Web Search

Chat Gipitty supports web search functionality through the /search command prefix or the --search flag. When you start your message with /search or pass the --search option, the application will enable web search capabilities to provide you with up-to-date information from the internet.

How Web Search Works

The web search feature adapts based on your configured model:

  • For GPT models (models starting with "gpt"): The application automatically switches to the gpt-4o-search-preview model and enables web search options for optimal search results.
  • For non-GPT models (like Claude, Llama, or other custom models): The application keeps your configured model and adds web search options to the request.

Basic Usage

To use web search, you can either prefix your query with /search or use the --search flag:

# Using the /search prefix
cgip "/search What are the latest developments in AI?"

# Using the --search flag
cgip --search "What are the latest developments in AI?"

The /search prefix will be automatically removed from your message before it's sent to the model. Using --search applies the same behavior without needing the prefix.

Usage Examples

Current Events

# Search for recent news
cgip --search "What are the latest developments in renewable energy?"

# Get current market information
cgip --search "What is the current price of Bitcoin?"

# Find recent technology updates
cgip --search "What are the new features in the latest Python release?"

Technical Information

# Search for current best practices
cgip --search "What are the current best practices for React performance optimization?"

# Find up-to-date documentation
cgip --search "How to configure Docker containers for production in 2024?"

# Get current software versions
echo "What is the current stable version of Rust?" | cgip --search

Research and Analysis

# Market research
cgip --search "What are the current trends in mobile app development?"

# Academic research
cgip --search "What are the latest findings on climate change mitigation?"

# Competitive analysis
cgip --search "What are the main competitors to OpenAI in the AI space?"

Combining Web Search with Other Features

Web Search with File Input

You can combine web search with file analysis:

# Search for context about your code
cgip --search "How can I optimize this code for performance?" -f my_script.py

# Get current information about technologies in your project
cgip --search "What are the latest security best practices for this framework?" -f package.json

Web Search with Piped Input

Web search works with piped input as well:

# Search for solutions to error messages
command_that_fails 2>&1 | cgip "/search How to fix this error?"

# Get current information about command output
ps aux | cgip "/search What do these system processes indicate about performance?"

Web Search in Sessions

Web search results become part of your session context:

# First query with search
cgip "/search What are the current JavaScript frameworks for 2024?"

# Follow-up question using search results
cgip "Which of these would be best for a small team project?"

Model Behavior

GPT Models

When using GPT models with web search:

  • Automatically switches to gpt-4o-search-preview
  • Provides real-time web search results
  • Cites sources when possible
  • Combines web information with the model's knowledge

Non-GPT Models

When using other models (Claude, Llama, etc.):

  • Keeps your configured model
  • Adds web search capabilities to the request
  • May have varying levels of web search integration depending on the provider

Best Practices

1. Be Specific

More specific search queries yield better results:

# Good: Specific query
cgip "/search React 18 performance optimization techniques 2024"

# Less effective: Vague query
cgip "/search React performance"

2. Use Current Context

Include temporal context when relevant:

# Good: Includes timeframe
cgip "/search Current cybersecurity threats in 2024"

# Good: Includes version
cgip "/search Python 3.12 new features and changes"

3. Combine with Local Context

Use web search to enhance local analysis:

# Analyze local file with current best practices
cgip "/search Current Node.js security best practices" -f package.json

4. Follow-up Questions

Use session context to build on search results:

# Initial search
cgip "/search Latest trends in machine learning deployment"

# Follow-up without search (uses previous context)
cgip "Which of these trends would be most relevant for a startup?"

Limitations and Considerations

Rate Limits

  • Web search may be subject to additional rate limits
  • Consider the cost implications of web search requests

Accuracy

  • Always verify important information from multiple sources
  • Web search results reflect current information but may not always be accurate

Privacy

  • Web search queries may be logged by the API provider
  • Be mindful of sensitive information in search queries

Model Compatibility

  • Web search effectiveness varies by model and provider
  • Some custom endpoints may not support web search features

Troubleshooting

Search Not Working

If web search doesn't seem to be working:

  1. Check your model configuration:

    cgip config --get model

  2. Verify your API endpoint supports web search:

    cgip config --get base_url

  3. Try with a GPT model explicitly:

    cgip -M gpt-4o "/search test query"

Limited Results

If you're getting limited search results:

  • Try rephrasing your query
  • Be more specific about what you're looking for
  • Check if your API provider has web search enabled