Web search is now available for all Claude.ai users, including free Claude.ai accounts.
To access this feature on a Claude for Work (Enterprise or Team) account:
A Primary Owner/Owner must first enable web search for the entire workspace. This can be found in Settings > Integrations > Organization integrations under “Capabilities”
Note: Even if a Primary Owner/Owner is not based in a location where web search is supported, they will still see this workspace-level setting that applies to any members based in those locations:
Once this is enabled at the workspace level, any user in a supported location will be able to toggle web search on in their Integrations Settings to start leveraging the feature.
You can have Claude 4 Sonnet search the internet to provide you with up-to-date information and insights. Web search expands Claude's knowledge with real-time data, helping you make better-informed decisions with current information.
To Enable Web Search
Click on the slider icon in your chat input interface
Locate web search in the dropdown
Switch the toggle on
You can disable the feature at any time by following the same steps and turning the toggle off.
How Web Search Works
When you ask about topics that benefit from current information, Claude invokes a search tool to inform and ground its generated responses with content from the live web. Every response includes citations, so you can easily verify sources yourself.
During a Search
When Claude searches the web:
You'll see an indicator that Claude is searching the web
Claude processes multiple sources to find relevant content
Claude provides a conversational response that includes:
Direct citations to sources
Source links for further reading
Relevant quotes when appropriate
Web Fetch and Direct Links
When “Web search” is toggled on, Claude can also retrieve content directly from web pages when provided with specific URLs. This feature, called web fetch, allows Claude to access and analyze the full content of articles, blog posts, and other web pages you want to discuss.
Please note for free Claude.ai accounts: When you provide Claude with a direct link to a long article or document and ask it to analyze or summarize the contents, the entire article is retrieved into Claude's context window. This can consume a significant portion of your usage capacity, especially for lengthy content. For example, asking Claude to summarize a 10,000-word article will use substantially more of your context window than a regular web search query.
Managing Usage on Free Claude.ai
As a free user, you have daily usage limits for Claude. Since web search and fetch both contribute to these limits, here are some tips to make the most of your capacity:
Be mindful of direct links: Before asking Claude to analyze a long article via its URL, consider whether you need the full analysis or just key points
Toggle web search off when not needed: If you're having a conversation that doesn't require current information, disable web search to conserve your usage
Use web search strategically: Focus on queries where up-to-date information is essential
To disable web search and conserve your capacity:
Click on the slider icon in the lower left corner of your chat input
Find “Web search” in the dropdown
Toggle it off
You can re-enable it anytime you need current information.
Tips for Effective Use
Ask About Recent Information: If you ask questions like "Are there any upcoming meteor showers?" or "What are the latest developments in quantum computing?", Claude will search the web for current data.
Specify in Your Prompt:
If you want to ensure that Claude uses web search, include "Search the web" or "Use web search" in your prompt to Claude.
You can also instruct Claude not to use web search in the prompt.
Request Multiple Sources: Claude can gather and synthesize information from various sources to give you a comprehensive view
Verify Important Information: While Claude strives for accuracy:
Cross-reference cited sources to understand the full picture
Use authoritative sources for critical decisions
Limitations
Search availability may vary based on connectivity
Occasionally, website links may not function
Claude may use your location (inferred from your IP address) when responding to a request for localized results
Search times may vary based on query complexity
Usage of web search and web fetch counts toward your daily limits
Support
For web search questions or support, please visit our Online Safety Contacts page.
For content removal requests, please visit our Blocking and Removing Content from Claude page.