## Table of Contents - [Agent tool calling](#agent-tool-calling) - [Separate expansion tool](#separate-expansion-tool) - [RAG source expansion](#rag-source-expansion) - [When to paginate](#when-to-paginate) - [News monitoring](#news-monitoring) - [Entity and local lookup](#entity-and-local-lookup) - [Academic research](#academic-research) - [Product intelligence](#product-intelligence) - [Vertical routing](#vertical-routing) - [Query expansion](#query-expansion) - [See also](#see-also) --- [API](https://microlink.io/docs/api/getting-started/overview) [GUIDES](https://microlink.io/docs/guides) [MQL](https://microlink.io/docs/mql/getting-started/overview) [SDK](https://microlink.io/docs/sdk/getting-started/overview) [CARDS](https://microlink.io/docs/cards/getting-started/overview) API GUIDES MQL SDK CARDS Getting Started [Overview](https://microlink.io/docs/guides) [What is Microlink](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/what-is-microlink) [Screenshot](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot) [Customizing output](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/customizing-output) [Browser settings](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/browser-settings) [Page interaction](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/page-interaction) [Delivery and embedding](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/embedding) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/caching-and-performance) [Private pages](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/private-pages) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/troubleshooting) [Data extraction](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction) [Defining rules](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/defining-rules) [Page preparation](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/page-preparation) [Delivery and response shaping](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/delivery-and-response) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/caching-and-performance) [Private pages](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/private-pages) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/troubleshooting) [Embed](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed) [SDK](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/sdk) [Iframe parameter](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/iframe) [Custom HTML/CSS](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/metadata-api) [Custom previews with AI](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/custom-previews-with-ai) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/caching-and-performance) [Private pages and proxy](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/private-pages-and-proxy) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/troubleshooting) [Markdown](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/markdown) [Choosing scope](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/markdown/choosing-scope) [Delivery and response shaping](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/markdown/delivery-and-response) [Function](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/function) [Writing functions](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/function/writing-functions) [Browser interaction](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/function/browser-interaction) [Profiling and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/function/profiling-and-performance) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/function/troubleshooting) [PDF](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf) [Page size and layout](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/page-size-and-layout) [Page preparation](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/page-preparation) [Delivery and embedding](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/embedding) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/caching-and-performance) [Private pages](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/private-pages) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/troubleshooting) [Metadata](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata) [Choosing fields](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/choosing-fields) [Extending results](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/extending-results) [Delivery and response shaping](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/delivery-and-response) [Page preparation](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/page-preparation) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/caching-and-performance) [Private pages](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/private-pages) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/troubleshooting) [Insights](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/insights) [Technology detection](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/insights/technology-detection) [Lighthouse reports](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/insights/lighthouse-reports) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/insights/caching-and-performance) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/insights/troubleshooting) [Search](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search) [Web Search](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/search) [News](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/news) [Images](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/images) [Videos](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/videos) [Places](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/places) [Maps](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/maps) [Shopping](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/shopping) [Scholar](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/scholar) [Patents](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/patents) [Autocomplete](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/autocomplete) [Content expansion](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/content-expansion) [Integration patterns](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/patterns) [Common patterns](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/caching) [Caching patterns](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/caching) [Private pages](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/private-pages) [Proxy](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/proxy) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/troubleshooting) [Production patterns](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/production-patterns) API GUIDES MQL SDK CARDS Getting Started [Overview](https://microlink.io/docs/guides) [What is Microlink](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/what-is-microlink) [Screenshot](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot) [Customizing output](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/customizing-output) [Browser settings](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/browser-settings) [Page interaction](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/page-interaction) [Delivery and embedding](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/embedding) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/caching-and-performance) [Private pages](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/private-pages) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/screenshot/troubleshooting) [Data extraction](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction) [Defining rules](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/defining-rules) [Page preparation](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/page-preparation) [Delivery and response shaping](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/delivery-and-response) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/caching-and-performance) [Private pages](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/private-pages) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/data-extraction/troubleshooting) [Embed](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed) [SDK](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/sdk) [Iframe parameter](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/iframe) [Custom HTML/CSS](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/metadata-api) [Custom previews with AI](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/custom-previews-with-ai) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/caching-and-performance) [Private pages and proxy](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/private-pages-and-proxy) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/embed/troubleshooting) [Markdown](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/markdown) [Choosing scope](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/markdown/choosing-scope) [Delivery and response shaping](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/markdown/delivery-and-response) [Function](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/function) [Writing functions](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/function/writing-functions) [Browser interaction](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/function/browser-interaction) [Profiling and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/function/profiling-and-performance) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/function/troubleshooting) [PDF](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf) [Page size and layout](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/page-size-and-layout) [Page preparation](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/page-preparation) [Delivery and embedding](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/embedding) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/caching-and-performance) [Private pages](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/private-pages) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/pdf/troubleshooting) [Metadata](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata) [Choosing fields](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/choosing-fields) [Extending results](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/extending-results) [Delivery and response shaping](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/delivery-and-response) [Page preparation](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/page-preparation) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/caching-and-performance) [Private pages](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/private-pages) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/metadata/troubleshooting) [Insights](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/insights) [Technology detection](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/insights/technology-detection) [Lighthouse reports](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/insights/lighthouse-reports) [Caching and performance](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/insights/caching-and-performance) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/insights/troubleshooting) [Search](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search) [Web Search](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/search) [News](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/news) [Images](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/images) [Videos](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/videos) [Places](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/places) [Maps](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/maps) [Shopping](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/shopping) [Scholar](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/scholar) [Patents](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/patents) [Autocomplete](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/autocomplete) [Content expansion](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/content-expansion) [Integration patterns](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/patterns) [Common patterns](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/caching) [Caching patterns](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/caching) [Private pages](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/private-pages) [Proxy](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/proxy) [Troubleshooting](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/troubleshooting) [Production patterns](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/common/production-patterns) [Copy for LLM](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/patterns.md "Copy content for LLM") \| [View as Markdown](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/patterns.md "View content as Markdown") This page collects the most common ways teams integrate `@microlink/google` into production systems. Each pattern includes the surface choice, the query strategy, and the expansion depth that makes sense for the workflow. ## Agent tool calling Expose `google(query, options)` as a tool and let the model decide when to search, which surface to use, and when to expand: ```js import createGoogleClient from '@microlink/google' const google = createGoogleClient({ apiKey: process.env.MICROLINK_API_KEY }) const searchTool = { name: 'web_search', description: 'Search the web for current information. Returns structured results.', parameters: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'The search query' }, type: { type: 'string', enum: ['search', 'news', 'scholar', 'shopping', 'images', 'places'], description: 'Which search surface to use' } }, execute: async ({ query, type = 'search' }) => { const page = await google(query, { type }) return page.results.map(r => ({ title: r.title, url: r.url, description: r.description })) } } ``` The key insight: keep the tool result lightweight. Return `title`, `url`, and `description` from the first call. If the model needs full page content, expose `.markdown()` as a second tool. ### Separate expansion tool ```js const expandTool = { name: 'read_page', description: 'Fetch the full content of a URL as Markdown.', parameters: { url: { type: 'string', description: 'URL to read' } }, execute: async ({ url }) => { const page = await google(url) const result = page.results.find(r => r.url === url) return result ? await result.markdown() : null } } ``` This two-tool pattern gives the model explicit control over cost and depth. ## RAG source expansion Start with search to find relevant sources, then expand the best matches into your retrieval pipeline: ```js const page = await google('site:openai.com function calling guide') const documents = await Promise.all( page.results.slice(0, 3).map(async result => ({ title: result.title, url: result.url, content: await result.markdown() })) ) ``` For broader coverage, combine `autocomplete` to discover related queries, then search each one: ```js const suggestions = await google('how to fine tune', { type: 'autocomplete' }) const queries = suggestions.results.slice(0, 5).map(s => s.value) const allResults = [] for (const query of queries) { const page = await google(query) allResults.push(...page.results) } ``` ### When to paginate Pagination adds recall at the cost of latency and API calls. Paginate when: - your query is broad and the first page may miss relevant sources - you need comprehensive coverage for competitive analysis or literature reviews - the model's confidence is still low after the first page ```js let page = await google('vector database benchmarks') const sources = [...page.results] if (sources.length < 5) { page = await page.next() sources.push(...page.results) } ``` ## News monitoring Use `news` with `period` to build monitoring and alerting workflows: ```js const page = await google('data breach', { type: 'news', period: 'day' }) const alerts = page.results.map(result => ({ title: result.title, publisher: result.publisher, date: result.date, url: result.url })) ``` For multi-region monitoring, run parallel queries with different `location` values: ```js const regions = ['us', 'gb', 'de', 'jp'] const results = await Promise.all( regions.map(async location => { const page = await google('regulatory update', { type: 'news', location, period: 'week' }) return { location, results: page.results } }) ) ``` ## Entity and local lookup Use `places` or `maps` when your workflow needs business or geographic context: ```js const page = await google('coworking spaces barcelona', { type: 'places' }) const locations = page.results.map(result => ({ name: result.title, address: result.address, coordinates: { lat: result.latitude, lng: result.longitude }, rating: result.rating })) ``` Use `maps` instead of `places` when you also need opening hours, price levels, or Google Place IDs for downstream API calls: ```js const page = await google('restaurants near times square', { type: 'maps' }) page.results[0].opening?.hours // { Monday: '11:00 AM – 10:00 PM', ... } page.results[0].place?.id // 'ChIJgTwKgJcpQg0RaSKMYcHeNsQ' ``` ## Academic research Use `scholar` to build literature review or citation analysis workflows: ```js const page = await google('retrieval augmented generation', { type: 'scholar' }) const papers = page.results .sort((a, b) => b.citations - a.citations) .slice(0, 5) .map(result => ({ title: result.title, year: result.year, citations: result.citations, pdf: result.pdf?.url, url: result.url })) ``` For research agents, combine `scholar` with content expansion to fetch full papers: ```js const page = await google('transformer architecture', { type: 'scholar' }) for (const result of page.results.slice(0, 3)) { if (result.pdf?.url) { console.log(`PDF available: ${result.pdf.url}`) } else { const content = await result.markdown() console.log(`Abstract page: ${content.slice(0, 500)}`) } } ``` ## Product intelligence Use `shopping` for price monitoring, competitive analysis, and product comparison: ```js const page = await google('mechanical keyboard', { type: 'shopping' }) const products = page.results.map(result => ({ name: result.title, price: result.price.amount, currency: result.price.symbol, merchant: result.publisher, rating: result.rating?.score })) ``` Prices are already parsed into numeric values, so you can sort, filter, and aggregate without string processing: ```js const affordable = products.filter(p => p.price < 150) const avgPrice = products.reduce((sum, p) => sum + p.price, 0) / products.length ``` ## Vertical routing Instead of a single search tool, route the query to the most appropriate surface based on intent: ```js const route = intent => { const routes = { current_events: 'news', product_lookup: 'shopping', academic_paper: 'scholar', local_business: 'places', general: 'search' } return routes[intent] || 'search' } const page = await google(query, { type: route(detectedIntent) }) ``` This reduces noise in the results and gives the downstream consumer exactly the fields it needs. ## Query expansion Use `autocomplete` to discover related queries before running heavier searches: ```js const suggestions = await google('how to deploy', { type: 'autocomplete' }) console.log(suggestions.results.map(s => s.value)) // [ // 'how to deploy a website', // 'how to deploy to production', // 'how to deploy docker container', // ... // ] ``` This is useful for: - **Coverage**: expand a vague query into specific variants before searching - **Demand modeling**: understand what people are actually searching for - **Prompt seeding**: generate suggestions for search UIs or chat interfaces ## See also - [Search](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search) — install the client and make your first query. - [Web Search](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/search), [News](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/news), [Scholar](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/scholar), and more — field reference for each surface. - [Content expansion](https://microlink.io/docs/guides/search/content-expansion) — the two-step retrieval model and when to use `.html()` vs `.markdown()`. Last updated on May 28, 2026 [Edit on GitHub](https://github.com/microlinkhq/www/blob/master/src/content/docs/guides/search/patterns.md)