In short. Kagi Assistant can answer with web access disabled, and the setting can change within the same conversation thread.
Definition: Kagi Assistant can answer without web access, using the selected language model with access to Kagi Search switched off. As of 17 October 2026, Kagi documents changing this setting within a conversation thread.
Key facts
- Kagi's Assistant documentation explicitly describes asking an initial question with web access enabled, then disabling it for subsequent questions.
- Kagi's Assistant announcement explains that enabling web access supplies Kagi Search results, while disabling it allows direct discussion with the model.
- A lens is a search filter: Kagi's Lenses documentation describes restricting results by website and other parameters. This is a separate choice from switching web access off.
What changes within a thread?
A thread stores interactions with Assistant. Kagi's Assistant guide lists configuration changes within a thread, including disabling web access after the initial question. The documented workflow therefore allows a search-enabled opening question and follow-up questions with search disabled in the same conversation.
The guide separately permits switching the language model in the middle of a thread. Web access and model selection are distinct controls. Kagi also supports uploaded files as conversation context and explicitly states that uploaded content remains available for subsequent messages. A conversation with search disabled can therefore still use material supplied through uploads.
Where is the web access control?
Kagi's Assistant FAQ locates the lens selector beneath the prompt entry box, to the right of the model selector. The globe enables or disables web access; light purple indicates that access is enabled.
For searches that use a lens, the same guide documents a separate lens parameter that applies when internet access is enabled. A website restriction changes the scope of a search. Turning off web access removes Kagi Search access from the interaction.
The control also matters when supplying a page address: Kagi instructs users to switch on the Entire Web toggle before pasting a URL for Assistant to fetch as conversation context.
How can a conversation start with search disabled?
The URL parameters section documents an internet parameter. The value true enables internet access; any other value disables it. The parameter overrides the internet setting of the selected profile. These URLs follow that documented syntax:
https://kagi.com/assistant?internet=false
https://kagi.com/assistant?internet=true
Kagi also documents a bang, meaning a shortcut entered in Kagi Search, that opens Assistant with internet access turned off:
!chat
Related terms
FAQ
Can I disable search without starting another thread?
Yes. Kagi's Assistant documentation gives this exact workflow: an initial question with web access enabled, followed by questions with it disabled.
How do I check whether web access is enabled?
Look for the globe beside the model selector, beneath the prompt box. The same Assistant documentation identifies light purple as the enabled state.
Can I supply context without a web search?
Yes. Kagi's Assistant announcement describes turning web access off for direct discussion with the model and supplying additional context through file uploads.
Sources
- Kagi, "Kagi Assistant", undated
- Kagi, "Kagi Assistant is now available to all users!", 17 April 2025
- Kagi, "Lenses", undated
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