AgentCore adds standalone web search API without Gateway setup
AWS announced general availability of InvokeWebSearch on November 10, 2026. The change is direct programmatic retrieval, not the debut of AgentCore web search.
Existing agents use the Gateway MCP connector. Applications can now call the API with an AWS SDK or CLI and IAM authorization. It returns ranked extracts, not a finished answer, and differs from the similarly named Bedrock Responses API tool.
Search costs US$7 per 1,000 queries without Gateway charges on the direct path. Models, compute, logging and optional PrivateLink remain separately budgeted services.
The API supports N. Virginia, Ohio, Oregon, Sydney, Tokyo and Ireland. The direct API is unavailable in GovCloud US-West; the existing Gateway connector remains available there. These are service Regions, not confirmation of Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan account eligibility or local processing.
Queries allow 1–200 characters and up to 25 results. Use SDK/CLI versions that support this API and appropriate permissions. Reviewed documentation does not guarantee Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese or Cantonese quality. We did not test it. Retain and display supplied source citations and links.
Useful for AWS developers handling search results themselves; verify account access, Region and costs before deployment.
Search costs US$7 per 1,000 queries without Gateway charges on the direct path. Models, compute, logging and optional PrivateLink remain separately budgeted services.
The API supports N. Virginia, Ohio, Oregon, Sydney, Tokyo and Ireland. The direct API is unavailable in GovCloud US-West; the existing Gateway connector remains available there. These are service Regions, not confirmation of Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan account eligibility or local processing.
Queries allow 1–200 characters and up to 25 results. Use SDK/CLI versions that support this API and appropriate permissions. Reviewed documentation does not guarantee Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese or Cantonese quality. We did not test it. Retain and display supplied source citations and links.
Useful for AWS developers handling search results themselves; verify account access, Region and costs before deployment.
Usage conditions
- Hong Kong
- The six service Regions include no Hong Kong endpoint. Local resident/account eligibility, Chinese/Cantonese quality and data residency remain unverified and cannot be inferred from the Region list. This developer API requires an AWS account and IAM permissions, with query charges and possible charges for additional services. Not tested.
- Macau
- The six service Regions include no Macau endpoint. Local resident/account eligibility, Chinese/Cantonese quality and data residency remain unverified and cannot be inferred from the Region list. This developer API requires an AWS account and IAM permissions, with query charges and possible charges for additional services. Not tested.
- Taiwan
- The six service Regions include no Taiwan endpoint. Local resident/account eligibility, Chinese/Cantonese quality and data residency remain unverified and cannot be inferred from the Region list. This developer API requires an AWS account and IAM permissions, with query charges and possible charges for additional services. Not tested.
Official source: Amazon Bedrock AgentCore now offers a Web Search API