Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced on November 11, 2026, the launch of the standalone Web Search API as part of Amazon Bedrock AgentCore. This new API allows developers to perform web searches with a single API call, returning ranked results from an Amazon-operated web index, complete with textual extracts, page titles, URLs, and publication timestamps when available.
Previously, accessing current web data for AI agents and applications required integration through the AgentCore Gateway, which bundled web search with other tools and handled authentication and orchestration. While this gateway remains the preferred approach for multi-agent frameworks, many developers sought a lower-level, direct access point to integrate web search within their own custom orchestration or non-agent workflows.
The Web Search API meets this demand by simplifying web grounding for applications such as dashboards, fact-checking systems, content enrichment pipelines, and real-time monitoring tools, which need fresh data without the overhead of agent infrastructure. The API is invoked via AWS SDKs or the AWS CLI, authenticated through AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) credentials, eliminating separate API key management and resource creation steps.
Technically, the API operates as the InvokeWebSearch operation on the bedrock-agentcore data plane. Requests are signed using AWS Signature Version 4 and the underlying web search is performed on a private Amazon web index, ensuring queries remain within AWS infrastructure and are not forwarded to third-party providers. The API supports domain filtering, date filtering, and configurable result counts up to 25 per query, enhancing result relevance and trustworthiness.
Importantly, the API complements existing agent workflows by enabling tighter control over retry policies, caching, and error handling, and it integrates seamlessly with popular agent frameworks like LangChain. For sensitive environments, AWS offers PrivateLink support, routing API calls over private network connections within a VPC, reinforcing security and compliance with enterprise controls such as IAM policies, CloudTrail logging, and endpoint policies.
Pricing for the Web Search API is based on a per-query rate of $7 per 1,000 queries, with no additional gateway charges. The API is available in multiple AWS regions including North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, enabling global accessibility.
While the API provides enhanced flexibility and direct integration, it does not replace the AgentCore Gateway’s comprehensive model context protocol features, such as semantic tool selection and inbound authentication for multiple agents. Developers are encouraged to select between the API and gateway based on application needs and complexity.
Source & further reading
Introducing the Web Search API on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore ↗Source published 2026-11-11. This report was prepared with AI assistance from the linked primary-source material. Claims and limitations should be checked against the original announcement or research.