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Connect to Tavily Web Search

Connect Tavily to Retool and search the web for real-time information from apps, workflows, and agents.

Tavily is a search API built for AI applications that returns relevant, up-to-date web results.

What you can do with Tavily Web Search in Retool​

After you create a Tavily resource in Retool, you can:

  • Search the web for real-time information from apps, workflows, and agent tools.
  • Filter results to specific topics, such as general search or news.
  • Restrict searches to a set of allowed or blocked domains.
  • Give agents access to live web search as a tool.

Before you begin​

To connect Tavily to Retool, you need the following:

  • Tavily API key: A Tavily API key to bring your own key. Self-hosted instances don't have access to Retool's managed API key.
  • Retool permissions: Edit all permissions for resources in your organization.

Create a Tavily resource​

Follow these steps to create a Tavily resource in Retool.

1. Create a new resource​

In your Retool organization, navigate to Resources in the main navigation and click Create new → Resource. Search for "Tavily" and click the Tavily Web Search tile to begin configuration.

2. Configure resource credentials​

Tavily Web Search resource configuration form.

Self-hosted instances must bring their own Tavily API key. Enable Provide my own API key and enter your key in the Custom API Key field that appears.

Custom API key​

Your Tavily API key. Required.

3. Configure advanced options​

Outbound region​

If your organization uses outbound regions, select the region that should be used for requests to Tavily. This controls which geographic region your requests originate from.

4. Test the connection​

Click Test connection to verify Retool can reach Tavily. If the test succeeds, you see a success message. If it fails, check the following:

  • Custom API key validity: If Provide my own API key is enabled, confirm the key is correct and hasn't been revoked.
  • Rate limits: If you're using Retool's managed key, confirm your organization hasn't exceeded the shared rate limit.

5. Save the resource​

Click Create resource to save your Tavily resource. The resource is now available to use in apps, workflows, and agent tools across your Retool organization.

Interact with Tavily data​

Once you've created a Tavily resource, you can interact with Tavily data using Retool. To search the web in a classic app, workflow, or agent, write a resource query. Refer to the Tavily query tutorial to learn more.

Best practices​

Follow these best practices to maintain the security of your Tavily resource.

  • Bring your own key for production use: Retool's managed API key is subject to organization-wide rate limits. Provide your own Tavily API key to avoid sharing that limit with other resources in your organization.
  • Rotate credentials regularly: Follow Tavily's recommendations for API key rotation and management.
  • Use resource environments: Organizations on an Enterprise plan can configure multiple resource environments to use different Tavily API keys for production, staging, and development.
  • Apply least privilege: Use a Tavily API key scoped to only the access your use case requires, and store it as the resource's Custom API Key rather than in a query or app.