Q-Director: web search

The Web Search tab of Q-Director Settings is where you choose how QuantumOps searches the web, set limits for Anthropic web search, and run a test search before you rely on the choice. Administrators and people with the Q-Director Configuration role use it.

Before you start:

• You need the Administrator role or the Q-Director Configuration role.
• The Web Search module must be on. It is on unless an administrator turns it off in Module Management. While the module is off, the tab is not listed.
• To use Anthropic web search you also need Anthropic switched on as an AI provider with your own key (see AI providers and models), and web search enabled in your Anthropic Console.

Where web search is used

QuantumOps searches the web in two places. The first is ticket research: it picks search terms from the ticket, then looks for error codes, documentation and known issues that match, and the results feed the research findings on the ticket. The second is a Sherlock deep investigation, which searches the web in the same way (see Sherlock research and live context). The provider you choose on this tab applies to both.

Open the tab

1. In the sidebar, select Configuration → Q-Director Config. The page is titled Q-Director Settings.
2. In the list of tabs, under Integrations, select Web Search.

The older /web-search-settings address opens this tab as well, so an old bookmark still works.

Choose a search provider

The Provider Comparison panel at the bottom of the tab lists what each provider offers.

1. Open the Search Provider list and select a provider.
2. If you chose Anthropic Web Search, fill in its settings (next section).
3. Select Save Configuration.

The Web Search tab has its own Save Configuration button. The Save Changes button of the other Q-Director Settings tabs is not shown here, and changes you make on this tab are saved only when you select Save Configuration. A message confirms the save and says how many fields changed.

When Tavily + Bing is selected the tab shows Tavily + Bing Search Settings, a panel for information only. There is nothing in it to fill in.

Set the Anthropic web search limits

These fields appear only while Anthropic Web Search is selected.

The Pricing & Requirements note on the tab repeats the cost and the Anthropic Console requirement, and shows the current rate per search.

Run a test search

Use a test search to see what a provider returns, and to find out whether Anthropic web search is set up correctly.

1. Under Test Search, type a question or a few keywords in Search Query.
2. Select Run Search.
3. Read the results. Each one shows a title that opens the page in a new browser tab, a short excerpt and the address of the page. A search returns up to five results.
4. To start again, select Clear Results. It empties the list and the query.

Keep these points in mind:

• Run Search uses the provider you last saved. If you have just changed the provider, select Save Configuration first, then run the test.
• No Results means the search found nothing for that query. With Anthropic web search it can also mean that the Anthropic key is missing or that web search is not enabled in your Anthropic Console, so check both before you try other words.
• If the search itself fails, an error message appears with the reason.

If the tab is missing

• The Web Search tab is listed only while the Web Search module is on. Ask an administrator to check Module Management.
• Q-Director Settings opens only for the Administrator and Q-Director Configuration roles. See Q-Director Settings for the other tabs.

Related pages

• Q-Director Settings: the other tabs and what each one controls.
• Q-Director: research and documentation: how research findings are built and where they are posted.
• AI providers and models: switching Anthropic on and entering its key.