---
ref: tool:apify/search-web
name: Search the web and read the top results
company: company:apify
workflows: []
access: [mcp]
tags: [capability:research-accounts, category:scraper, has:mcp]
docs: https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp
updated: 2026-09-27
---

# Search the web and read the top results

Starts Apify's RAG Web Browser on a query, or on one URL, and returns the run's storage IDs; its dataset holds the top result pages as Markdown.

Pass `query` and `maxResults`, the number of top results to read. Like other
Actor tools, it returns the run's storage IDs rather than the pages: read
them with `get-dataset-items` and the returned `datasetId`. The Actor is
billed by Apify platform usage.

## Set up

Use the first option your agent supports.

### MCP (official, remote)

Add this server to your agent's MCP settings, then sign in when asked.

```json
{ "mcpServers": { "apify": { "url": "https://mcp.apify.com" } } }
```

Call the MCP tool `apify--rag-web-browser`.

Server URL: https://mcp.apify.com

Before doing anything else, make one read-only call to confirm access.

## Rules

- Ask the user before anything that sends messages, costs money, or changes data.
- Never print API keys.