---
title: "ask: search"
description: "a `SearchRequest` to `SearchResult` rows, streamed as engines answer, credited to cells"
section: reference
address: /reference/ask/search
contract: 0476e35e6e275db5
---
# ask: search
a `SearchRequest` to `SearchResult` rows, streamed as engines answer, credited to cells
[figure: The caller sends SearchRequest to /v1/ask/search. The platform returns a card whose body is [SearchResult].]
POST/v1/ask/searcha task, 202
Search. The call needs the strategy rung under a token with the ask grant, and it is served by either, by the size bound.
The route takes [SearchRequest](/concepts/searchrequest) and returns a card whose body is [SearchResult](/concepts/searchresult).
## Request body
The request body is [SearchRequest](/concepts/searchrequest).
| field | type | required | note |
|---|---|---|---|
| `query` | `text` | yes | |
| `engines` | `[text]` | no | empty means the rows' default set |
| `categories` | `[text]` | no | general, news, science, social, code, images, videos, files, maps |
| `time_range` | [Window](/concepts/window) | no | |
| `language` | `text` | no | |
| `safe_search` | `one of off \| moderate \| strict` | yes | |
| `count` | `count` | yes | |
| `page` | `count` | yes | |
| `as_identity` | `id` | no | a held identity, lent by a grant |
| `credit_cells` | `[id]` | no | |
## Response
The route returns a card whose body is [SearchResult](/concepts/searchresult). Every card ends with a foot that states the basis of each number, the scope of the call, and the time when the facts were true. This route runs as a long step and returns a task with status 202. `POST /v1/work/status` returns the task's progress, and `POST /v1/work/cancel` stops the task.
## Headers
| header | required | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| `Scale-Scope` | yes | the scope the call runs in: tenant/, then /brand/, then /strategy/ |
| `Scale-As-True-On` | no | the date the facts must have been true on; defaults to now |
| `Scale-As-Known-On` | no | the date the facts must have been known on; defaults to now |
| `Scale-Key` | no | for a change, the key made from the input; a repeat under the same key returns the unit held and writes nothing |
A caller needs the strategy rung and a token with the ask grant. The platform or the desktop app serves this route.
## Example
The example sends the smallest body that SearchRequest allows. The build validates it against the schema of SearchRequest.
Example
```sh
curl -X POST https://api.scaleintelligence.co/v1/ask/search \
-H "Scale-Key: $SCALE_KEY" -H "Scale-Scope: tenant/" \
-H "content-type: application/json" \
-d '{ "query": "…", "safe_search": "off", "count": 0, "page": 0 }'
```
```typescript
import { client } from "@scale/sdk";
const answer = await client.ask.search({
"query": "…",
"safe_search": "off",
"count": 0,
"page": 0
});
// answer.body is a [SearchResult]. answer.foot holds the basis, the scope and the time.
```
```python
import requests
answer = requests.post("https://api.scaleintelligence.co/v1/ask/search",
headers={"Scale-Key": KEY, "Scale-Scope": "tenant/"},
json={
"query": "…",
"safe_search": "off",
"count": 0,
"page": 0
}).json()
```
```rust
let answer: Card = client.post("https://api.scaleintelligence.co/v1/ask/search")
.header("Scale-Key", key).header("Scale-Scope", "tenant/")
.json(&SearchRequest { /* the fields of the page */ }).send().await?.json().await?;
```