In short. Mistral web search is supported through Conversations and Agents, while Chat Completions does not support the tool's reference-bearing responses.
Definition: Mistral web search does not run through the Chat Completions API. Mistral documents
web_searchandweb_search_premiumfor the Conversations API and the Agents API, where the tool response includes search result references.
Key facts
- Mistral documents
web_searchas a simple search engine tool andweb_search_premiumas a tool that also accesses news articles through integrated news provider verification, according to its Websearch documentation. - Mistral's agent tools documentation places these built-in tools on the Conversations API at
/v1/conversationsand on the Agents API. - The Chat Completion API reference identifies the Chat Completions route as
POST /v1/chat/completions.
Which Mistral endpoints support web search?
Mistral's Websearch documentation states that web_search and web_search_premium work with the Conversations API and the Agents API. The agent tools page adds that built-in tools are available directly through Conversations without creating an Agent first. The tool is supplied in the tools parameter when calling Conversations or creating an Agent.
tools = [{"type": "web_search"}]
The two documented variants have different scopes. web_search enables access to a search engine. web_search_premium enables access to a search engine and news articles through integrated news provider verification.
How does the Agents route use the tool?
The Websearch documentation says that an application can create an Agent with web search as one of its tools. The documented example uses client.beta.agents.create, sets an instruction that names web_search, and passes the tool configuration. Mistral then returns an Agent ID that can start a conversation.
response = client.beta.conversations.start(
agent_id=websearch_agent.id,
inputs="Who won the last European Football cup?"
)
The same page separates the search operation from the generated answer. A tool.execution entry records the web search and includes the tool name, entry type, start and completion timestamps, and an identifier. A message.output entry represents the generated answer.
Why is Chat Completions excluded?
Mistral explicitly says that the web search tools are not supported in the Chat Completions API because Chat Completions responses do not include the search result references returned by these tools. The Chat Completion API reference describes its tools field as a list of functions that the model may call, while the Websearch documentation assigns web search to Conversations and Agents.
This distinction matters for an application that needs the source data returned with a web search answer. The supported Conversations and Agents flow exposes that reference-bearing response structure.
What does a supported web search response contain?
Mistral's response explanation describes the message.output content as a list of chunks. The chunks interleave model response text with reference chunks. A chunk can have type text or tool_reference; reference data includes the tool name, source title, source URL, and source.
The response therefore carries more than answer text. It also identifies the search execution and supplies the source fields associated with the reference chunks. Those fields are documented on the Websearch page for the Conversations and Agents workflow.
Related terms
FAQ
Can I add {"type":"web_search"} to a Chat Completions request?
No. Mistral documents the web search tools for Conversations and Agents, and explicitly excludes them from Chat Completions because the response does not include their search result references.
Do I need to create an Agent before using Mistral web search?
No. Mistral's agent tools documentation says built-in tools are available directly through Conversations without creating an Agent first. An Agent is the documented route when the tool should be included in an Agent configuration.
Sources
- Mistral AI, "Websearch", undated
- Mistral AI, "Agent Tools", undated
- Mistral AI, "Chat Completion API Reference", undated
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