Search the web for various categories (general, images, videos, files, map, social media, news, it, science). Scrapes text for web categories, returns specific data for others. Provides citations. Allows optional filtering. Is able to read PDF files and convert to Markdown.
AI agents call search_web to retrieve information from MCP SearXNG Enhanced without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and queries data from the web and converts documents to readable formats. While scraping content, it has no capability to modify, delete, or execute code on target systems. The ability to read PDFs and provide citations confirms it is a pure information retrieval tool with no side effects.
From the tool's definition Tool performs web search, scrapes text, and reads PDF files with no mention of modification, deletion, or execution capabilities. Description states 'Scrapes text for web categories, returns specific data' and 'Provides citations' — all retrieval operations.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access search_web gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and MCP SearXNG Enhanced, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for search_web:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"search_web": {}
}
}search_web is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Search the web for various categories (general, images, videos, files, map, social media, news, it, science). Scrapes text for web categories, returns specific data for others. Provides citations. Allows optional filtering. Is able to read PDF files and convert to Markdown. It is categorised as a Read tool in the MCP SearXNG Enhanced MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the MCP SearXNG Enhanced MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_web: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches MCP SearXNG Enhanced. Nothing to install.
search_web is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_web rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search_web. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
search_web is provided by the MCP SearXNG Enhanced MCP server (overtlids/mcp-searxng-enhanced). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 3 MCP SearXNG Enhanced tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
3 MCP SearXNG Enhanced tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.