tinyhumansai · M3gA-Mind · Jul 27, 2026 · Jul 27, 2026 · Jul 27, 2026 · Jul 27, 2026
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ OpenHuman is three things most assistants aren't: **a brain** that builds a pers
 ### 🔬 The deep researcher & doer
 
 - **[SuperContext](https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/super-context)**: a research scout sweeps your memory and files before the model reads your first message. No cold starts.
-- **Batteries included**: web search, scraper, coder toolset, a real [browser](https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/native-tools/browser-and-computer), and [native voice](gitbooks/features/native-tools/voice.md) with in-process Whisper. [Model routing](https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/model-routing) picks the right LLM per workload on one subscription, with [local AI optional](https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/model-routing/local-ai).
+- **Batteries included**: managed [web search](https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/native-tools/web-search), powered by [Exa](https://exa.ai), is included with your OpenHuman subscription and needs no API key; bring your own Exa key to search directly on your own Exa account and billing. Plus scraper, coder toolset, a real [browser](https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/native-tools/browser-and-computer), and [native voice](gitbooks/features/native-tools/voice.md) with in-process Whisper. [Model routing](https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/model-routing) picks the right LLM per workload on one subscription, with [local AI optional](https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/model-routing/local-ai).
 - **[Meeting agents](https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/mascot/meeting-agents)**: joins **Meet, Zoom, Teams, and Webex** with a face and a voice. It auto-joins from your calendar, streams a live transcript, answers by name, and files a summary with action items.
 - **[Image & video generation](https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/native-tools)**: Seedream/SeedEdit images and Seedance/Veo video, straight into your workspace on the same subscription.
 - **[17 messaging channels](https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/channels)**: Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, iMessage… plus **native email** (IMAP IDLE + SMTP). Your agent reaches you where you already are.

diff --git a/gitbooks/features/native-tools/README.md b/gitbooks/features/native-tools/README.md
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ A plugin-only model means tools live in different processes, behind RPC, with th
 
 | Family | What it covers |
 | ------ | -------------- |
-| [Web Search](web-search.md) | Search the live web via the managed proxy, or opt into self-hosted SearXNG. |
+| [Web Search](web-search.md) | Search the live web via the managed proxy (powered by Exa), backend-proxied Parallel, your own Exa/Brave/Querit key, or self-hosted SearXNG. |
 | [Web Scraper](web-scraper.md) | Pull clean text out of any URL - articles, docs, READMEs. |
 | [Coder](coder.md) | Read/write/edit/patch files, glob, grep, git, lint, test. |
 | [Browser & Computer Control](browser-and-computer.md) | Open URLs, inspect DOM snapshots, click, type, move the mouse. |

diff --git a/gitbooks/features/native-tools/web-search.md b/gitbooks/features/native-tools/web-search.md
@@ -1,21 +1,74 @@
 ---
-description: A native search tool the agent can call directly - no API key required.
+description: >-
+  A native search tool the agent can call directly - managed search is powered by
+  Exa and needs no API key.
 icon: magnifying-glass
 ---
 
 # Web Search
 
-The agent can search the live web on its own. By default this is backed by a server-side proxy (Parallel) so you don't carry a search API key. If you run your own [SearXNG](https://docs.searxng.org/) instance, you can enable `searxng_search` as a private, self-hosted search tool.
+The agent can search the live web on its own. By default this runs on **OpenHuman Managed** search: the query goes through the OpenHuman backend, currently powered by [Exa](https://exa.ai), so you never carry a search API key. You can also bring your own key for Exa, Brave, or Querit, or enable the backend-proxied Parallel engine. If you run your own [SearXNG](https://docs.searxng.org/) instance, you can expose `searxng_search` to RPC and MCP clients as a private, self-hosted search tool.
 
 ## What it's good for
 
 * Research - "what's the latest on X".
 * Citation hunting - "find me three sources for Y".
 * Fact-checking before answering - the agent runs a quick search if it isn't confident.
 
+## Search engines
+
+Pick the engine under **Connections → Search**. Exactly one engine is active at a time, and that engine owns the canonical `web_search_tool` the agent calls.
+
+| Engine | Setup | Where your queries go |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| **OpenHuman Managed** (default) | Not needed | The OpenHuman backend, currently powered by [Exa](https://exa.ai). |
+| **Exa** | Your API key | Straight to `https://api.exa.ai` with your key. |
+| **Parallel** | Local enablement value | Parallel-specific tools go through the OpenHuman backend to Parallel; the canonical `web_search_tool` keeps using the backend-resolved managed provider (currently Exa). The value selects the engine locally and is not sent to Parallel for authentication or billing. |
+| **Brave** | Your API key | Straight to the Brave Search API with your key. |
+| **Querit** | Your API key | Straight to the Querit API with your key. |
+| **Disabled** | Not needed | Nowhere. All agent-facing search tools are removed; an enabled SearXNG endpoint remains available through RPC/MCP. |
+
+Selecting a bring-your-own-key engine without saving a key falls back to managed search. That fallback requires a backend-authenticated session; local or offline users must configure a direct provider key. Once a search finishes, the chat timeline names the provider that answered it ("Searched with Exa"), so the managed path is never an unattributed black box.
+
+### OpenHuman Managed (default)
+
+Managed search is the out-of-the-box path and needs no setup: it is proxied through the OpenHuman backend on your existing subscription, and Exa is the provider behind it today. Your machine holds no search credentials, and the agent gets the single `web_search_tool` slot.
+
+### Exa (bring your own key)
+
+Prefer to run search on your own Exa account? Grab a key from [exa.ai](https://exa.ai) and paste it under **Connections → Search → Exa**. Calls then go straight from your machine to `https://api.exa.ai` with your key and never touch the managed backend. When secret encryption is enabled, OpenHuman stores the key as ciphertext in `config.toml`; the OS keyring protects the master encryption key, not the Exa key itself.
+
+Choosing Exa registers Exa's neural-search family for the agent, on top of the usual `web_search_tool`:
+
+* `exa_search` - ranked pages with URLs, titles, publish dates, and optional page text. Supports search modes from instant to deep reasoning, domain include/exclude filters, a published-date range, and result categories.
+* `exa_find_similar` - pages semantically similar to a URL you already have, for expanding from one good source to comparable ones (competitors, related papers, similar articles). This tool uses Exa's deprecated `/findSimilar` endpoint and may change if Exa removes it.
+* `exa_get_contents` - the full crawled contents of one or more URLs, with an optional summary or query-relevant highlights per URL.
+
+You can also select it from `config.toml`:
+
+```toml
+[search]
+engine = "exa"
+
+[search.exa]
+api_key = "your-exa-api-key"
+```
+
+Do not commit a plaintext API key from this example. A key entered directly in `config.toml` remains plaintext until OpenHuman next saves the configuration with secret encryption enabled.
+
+Or via environment:
+
+```bash
+OPENHUMAN_SEARCH_ENGINE=exa
+EXA_API_KEY=your-exa-api-key
+# OPENHUMAN_EXA_API_KEY is accepted as well
+```
+
+`OPENHUMAN_EXA_API_KEY` and `EXA_API_KEY` both override `search.exa.api_key`; treat environment-provided keys as sensitive secrets.
+
 ## Self-hosted SearXNG
 
-SearXNG search is opt-in. When enabled, OpenHuman registers `searxng_search` for agents and MCP clients. The tool calls your configured SearXNG `/search?format=json` endpoint and returns normalized `{ title, url, snippet, source }` results.
+SearXNG search is opt-in and exposed through the `openhuman.tools_searxng_search` RPC controller and MCP catalog; it is not registered as an agent tool. The controller calls your configured SearXNG `/search?format=json` endpoint and returns normalized `{ title, url, snippet, source }` results.
 
 Enable it in `config.toml`:
 

diff --git a/gitbooks/features/privacy-and-security.md b/gitbooks/features/privacy-and-security.md
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ OpenHuman is designed so that the **memory of your life lives on your machine**.
 |                                    |                                                                                                                                                                            |
 | ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
 | **LLM calls**                      | Proxied through the backend under one subscription, then forwarded to the underlying provider (Anthropic / OpenAI / Google / etc.) per the [model router](model-routing/). |
-| **Web search proxy**               | The native [web search tool](native-tools/web-search.md) uses the backend proxy by default so you don't carry a search API key. If you call the optional SearXNG tool, that query goes to your configured SearXNG instance instead. |
+| **Web search proxy**               | The native [web search tool](native-tools/web-search.md) uses the backend proxy by default, currently powered by [Exa](https://exa.ai), so you don't carry a search API key. With your own Exa, Brave, or Querit key, queries go directly to that provider; Parallel remains routed through the OpenHuman backend. If you call the optional SearXNG tool, that query goes to your configured SearXNG instance instead. |
 | **Integration OAuth & tool proxy** | Token storage and rate-limited request brokering for [118+ integrations](integrations/README.md).                                                                                 |
 | **TTS streaming**                  | Hosted [text-to-speech](native-tools/voice.md) audio streams. Audio is generated and discarded - not retained.                                                                          |