources while avoiding unrelated websites.

Open web access vs. approved websites

There are three common ways to configure web access.

Live Web Search on

The AI agent can search public web sources when current information is needed.

Use this when broad public information is useful.

Live Web Search on with approved websites

The AI agent can search current information but only from websites you allow.

Use this when source control is important.

Live Web Search off

The AI agent does not browse the web.

Use this when responses should stay within your configured instructions, knowledge, documents, data, or other controlled sources.

When should I turn Live Web Search off?

Turn Live Web Search off when the AI agent should not use public internet information.

Examples include:

Internal knowledge assistants
Controlled policy answers
Regulated or sensitive workflows
Processes where only approved internal information should be used
AI agents that must answer only from uploaded documents
Workflows where public information could conflict with your business rules

You can define the intended behavior in the AI Answer instructions and disable web browsing when live public information is not needed.

Live Web Search vs. AI Answer knowledge

AI Answer can contain instructions and knowledge that you provide directly.

Use that knowledge for information that should remain stable and controlled, such as:

Business rules
Service descriptions
Tone and behavior
Approved explanations
Internal procedures
Important business information

Use Live Web Search when the answer depends on information that may have changed since that knowledge was written.

Example

Your AI Answer knowledge says:

“Our hotel is located five minutes from Central Station.”

A customer asks:

“Are trains running normally today?”

The hotel location is stable knowledge.

Today's train status is current information and may require Live Web Search.

Live Web Search vs. Document Search

Live Web Search and Document Search solve different problems.

Use Live Web Search when the AI agent needs current information from public websites.

Use Document Search when the AI agent needs to search dedicated documents or written knowledge you have provided.

Live Web Search is useful for:

Current weather
Current opening hours
Public events
Live travel information
Current information published on websites

Document Search is useful for:

Policies
Manuals
Internal guides
FAQs
Procedures
Uploaded PDFs
Written business knowledge

If the answer should come from your controlled documents, use Document Search.

If the answer needs to reflect what is currently published online, use Live Web Search.

Live Web Search vs. Data Search

Live Web Search searches public web information.

Data Search works with structured data such as CSV and Excel files.

Use Data Search when you need exact values from structured records, such as:

Product prices
Inventory
Vehicle records
Location IDs
Insurance factors
Product specifications

Do not use Live Web Search as a replacement for structured business data that you already maintain inside AskHandle.

Can Live Web Search work with other AI Answer skills?

Yes.

Live Web Search is one capability inside AI Answer and can be used alongside other enabled skills.

For example, a customer could:

Ask about the weather for Thursday
Receive a current answer using Live Web Search
Ask to book an appointment for that day
Continue with AI Answer with Scheduling enabled

The conversation remains continuous even when AI Answer uses different capabilities.

Example: hotel concierge

A guest asks:

“What is the weather tomorrow, and can I book a spa treatment in the afternoon?”

AI Answer can use Live Web Search for the weather and Scheduling for the appointment if both capabilities are enabled and configured.

Example: local recommendations

A guest asks:

“What events are happening nearby this weekend?”

Live Web Search can help the AI agent retrieve current public information.

If you only want recommendations from selected local sources, restrict browsing to approved websites.

Use instructions to guide web browsing

Your AI Answer instructions should make clear how the agent should use live information.

For example, you can define:

When live information is appropriate
Which topics should use your own knowledge instead
What the AI agent should do if current information cannot be confirmed
Whether certain sources should be preferred
Whether the AI agent should avoid making assumptions

Live Web Search provides access to current information, while the instructions define how the AI agent should behave with that information.

Do not use live search for information you already control

If your business already maintains exact information in AskHandle, use the appropriate controlled source.