Agentic Search and Respond
The Agentic Search and Respond agent is an intelligent research assistant that plans and executes multi-step searches, discovers file metadata, performs web searches when needed, and synthesizes a comprehensive answer with citations. Unlike the simpler search-then-respond pattern, this agent iterates: it evaluates intermediate results and decides whether to search again, refine the query, or switch data sources.
Use Cases
| Use Case | Example |
|---|---|
| Multi-source Q&A | "What do our documents say about X, and how has our approach changed over the last two quarters?" The agent searches across multiple files, connects findings, and delivers one unified answer. |
| Research with corroboration | "Summarize the key themes across these reports and highlight where they agree or conflict." The agent performs multiple rounds of search and cross-references results. |
| Document + web questions | "What does our internal policy say about X, and how does it compare to the latest external guidance?" Searches internal files first, then supplements with web results. |
| Web-only research | "What are the latest developments in X?" Operates without internal documents, performing iterative web searches to gather and synthesize information. |
How is this different from Document Synthesis? Document Synthesis is designed to generate content (drafting, reports, summaries). Agentic Search and Respond is built for answering questions and retrieving information. Use this agent when you need answers; use Document Synthesis when you need to create something.
Agent Capabilities
The agent has access to the following tools during execution:
1. Discover File Metadata
Retrieves a complete list of all uploaded files organized by folder, including associated tags. Helps the agent understand what documents are available before searching.
2. Search Files
Searches uploaded documents using intelligent, meaning-based (semantic) search. The agent uses this tool multiple times with different queries to gather comprehensive information.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Query | Search question in plain language |
| Max Results | Number of results to return (default: 10) |
| File Names | (Optional) Limit search to specific files |
| Tags | (Optional) Filter by document tags |
| Folders | (Optional) Search only within certain folders |
3. Web Search
Searches the internet for current information not available in uploaded documents. Limited to 2 web searches per iteration. Only available when web search is enabled.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Query | What to search for on the web |
| Max Sources | Number of web sources to retrieve (recommended: 3 or fewer) |
| Past Days Range | (Optional) Limit results to recent content |
4. Ask User Question
Pauses the workflow to ask the user a clarifying question, then resumes once the user replies. Only available when Enable Clarifying Questions is on.
5. Final Response
Generates the final answer after gathering all necessary information, combining all retrieved content into a single response with source citations.
Inputs
| Input | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task | Text with Sources | Yes | The question or task that drives the research process. Connect to user input, a previous agent's output, or a workflow variable. |
| Additional Context | Any (array) | No | Extra information alongside the question, such as outputs from previous workflow steps or reference data. |
| Data Sources | DatastoreConnection (array) | No | Folders the agent can search. Only files within linked folders are accessible. |
Either data sources or web search (or both) must be provided. The agent requires at least one source of information to operate. Top-level folders must have distinct names. If multiple data sources share the same folder name, the agent may not distinguish between them.
Outputs
| Output | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Response | Text with Sources | The synthesized response with inline citations and source references. |
Configurations
| Parameter | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Response Instructions | Instructions that guide how the agent generates its final answer, including formatting preferences, protocols, or rules. | None (sensible defaults) |
| Search Instructions | Instructions that guide how the agent searches, including strategy, order of steps, or constraints. You can reference file names, folders, and tags. | None (auto-determined) |
| Enable Web Search | Whether the agent can search the internet for information beyond uploaded documents. | Off |
Advanced Settings
| Parameter | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning Level | Depth of model reasoning: None, Low, Medium, High, or Default. Higher levels improve answer quality but increase latency. | Default |
| Maximum Iterations | Maximum research iterations before the agent must deliver its answer. The agent finishes early if it gathers enough information. | 10 |
| Number of Search Results | Maximum results returned per file search call. When unset, the agent decides how many results to retrieve per search. | Unset |
| Number of Surrounding Chunks | Number of previous and next chunks retrieved alongside each search result for additional context. | 1 |
| Enable Clarifying Questions | When on, the agent can pause to ask the user a clarifying question before responding. The workflow resumes once the user replies. | Off |
Latency considerations: Higher reasoning levels, more iterations, more search results, and more surrounding chunks all increase processing time. For time-sensitive workflows, use Low reasoning and keep defaults. Reserve High reasoning for complex questions where answer quality justifies the extra time.
How to Use This Agent
For a policy research AI Employee that answers complex compliance questions:
chat_trigger -> agentic_search_and_respond -> workflow_outputThe agent will:
- Analyze the question and plan an initial search strategy.
- Execute searches against configured knowledge bases.
- Evaluate results. If insufficient, refine the query and search again.
- Optionally search the web for supplemental information.
- Synthesize a final answer with citations to source documents.
Viewing Work Logs
After the agent completes its task, you can review its work in the Work Log tab. Steps are organized by iteration and include:
- Named input validation: validates provided inputs
- Processing named inputs: prepares named inputs for the agent, including converting search results to documents when needed
- Iteration N: Asking EmaFusion™ to select a tool: shows agent reasoning and tool selection
- Iteration N: Tool call X: shows each tool execution (Discover File Metadata, Search Files, Deep Web Search, Ask User Question)
- Iteration N: Re-requesting tool call: shown when the agent responded without selecting a tool and is prompted to try again
- Iteration N: Reached max iteration: shown when the iteration limit is hit and the agent is asked to deliver its final answer
- Generating final response: compiles the final answer with source citations
Related Agents
- Knowledge Search: simpler single-pass search; use when questions are straightforward.
- Deep Web Search: dedicated web search; the agentic agent can invoke this internally.
- Respond using Search Results: generates a response from pre-fetched results; use in non-agentic workflows.
- Document Synthesis: for content generation from documents rather than question-answering.