Search Web Node

Search the internet and return relevant results.

The Search Web node performs an internet search using the provided query and returns a list of search results with titles, URLs, and snippets. It is useful for web research, lead enrichment, competitive analysis, and finding up-to-date information that is not available in your collections.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
query	string	✅	""	The search query (supports expressions)
instructions	string	❌	""	Additional instructions for the search (template mode)
runMode	string	✅	item	Run mode: item or input

query

Type: string | Required: ✅

The search query to submit to the internet search engine.

Examples:

• Static: AI workflow automation tools 2025
• Dynamic (expression): input.keyword
• Dynamic (item mode): item.searchTerm

instructions

Type: string | Required: ❌

Additional natural language instructions that guide the search. Evaluated in template mode — use ${...} syntax for dynamic values.

Examples:

• Search the person of the channel based on the YouTube URL parameter.
• Search the keyword exactly as given — do not adjust it.

runMode

Type: string | Required: ✅ | Default: item

Controls how the node processes input data:

• item — Runs once per array element. Use item in expressions.
• input — Runs once for the entire input. Use input in expressions.

Configuring This Node

When you select a Search Web node on the workflow canvas, the right-hand configuration panel displays the following sections from top to bottom:

Run Mode & Error Handling

At the top of the panel you will find:

• Run Mode dropdown — Choose between Item (the node executes once per array element) and Input (the node executes once for the entire input object). This corresponds to the runMode parameter.
• Continue on Error toggle — When enabled, the workflow continues to the next node even if this node encounters an error. When disabled (the default), a node error will stop the workflow run.

Variables

A multi-select dropdown that lets you bind workflow variables to this node. Bound variables become accessible in expressions via the variables object (e.g. variables.myVar). You can also click the Create variable button to define a new workflow variable inline without leaving the node panel.

Instructions

A template text area where you can provide natural language guidance for the search. Use ${...} syntax to interpolate dynamic values from the workflow context. For example:

Search for the latest news about ${variables.companyName} in ${variables.industry}.

Property Fields

Below the Instructions area, property fields are organized into Required and Optional sections:

• query (Required) — The search query to submit.

Each property field has a parameter mode selector (accessible via a small icon on the field) with three options:

Mode	Description
Fixed	Enter a static value directly (e.g. type a search query).
Expression	Write a JavaScript expression with access to input, item, and variables from the workflow.
AI Decide	Let the AI agent determine the value at runtime based on the node's instructions and context.

Examples

1. Simple Web Search

Search the internet for a topic:

Parameters:

{
  "runMode": "input",
  "query": "AI workflows and RAG news today",
  "instructions": "Search web for news of today around AI workflows and business automations."
}

2. SEO Keyword Monitoring

Search for a specific keyword to check rankings:

Parameters:

{
  "runMode": "item",
  "query": "input.keyword",
  "instructions": "Search the keyword exactly like that — do not adjust the keyword.",
  "parameterMode": {
    "query": "expression"
  }
}

3. Research a Person from a URL

Look up information about a person based on context from a previous node:

Parameters:

{
  "runMode": "item",
  "query": "",
  "instructions": "Search the person of the channel based on the YouTube URL parameter that you get from the item."
}

Output Structure

The node returns search results, typically as an array of objects:

[
  {
    "title": "AI Workflow Automation Guide",
    "url": "https://example.com/ai-workflow-guide",
    "snippet": "Learn how to automate your business processes using AI..."
  },
  {
    "title": "RAG Systems Explained",
    "url": "https://example.com/rag-explained",
    "snippet": "Retrieval-Augmented Generation combines search with LLMs..."
  }
]

Important Notes

• Rate limits: Internet searches consume credits. Use specific queries to get the most relevant results.
• Dynamic queries: Set parameterMode.query to "expression" to use dynamic values from the input.
• Complementary to Browse Web: Use Search Web to find relevant URLs, then Browse Web to retrieve the full page content.
• Continue on Error: Enable the Continue on Error toggle in the node panel to allow the workflow to proceed even if a search fails (e.g. rate limit exceeded or network error).
• Workflow Variables: Bind workflow variables to this node to use them in expressions. For example, set query to an expression like variables.searchKeyword to make the search query configurable across runs.
• Parameter modes: Each property field supports three modes — Fixed (static value), Expression (JavaScript with access to input, item, variables), and AI Decide (the AI agent determines the value at runtime). Choose the mode that fits your use case via the mode selector on each field.