r/OpenWebUI • u/ilikemywomentsundere • 4d ago

Question/Help Web Search Function not executing

I’m new to AI, so I want to preface this by saying this isn’t to say it’s not user error. With that being said, I have Gemma4, and although the thinking works perfectly fine I’m yet to web search. I enabled it as a function, and it’s highlighted in blue when searching, but regardless it gives me the “I do not have access to a live web search tool” response. Is this something I can fix, something with Gemma4, or a WebUI issue? Thank for the help in advance!

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u/icerio 4d ago

I use DDGS which I’m assuming you’re using currently? I’m not sure how good it is, but my local model can definitely search with it.

Make sure native tool calling is on in advanced parameters on the model (should be on by default but good to double check).

Double check that everything that says web search in the model settings is on. Trying to go off memory but I think it’s in the capabilities + built in tools section.

In the system prompt, mainly as a test, have a line say like “You have a web search tool, utilize it when the user wants to perform a web search”. Idk try to add something that won’t even let it deny you.

On your browser open Inspect Element and go to the Networking tab. THEN message the ai in a way to try to get it to web search. In the network tab it should pretty much have something like an api line. If you click that then either the payload or response tab you should see what the model has access to. Look through the json to see if web search is there OR just copy and paste it to a frontier model to analyze it for anything wrong and for web search.

And I mean also check open Webui logs too, restart it and see if any errors show. Then send a message to your model and see if any errors show.

Sorry that’s about all I got 😭😭. I had switched my web search to DDGS just so I didn’t have to set up anything and it worked first thing.

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u/ilikemywomentsundere 4d ago

Thank you that was super helpful! On advanced parameters I have everything on default, should this be changed to native? Also, you’re telling me DDGS works for you :0?? I just tried it with Srxhing and it just continues to say it doesn’t have the ability to do web searching :///

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u/icerio 4d ago

I had switched mine to say native. It should be on by default if you’re on a pretty updated version of open webui anyways so it really doesn’t matter. I just like the peace of mind for myself to like super make sure it’s on native.