This guide provides a copy/paste template to request web browsing / web search from an agent.

Prompt block (canonical): web-browsing.user.txt
Prompt blocks index: Prompt blocks

Scope

This template is intended for systems that may have a web-browsing/search tool. Whether the tool actually runs depends on the runtime configuration.

Key requirements to specify

1) Trigger tool use
Ask explicitly to use the system’s web-browsing/search tool.

2) Constrain recency
Use an explicit time window (e.g., last 30 days). If insufficient, require the agent to expand the window and state the expansion.

3) Enforce evidence
Require citations for claims involving numbers, dates, versions, policies, or comparisons.

4) Handle disagreements
If sources disagree, require attribution of each position.

5) Fail closed
If browsing is unavailable, require an explicit sentinel output and stop.

Use your web-browsing/search tool.

Recency: default to the last 30 days. If results are insufficient, expand to the last 12 months and explicitly state that you expanded the window.

Sources: prefer primary/official sources when available. If you use secondary sources, say so.

Evidence: for every claim involving numbers, dates, versions, policies, or comparisons, include an inline citation marker [n]. Do not fabricate citations.

Disagreements: if sources disagree, summarize the disagreement and attribute each position to its source.

Failure modes:

End with a Sources list: [n] Title — Publisher/Org — Date — URL

Notes for API builders (not chat users)

Some APIs expose explicit controls over tool invocation (for example, a parameter that can allow/require/forbid tool calls). Prefer runtime-level controls over prompt-only enforcement where available.

References (tool invocation controls)