Claude 3.7 Sonnet now comes with web search, and this update brings much more than just standard search features. Claude caught up to other AI tools like ChatGPT, the real story lies in how this search works and what it means for pros who use AI in their daily work.
How Claude’s Multi-Search Works
What sets Claude’s search apart is its multi-search approach. Unlike most AI tools that run a single search query, Claude often performs multiple searches for the same prompt. Testing shows that Claude will sometimes run three different search queries for a single request, each targeting a slightly different angle of the question.
For example, when asked for the latest AI news headlines, Claude doesn’t just search once. It runs searches for general headlines, then for more specific recent news, and sometimes a third search for related topics. This gives users a much wider range of results without having to prompt for more.
The search results appear in an expandable format, with the top five results getting the most visual space. This matters if you run a website that wants to be found through AI search – ranking in the top five positions in Claude’s search results will likely drive more clicks than lower positions.
Recent findings suggest that Claude is leveraging Brave Search to power its web search capabilities. Software engineers discovered that Anthropic added “Brave Search” to its subprocessor list (partners who process Claude data) and identified matching citations between Claude’s search results and Brave’s results.
Technical analysis even revealed a parameter called “BraveSearchParams” in Claude’s web search function. This partnership follows a similar arrangement between Brave and Mistral for their Le Chat platform.
While OpenAI uses Bing along with other undisclosed sources for ChatGPT’s search, Anthropic appears to have chosen Brave as its search backbone, which may influence the types of results users receive compared to Google or Bing-powered alternatives.
Getting Better Search Results From Claude
The way you prompt Claude for web search makes a big difference in what you get back. Based on testing, here are some key points:
First, you need to make it clear that you want Claude to search the web. Simply asking “What happened today?” often won’t trigger a web search. Instead, try phrases like “Use the web search feature to find…” or “Search the web for…” to make it clear you want Claude to go online.
Second, be specific about the time frame. Since Claude’s built-in knowledge has a cutoff date, asking for “recent” or “latest” information tells it to use web search rather than its own knowledge.
Third, ask for both the search results and what you want done with them in the same prompt. For example: “Search for the latest AI tools released this month and create a list of the top three with their main features.”
Technical Implementation for Business Users
For teams wanting to use Claude’s search in their daily work, the search feature works best when:
- You ask for both search and analysis in one prompt
- You specify the exact format you want the results in
- You tell Claude to cite its sources
For example, instead of just asking “Search for market trends in AI,” try “Search for the latest market trends in AI from the past month, create a brief report with three key insights, and include links to your sources.”
Claude will run multiple searches, pull in the most relevant data, and format it as requested. This makes it far more useful for quick business research than tools that only return raw search results.
Impact on AI Tool Selection
Claude’s search is currently only for paid users in the US, but the company says it will roll out to free users and more countries soon. This puts it firmly in competition with ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity.
What makes Claude stand out is how it combines search with its other strengths. Claude 3.7 Sonnet already had strong coding abilities, and with web search added, it can now pull in current API documentation and then code a working solution based on that up-to-date information.
For teams choosing an AI tool, Claude now offers:
- More thorough search with multiple queries
- Better code generation from current documentation
- Direct source links for fact-checking
- Preview capability for web content it creates
This makes it more useful for developers who need to work with the latest APIs and documentation, as well as for teams that need well-sourced research reports.
How To Optimize Content For Claude’s Search
If you create online content that you want to be found through Claude’s search, a few key points stand out:
- The top five results get the most attention, so standard SEO practices still matter
- Claude appears to favor clear, structured content that directly answers questions
- Technical details and specifications are well-represented in search results
- Content needs to be clearly organized with good headers and structure
Since Claude will run multiple search queries, content that covers a topic from different angles may have a better chance of being found. This means comprehensive guides that address both basics and more technical details may perform better than very narrow content.
What’s Next for AI Search Tools
Claude’s search is a sign of where AI tools are heading. Rather than just linking to web pages, these tools aim to process information and deliver it in ready-to-use formats.
As these tools get better, we’ll likely see more specialized search features. For example, Claude could add:
- Finance-specific search modes for market analysis
- Code-focused search for developer documentation
- Data visualization tools that work with search results
This shift means that people will rely less on traditional search engines and more on AI tools that can both find and process information. For many technical tasks, this could save hours of manually reading through search results.
What This Means For You
Whether you’re a developer, business analyst, or content creator, Claude’s web search offers a more streamlined way to gather and use online information. By combining multiple searches with its ability to process and format information, it can turn raw search results into usable outputs.
To get the most from it:
- Be clear when you want Claude to search
- Ask for specific formats and outcomes
- Take advantage of its ability to code from search results
- Check sources when accuracy matters
As AI search tools become more common, the line between search engines and AI assistants will continue to blur. Tools like Claude that can both search and act on information will become increasingly valuable for professional work.
Want to try it yourself? Claude Pro costs $20 monthly, the same as ChatGPT Plus, though the free version should get search capabilities soon.
