> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://praison.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# BraveSearch Tool

> Guide for using the BraveSearch tool with PraisonAI agents.

The BraveSearch tool lets an agent search the web through the Brave Search API.

```mermaid theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
graph LR
    subgraph "Brave Search"
        User[User] --> Agent[Agent]
        Agent --> Tool[search_brave]
        Tool --> API[Brave Search API]
        API --> Result[Results]
    end

    classDef input fill:#8B0000,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef process fill:#189AB4,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef output fill:#10B981,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff

    class User,Agent input
    class Tool,API process
    class Result output
```

## Overview

The BraveSearch tool is a tool that allows you to search the web using the BraveSearch API.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
pip install langchain-community google-search-results
```

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
export BRAVE_SEARCH_API="${BRAVE_SEARCH_API:?Set BRAVE_SEARCH_API in your shell}"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="${OPENAI_API_KEY:?Set OPENAI_API_KEY in your shell}"
```

```python theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
from praisonaiagents import Agent, AgentTeam
from langchain_community.tools import BraveSearch
import os


def search_brave(query: str):
    """Searches using BraveSearch and returns results."""
    api_key = os.environ['BRAVE_SEARCH_API']
    tool = BraveSearch.from_api_key(api_key=api_key, search_kwargs={"count": 3})
    return tool.run(query)

data_agent = Agent(instructions="Search about AI job trends in 2025", tools=[search_brave])
editor_agent = Agent(instructions="Write a blog article")
agents = AgentTeam(agents=[data_agent, editor_agent])
agents.start()
```

Generate your BraveSearch API key from [BraveSearch](https://brave.com/search/api/)

## How It Works

```mermaid theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
sequenceDiagram
    participant User
    participant Agent
    participant BraveSearch as search_brave
    participant API as Brave Search API

    User->>Agent: "Search for X"
    Agent->>BraveSearch: search_brave(query)
    BraveSearch->>API: HTTPS request
    API-->>BraveSearch: JSON results
    BraveSearch-->>Agent: parsed result
    Agent-->>User: final answer
```

## Getting Started

<Steps>
  <Step title="Simple Usage">
    1. Install dependencies (see **Overview** above)
    2. Set required API keys in your environment
    3. Run the agent example in **Overview**
  </Step>

  <Step title="With Configuration">
    Use the same tool with an agent — see the **Overview** example, or pass env vars from the sections above.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Keep API keys out of code">
    Read the key with `os.environ['BRAVE_SEARCH_API']` and set it in your shell or a `.env` file. Never hard-code the key in the tool function.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cap the result count">
    `BraveSearch.from_api_key` accepts `search_kwargs={"count": 3}`. Keep `count` low so the agent processes fewer tokens and answers faster.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Handle rate limits">
    Brave returns HTTP 429 when the plan quota is exceeded. Wrap `tool.run(query)` in a `try/except` so the agent can fall back to another search tool instead of crashing.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related Tools

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="DuckDuckGo" icon="book" href="/docs/tools/external/duckduckgo">
    Privacy-focused search
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tavily" icon="book" href="/docs/tools/external/tavily">
    AI-powered search
  </Card>

  <Card title="Serper" icon="book" href="/docs/tools/external/serper">
    Google search API
  </Card>
</CardGroup>