---
title: "tool si.ask.search"
description: "a `SearchRequest`: `SearchResult` rows, streamed as engines answer, credited to cells."
section: reference
address: /reference/tools/si-ask-search
contract: 0476e35e6e275db5
---

# tool si.ask.search

a `SearchRequest`: `SearchResult` rows, streamed as engines answer, credited to cells.

[figure: Over MCP, si.ask.search takes SearchRequest and returns a card whose body is [SearchResult].]

`SearchResult` rows, streamed as engines answer, credited to cells. The call needs the ask grant at the strategy rung.



| | |
|---|---|
| input | [SearchRequest](/concepts/searchrequest) |
| result | a card whose body is [SearchResult](/concepts/searchresult) |
| read-only | yes |
| destructive | no |
| card address | `ui://scale-intelligence/cards/SearchResult` |
| HTTP route | [`/v1/ask/search`](/reference/ask/search) |





| 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 |  |