— name: tavily description: Tavily web search, content extraction, and research tools. metadata: { "openclaw": { "emoji": "🔍", "requires": { "config": ["plugins.entries.tavily.enabled"] } } } — # Tavily Tools ## When to use which tool | Need | Tool | When | | —————————- | —————- | ————————————————————- | | Quick web search | `web_search` | Basic queries, no special options needed | | Search with advanced options | `tavily_search` | Need depth, topic, domain filters, time ranges, or AI answers | | Extract content from URLs | `tavily_extract` | Have specific URLs, need their content | ## web_search Tavily powers this automatically when selected as the search provider. Use for straightforward queries where you don't need Tavily-specific options. | Parameter | Description | | ——— | ———————— | | `query` | Search query string | | `count` | Number of results (1-20) | ## tavily_search Use when you need fine-grained control over search behavior. | Parameter | Description | | —————– | ——————————————————————— | | `query` | Search query string (keep under 400 characters) | | `search_depth` | `basic` (default, balanced) or `advanced` (highest relevance, slower) | | `topic` | `general` (default), `news` (real-time updates), or `finance` | | `max_results` | Number of results, 1-20 (default: 5) | | `include_answer` | Include an AI-generated answer summary (default: false) | | `time_range` | Filter by recency: `day`, `week`, `month`, or `year` | | `include_domains` | Array of domains to restrict results to | | `exclude_domains` | Array of domains to exclude from results | ### Search depth | Depth | Speed | Relevance | Best for | | ———- | —— | ——— | ——————————————– | | `basic` | Faster | High | General-purpose queries (default) | | `advanced` | Slower | Highest | Precision, specific facts, detailed research | ### Tips – **Keep queries under 400 characters** — think search query, not prompt. – **Break complex queries into sub-queries** for better results. – **Use `include_domains`** to focus on trusted sources. – **Use `time_range`** for recent information (news, current events). – **Use `include_answer`** when you need a quick synthesized answer. ## tavily_extract Use when you have specific URLs and need their content. Handles JavaScript-rendered pages and returns clean markdown. Supports query-focused chunking for targeted extraction. | Parameter | Description | | ——————- | —————————————————————— | | `urls` | Array of URLs to extract (1-20 per request) | | `query` | Rerank extracted chunks by relevance to this query | | `extract_depth` | `basic` (default, fast) or `advanced` (for JS-heavy pages, tables) | | `chunks_per_source` | Chunks per URL, 1-5 (requires `query`) | | `include_images` | Include image URLs in results (default: false) | ### Extract depth | Depth | When to use | | ———- | ———————————————————– | | `basic` | Simple pages — try this first | | `advanced` | JS-rendered SPAs, dynamic content, tables, embedded content | ### Tips – **Max 20 URLs per request** — batch larger lists into multiple calls. – **Use `query` + `chunks_per_source`** to get only relevant content instead of full pages. – **Try `basic` first**, fall back to `advanced` if content is missing or incomplete. – If `tavily_search` results already contain the snippets you need, skip the extract step. ## Choosing the right workflow Follow this escalation pattern — start simple, escalate only when needed: 1. **`web_search`** — Quick lookup, no special options needed. 2. **`tavily_search`** — Need depth control, topic filtering, domain filters, time ranges, or AI answers. 3. **`tavily_extract`** — Have specific URLs, need their full content or targeted chunks. Combine search + extract when you need to find pages first, then get their full content.