Web search and web fetch changedthird-party/claude-desktop/web-tools
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5151Add the bundled `websearch` server to [`managedMcpServers`](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/configuration#managedmcpservers). Search runs in the desktop app itself, so it works on every inference provider, including Amazon Bedrock.
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53You can add it from the [in-app configuration window](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/in-app-configuration): under **Connectors**, add a **Web search** server, choose the search provider, and supply the vendor key as a header or through a headers helper script.
53You can add it from the [in-app configuration window](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/in-app-configuration.md): under **Connectors**, add a **Web search** server, choose the search provider, and supply the vendor key as a header or through a headers helper script.
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57The Web search server in the Connectors section of the in-app configuration window, with the search provider menu open.
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5759In the exported configuration, set `provider` to a hosted search vendor (`brave`, `tavily`, or `exa`) for the lowest setup, or to `custom` with `customUrl` to point at a search server you run.
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5961Hosted vendor:
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121123#### Data handling
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123Search queries go to whichever backend you configure. In every option, the query is also visible to your inference provider as part of the conversation, because the model emits the search call. For Google Cloud's Agent Platform and Amazon Bedrock, Anthropic does not receive search queries in any of these options. For Microsoft Foundry, the Anthropic API, or a gateway, the query is part of the conversation content covered under [Data handling by provider](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/overview#data-handling-by-provider). To keep the search backend itself inside your network, use `provider: "custom"` (or a self-hosted MCP) pointed at a search index that runs inside your boundary.
125Search queries go to whichever backend you configure. In every option, the query is also visible to your inference provider as part of the conversation, because the model emits the search call. For Google Cloud's Agent Platform and Amazon Bedrock, Anthropic does not receive search queries in any of these options. For Microsoft Foundry, the Anthropic API, or a gateway, the query is part of the conversation content covered under [Data handling by provider](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/overview.md#data-handling-by-provider). To keep the search backend itself inside your network, use `provider: "custom"` (or a self-hosted MCP) pointed at a search index that runs inside your boundary.
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125For audit, each search the model runs is recorded in the Cowork or Code session telemetry sent to your [OTLP collector](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/telemetry#sending-telemetry-to-your-own-collector) as a `tool_result` event, whichever option you choose (a `WebSearch` event for provider-side or gateway-side search, an MCP tool event for the built-in or a remote search server). Add `toolDetails` to [`otlpContentCapture`](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/telemetry#content-capture) to include the tool input, which carries the query text (long values are truncated). The built-in `websearch` server also emits a `builtin_websearch_call` event on the desktop application's own stream with the search provider, query length, result count, duration, and status, never the query text. The app exports that event only when [`otlpDesktopLogLevel`](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/configuration#otlpdesktoploglevel) is `info` or `debug`, not at the default `error` level.
127For audit, each search the model runs is recorded in the Cowork or Code session telemetry sent to your [OTLP collector](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/telemetry.md#sending-telemetry-to-your-own-collector) as a `tool_result` event, whichever option you choose (a `WebSearch` event for provider-side or gateway-side search, an MCP tool event for the built-in or a remote search server). Add `toolDetails` to [`otlpContentCapture`](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/telemetry#content-capture) to include the tool input, which carries the query text (long values are truncated). The built-in `websearch` server also emits a `builtin_websearch_call` event on the desktop application's own stream with the search provider, query length, result count, duration, and status, never the query text. The app exports that event only when [`otlpDesktopLogLevel`](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/configuration#otlpdesktoploglevel) is `info` or `debug`, not at the default `error` level.
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127129> [!NOTE]
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145147> [!NOTE]
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147> Your perimeter firewall is a separate, outer layer from `coworkEgressAllowedHosts`, so a host allowed by this key still won't be reachable if your corporate network blocks it. See [Telemetry and egress](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/telemetry#required-egress-paths) for the distinction.
149> Your perimeter firewall is a separate, outer layer from `coworkEgressAllowedHosts`, so a host allowed by this key still won't be reachable if your corporate network blocks it. See [Telemetry and egress](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/telemetry.md#required-egress-paths) for the distinction.
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149The same allowlist governs other in-sandbox network activity (for example, `curl` or `pip install` from the agent's shell), not just the Web Fetch tool. A command-line tool that a [plugin](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/extensions#controlling-user-extensions) adds to the Cowork sandbox can also reach the hosts its plugin declares, whatever the list holds. Claude Desktop's own connections for inference, sign-in, model discovery, telemetry export, and MCP servers aren't checked against it and need no entry.
151The same allowlist governs other in-sandbox network activity (for example, `curl` or `pip install` from the agent's shell), not just the Web Fetch tool. A command-line tool that a [plugin](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/extensions.md#controlling-user-extensions) adds to the Cowork sandbox can also reach the hosts its plugin declares, whatever the list holds. Claude Desktop's own connections for inference, sign-in, model discovery, telemetry export, and MCP servers aren't checked against it and need no entry.
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151153If a shell command or a Claude Code [HTTP hook](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/hooks#http-hook-fields) calls your gateway, inference provider, OTLP collector, or `api.anthropic.com`, add that host. Earlier versions of Claude Desktop added some of these hosts automatically, so when you update, add the ones the agent calls.
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153In [Code](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/code) sessions, Claude Code's Web Fetch tool also asks `api.anthropic.com` whether each domain is on Anthropic's blocklist before fetching, and refuses the fetch if that lookup cannot complete. If your devices cannot reach `api.anthropic.com`, or you do not want fetched hostnames sent there, set [`skipWebFetchPreflight`](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/configuration#skipwebfetchpreflight) to `true`. The key requires Claude Desktop 1.37937.0 or later. Cowork sessions do not perform this lookup.
155In [Code](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/code.md) sessions, Claude Code's Web Fetch tool also asks `api.anthropic.com` whether each domain is on Anthropic's blocklist before fetching, and refuses the fetch if that lookup cannot complete. If your devices cannot reach `api.anthropic.com`, or you do not want fetched hostnames sent there, set [`skipWebFetchPreflight`](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/configuration#skipwebfetchpreflight) to `true`. The key requires Claude Desktop 1.37937.0 or later. Cowork sessions do not perform this lookup.
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155157### How the egress allowlist applies in Code sessions
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157In [Code](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/code) sessions, the key reaches Claude Code's own Web Fetch tool and shell sandbox as managed settings, unless [Claude Code managed settings that you deploy separately](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/code#interaction-with-claude-code%E2%80%99s-own-managed-settings) take precedence:
159In [Code](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/code.md) sessions, the key reaches Claude Code's own Web Fetch tool and shell sandbox as managed settings, unless [Claude Code managed settings that you deploy separately](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/code.md#interaction-with-claude-code%E2%80%99s-own-managed-settings) take precedence:
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159161* **Web Fetch**: each host you list becomes a Claude Code `WebFetch` allow rule. The key doesn't block a fetch to another host. In Auto mode, which new Code sessions start in by default, and in bypass permissions mode, Claude Code doesn't ask the user before that fetch. For the other modes, see [WebFetch tool behavior](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/tools-reference#webfetch-tool-behavior).
160162* **Web Fetch controls**: to have the user approve every fetch, set `WebFetch` to `"ask"` in [`builtinToolPolicy`](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/configuration#builtintoolpolicy), which also applies in Cowork and Chat. To remove the tool, see [Disabling web tools](#disabling-web-tools).
161* **Shell commands**: commands that run in [Claude Code's sandbox](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/code#applied-as-managed-policy) reach only the hosts you list. On Windows, and on Linux without Claude Code's sandbox dependencies, shell commands run unsandboxed and can reach any host your network allows. To keep Code off such devices, see [Disabling Code](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/code#disabling-code). For SSH hosts, see [Sandbox status on the remote host](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/ssh-remote-sessions#sandbox-status-on-the-remote-host).
163* **Shell commands**: commands that run in [Claude Code's sandbox](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/code.md#applied-as-managed-policy) reach only the hosts you list. On Windows, and on Linux without Claude Code's sandbox dependencies, shell commands run unsandboxed and can reach any host your network allows. To keep Code off such devices, see [Disabling Code](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/code.md#disabling-code). For SSH hosts, see [Sandbox status on the remote host](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/ssh-remote-sessions.md#sandbox-status-on-the-remote-host).
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163165## Disabling web tools
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171173With the web tools removed and `coworkEgressAllowedHosts` empty, commands in the agent's sandboxed shell reach no host other than those a [plugin declares for its command-line tool](#web-fetch). In Code sessions where [Claude Code's sandbox doesn't run](#how-the-egress-allowlist-applies-in-code-sessions), shell commands can reach any host your network allows.
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173The agent can still read and write local files, run code against them, and call any MCP servers you've provisioned. See the [Locked down profile](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/configuration#recommended-security-profiles).
175The agent can still read and write local files, run code against them, and call any MCP servers you've provisioned. See the [Locked down profile](/docs/third-party/claude-desktop/configuration.md#recommended-security-profiles).
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