Web Search Tool Not Being Used With Advanced Usage
Background
I recently migrated from the Assistants API to the Responses API specifically to leverage the built-in web search capability. However, I’m experiencing an issue where the model isn’t utilizing the web search tool.
Current Implementation
- Successfully enabled the web search preview tool in the
tools
parameter of my requests - Running a complex AI application that:
- Handles multiple files with file search enabled
- Maintains context across multiple conversation turns
- Generates comprehensive country analysis reports
Issue Details
Despite dozens of runs, the web search tool hasn’t been utilized even once, which is particularly problematic since:
- Web search would be highly relevant for country analysis
- I’ve explicitly instructed the model to use web search in both:
- The system prompt
- User prompts
Questions
- What might be preventing the web search tool from being triggered?
- Are there specific prompt techniques that more reliably activate web search?
- Could my complex setup with multiple files and extended context be interfering with web search activation?
- Are there any configuration parameters I should adjust to prioritize web search?
Any guidance on how to effectively encourage the model to utilize the web search capability would be greatly appreciated.