> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.airops.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.airops.com/actions/playbooks/tools/web-research.md).

# Web Research

Web Research Tools help Playbooks gather current source material from search results, pages, websites, and Reddit threads. Use them when the Playbook needs external evidence before drafting, refreshing, comparing, or summarizing content.

## Tools

### Google Search

Search Google and retrieve structured search results.

Use **Google Search** when a Playbook needs a search results snapshot. It can return links only, title and snippet summaries, organic results as JSON, or the raw search response.

### Parallel Web Systems

Use Parallel Search, Parallel Extract, and Parallel Task capabilities to run web research, extract structured data from URLs, and process research inputs into structured outputs.

Use **Parallel Web Systems** when the Playbook needs structured research instead of only raw search results. It can search, extract fields from URLs, or process inputs into a schema you define.

### Firecrawl

Crawl and scrape web pages. Use it when the Playbook needs page content, site maps, links, screenshots, or structured crawl output.

Use **Firecrawl** when a Playbook needs to map a site, scrape a page, crawl multiple pages, or return page assets such as links and screenshots.

### Reddit Scrape

Scrape Reddit posts and comments. For access details, [Talk to Sales](https://www.airops.com/book-a-call).

Use **Reddit Scrape** when a Playbook needs community language, objections, feature requests, or nested comment context from a specific Reddit thread.

## How to Configure

1. Open the Playbook editor.
2. Type `/` in the Section where web research should happen.
3. Select the Web Research Tool.
4. Add the query, URL, site, or Reddit thread the Playbook should research.
5. Tell the Playbook how to judge source quality and what output format to return.

## Parameters

| Tool                     | Required context                  | Optional guidance                                                              |
| ------------------------ | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Google Search**        | Search query                      | Add region, result count, site filter, date sensitivity, or output format      |
| **Parallel Web Systems** | Search query, URLs, or task input | Add extraction objective, output schema, processor tier, or source constraints |
| **Firecrawl**            | URL or domain                     | Add crawl depth, output format, page limit, screenshot needs, or cleanup rules |
| **Reddit Scrape**        | Reddit post or thread URL         | Add comment depth, themes to extract, or sentiment criteria                    |

## Examples

```markdown
Use **Google Search** to find current pages ranking for `target_keyword`. Summarize the top patterns without copying source text.
```

```markdown
Use **Firecrawl** to scrape the competitor URLs and extract headings, FAQs, CTAs, and examples into a comparison table.
```


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.airops.com/actions/playbooks/tools/web-research.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.