From the archive
OpenRouter adds web search to model requests
A search plugin supplies current web results to any supported model, with search billed separately from model tokens.
OpenRouter added web search to its application programming interface (API), making retrieved web information available alongside a model request. The launch uses Exa to find results and add them to the message sent to the model.
Search without a separate integration
Applications can enable the feature through the web plugin or an online suffix on the model name. The default retrieves up to five results, with controls for the result count and the prompt used to present them.
This makes current web information available to models that do not provide their own search feature. The same option is available in OpenRouter's chat interface.
Search has its own cost
The announced search rate was $4 per 1,000 web results. That charge is separate from the model request, so the number of retrieved results becomes another part of estimating a workload. The OpenRouter profile covers its model gateway and billing arrangement.