Add web_search tool and wire into prompts, tools, and UI

apps/cli/src/ui/components/ChatHistoryItem.tsx

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ type ToolCategory = "file" | "directory" | "search" | "command" | "browser" | "m
 function getToolCategory(toolName: string): ToolCategory {
 	const fileTools = ["readFile", "read_file", "writeToFile", "write_to_file", "applyDiff", "apply_diff"]
 	const dirTools = ["listFiles", "list_files", "listFilesRecursive", "listFilesTopLevel"]
-	const searchTools = ["searchFiles", "search_files"]
+	const searchTools = ["searchFiles", "search_files", "webSearch", "web_search"]
 	const commandTools = ["executeCommand", "execute_command"]
 	const browserTools = ["browserAction", "browser_action"]
 	const modeTools = ["switchMode", "switch_mode", "newTask", "new_task"]

apps/cli/src/ui/components/tools/types.ts

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export function getToolCategory(toolName: string): ToolCategory {
 		"writeToFile",
 	]
 
-	const searchTools = ["searchFiles", "search_files", "codebaseSearch", "codebase_search"]
+	const searchTools = ["searchFiles", "search_files", "codebaseSearch", "codebase_search", "webSearch", "web_search"]
 	const commandTools = ["execute_command", "executeCommand"]
 	const browserTools = ["browser_action", "browserAction"]
 	const modeTools = ["switchMode", "switch_mode", "newTask", "new_task", "finishTask"]

apps/cli/src/ui/components/tools/utils.ts

@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ export function getToolDisplayName(toolName: string): string {
 		search_files: "Search Files",
 		codebaseSearch: "Codebase Search",
 		codebase_search: "Codebase Search",
+		webSearch: "Web Search",
+		web_search: "Web Search",
 
 		// Command operations
 		execute_command: "Execute Command",
@@ -126,6 +128,8 @@ export function getToolIconName(toolName: string): IconName {
 		search_files: "search",
 		codebaseSearch: "search",
 		codebase_search: "search",
+		webSearch: "search",
+		web_search: "search",
 
 		// Command operations
 		execute_command: "terminal",

packages/types/src/tool.ts

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export const toolNames = [
 	"search_files",
 	"list_files",
 	"browser_action",
+	"web_search",
 	"use_mcp_tool",
 	"access_mcp_resource",
 	"ask_followup_question",

packages/types/src/vscode-extension-host.ts

@@ -676,6 +676,7 @@ export interface ClineSayTool {
 		| "listFilesTopLevel"
 		| "listFilesRecursive"
 		| "searchFiles"
+		| "webSearch"
 		| "switchMode"
 		| "newTask"
 		| "finishTask"

src/core/assistant-message/presentAssistantMessage.ts

@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import { generateImageTool } from "../tools/GenerateImageTool"
 import { applyDiffTool as applyDiffToolClass } from "../tools/ApplyDiffTool"
 import { validateToolUse } from "../tools/validateToolUse"
 import { codebaseSearchTool } from "../tools/CodebaseSearchTool"
+import { webSearchTool } from "../tools/WebSearchTool"
 
 import { formatResponse } from "../prompts/responses"
 
@@ -1016,6 +1017,15 @@ export async function presentAssistantMessage(cline: Task) {
 						toolProtocol,
 					})
 					break
+				case "web_search":
+					await webSearchTool.handle(cline, block as ToolUse<"web_search">, {
+						askApproval,
+						handleError,
+						pushToolResult,
+						removeClosingTag,
+						toolProtocol,
+					})
+					break
 				case "browser_action":
 					await browserActionTool(
 						cline,

src/core/auto-approval/tools.ts

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export function isReadOnlyToolAction(tool: ClineSayTool): boolean {
 		"listFilesRecursive",
 		"searchFiles",
 		"codebaseSearch",
+		"webSearch",
 		"runSlashCommand",
 	].includes(tool.tool)
 }

src/core/prompts/tools/filter-tools-for-mode.ts

@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@ export function filterNativeToolsForMode(
 	// Conditionally exclude browser_action if disabled in settings
 	if (settings?.browserToolEnabled === false) {
 		allowedToolNames.delete("browser_action")
+		allowedToolNames.delete("web_search")
 	}
 
 	// Conditionally exclude apply_diff if diffs are disabled
@@ -383,7 +384,7 @@ export function isToolAllowedInMode(
 	}
 
 	// Check for browser_action being disabled by user settings
-	if (toolName === "browser_action" && settings?.browserToolEnabled === false) {
+	if ((toolName === "browser_action" || toolName === "web_search") && settings?.browserToolEnabled === false) {
 		return false
 	}
 

src/core/prompts/tools/index.ts

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { getAccessMcpResourceDescription } from "./access-mcp-resource"
 import { getSwitchModeDescription } from "./switch-mode"
 import { getNewTaskDescription } from "./new-task"
 import { getCodebaseSearchDescription } from "./codebase-search"
+import { getWebSearchDescription } from "./web-search"
 import { getUpdateTodoListDescription } from "./update-todo-list"
 import { getRunSlashCommandDescription } from "./run-slash-command"
 import { getGenerateImageDescription } from "./generate-image"
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ const toolDescriptionMap: Record<string, (args: ToolArgs) => string | undefined>
 	search_files: (args) => getSearchFilesDescription(args),
 	list_files: (args) => getListFilesDescription(args),
 	browser_action: (args) => getBrowserActionDescription(args),
+	web_search: () => getWebSearchDescription(),
 	ask_followup_question: () => getAskFollowupQuestionDescription(),
 	attempt_completion: (args) => getAttemptCompletionDescription(args),
 	use_mcp_tool: (args) => getUseMcpToolDescription(args),
@@ -131,6 +133,11 @@ export function getToolDescriptionsForMode(
 		tools.delete("run_slash_command")
 	}
 
+	// Conditionally exclude web_search if browser tools are disabled in settings
+	if (settings?.browserToolEnabled === false) {
+		tools.delete("web_search")
+	}
+
 	// Map tool descriptions for allowed tools
 	const descriptions = Array.from(tools).map((toolName) => {
 		const descriptionFn = toolDescriptionMap[toolName]
@@ -164,6 +171,7 @@ export {
 	getAccessMcpResourceDescription,
 	getSwitchModeDescription,
 	getCodebaseSearchDescription,
+	getWebSearchDescription,
 	getRunSlashCommandDescription,
 	getGenerateImageDescription,
 }

src/core/prompts/tools/native-tools/index.ts

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import edit_file from "./edit_file"
 import searchFiles from "./search_files"
 import switchMode from "./switch_mode"
 import updateTodoList from "./update_todo_list"
+import webSearch from "./web_search"
 import writeToFile from "./write_to_file"
 
 export { getMcpServerTools } from "./mcp_server"
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ export function getNativeTools(options: NativeToolsOptions = {}): OpenAI.Chat.Ch
 		searchFiles,
 		switchMode,
 		updateTodoList,
+		webSearch,
 		writeToFile,
 	] satisfies OpenAI.Chat.ChatCompletionTool[]
 }

src/core/prompts/tools/native-tools/web_search.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import type OpenAI from "openai"
+
+const WEB_SEARCH_DESCRIPTION = `Search the public web for up-to-date information and return a concise list of results with titles, URLs, and snippets. Use this tool when you need real-time or external context that is not available in the local workspace.
+
+Parameters:
+- query: (required) The search query to run.
+- max_results: (optional) Maximum number of results to return (default: 5, max: 10).
+
+Example: Searching for release notes
+{ "query": "Cline 3.48.0 web search tool", "max_results": 5 }`
+
+const QUERY_PARAMETER_DESCRIPTION = `Search query string`
+
+const MAX_RESULTS_PARAMETER_DESCRIPTION = `Optional cap on number of results (1-10)`
+
+export default {
+	type: "function",
+	function: {
+		name: "web_search",
+		description: WEB_SEARCH_DESCRIPTION,
+		strict: true,
+		parameters: {
+			type: "object",
+			properties: {
+				query: {
+					type: "string",
+					description: QUERY_PARAMETER_DESCRIPTION,
+				},
+				max_results: {
+					type: ["integer", "null"],
+					description: MAX_RESULTS_PARAMETER_DESCRIPTION,
+				},
+			},
+			required: ["query", "max_results"],
+			additionalProperties: false,
+		},
+	},
+} satisfies OpenAI.Chat.ChatCompletionTool

src/core/prompts/tools/web-search.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+export function getWebSearchDescription(): string {
+	return `## web_search
+Description: Search the public web for up-to-date information and return a concise list of results with titles, URLs, and snippets. Use this tool when you need real-time or external context that is not available in the local workspace.
+
+Parameters:
+- query: (required) The search query to run.
+- max_results: (optional) Maximum number of results to return (default: 5, max: 10).
+
+Usage:
+<web_search>
+<query>Your search query</query>
+<max_results>5</max_results>
+</web_search>
+
+Example:
+<web_search>
+<query>OpenAI Responses API web search tool</query>
+<max_results>3</max_results>
+</web_search>`
+}