Introduction

This guide will walk you through everything you need to perform your first search using the Brave Search API. From creating your account to making your first API request, you’ll be up and running in just a few minutes.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A valid email address for account registration
• A credit card for plan subscription (required also on free plans)
• Basic familiarity with making HTTP requests

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to Brave Search API Dashboard to create your account:

1. Enter your email address and create a secure password
2. Verify your email address by clicking the confirmation link sent to your inbox
3. Log in and you are ready for Step 2.

Step 2: Subscribe to a Plan

Once your account is created, you’ll need to subscribe to a plan to access the API:

1. Navigate to the Available plans section in your dashboard
2. Review the available plans and select one that fits your needs
3. Enter your credit card information

Plan Options

Our plans are designed to scale with your needs:

• Free: Perfect for testing and small projects (credit card required for verification)
• Base: Ideal for production applications with moderate traffic
• Pro: For businesses with high-volume requirements
• Enterprise: Custom solutions with dedicated support and capacities

Step 3: Create an API Key

After subscribing to a plan, generate your API key:

1. Go to the API Keys section in your dashboard
2. Click on Add API Key
3. Give your key a descriptive name (e.g., “Production App” or “Development”)
4. Copy your API key and store it securely

Step 4: Make Your First Search Request

Now you’re ready to make your first search! The Brave Search API uses a simple REST architecture. All requests require your API key in the X-Subscription-Token header.

Basic Web Search

Here’s how to perform a basic web search:

curl "https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/web/search?q=artificial+intelligence" \
  -H "X-Subscription-Token: YOUR_API_KEY"

import requests

url = "https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/web/search"
headers = {
    "Accept": "application/json",
    "Accept-Encoding": "gzip",
    "X-Subscription-Token": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}
params = {
    "q": "artificial intelligence"
}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=params)
results = response.json()

# Print the first search result
if results.get("web", {}).get("results"):
    first_result = results["web"]["results"][0]
    print(f"Title: {first_result['title']}")
    print(f"URL: {first_result['url']}")
    print(f"Description: {first_result['description']}")

const url = new URL("https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/web/search");
url.searchParams.append("q", "artificial intelligence");

const response = await fetch(url, {
  headers: {
    Accept: "application/json",
    "Accept-Encoding": "gzip",
    "X-Subscription-Token": "YOUR_API_KEY",
  },
});
const results = await response.json();

// Print the first search result
if (results.web?.results?.length > 0) {
  const firstResult = results.web.results[0];
  console.log(`Title: ${firstResult.title}`);
  console.log(`URL: ${firstResult.url}`);
  console.log(`Description: ${firstResult.description}`);
}

Understanding the Response

A successful search returns a JSON object with various result types:

{
  "type": "search",
  "query": {
    "original": "artificial intelligence"
  },
  "web": {
    "results": [
      {
        "title": "Artificial Intelligence - Overview",
        "url": "https://example.com/ai",
        "description": "Learn about artificial intelligence...",
        "age": "2024-10-08T10:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Full documentation of responses at API Reference page.

Monitor Your Usage

Keep track of your API usage in the dashboard to:

• Stay within your plan limits
• Optimize your query patterns
• Plan for scaling needs

Next Steps

Congratulations! You’ve made your first search with the Brave Search API. Here’s what to explore next:

Need Help?

If you run into any issues or have questions:

• Check our API Documentation for detailed endpoint information
• Review our Security Guidelines for best practices
• See the common questions and answers or contact our support team at Help & Feedback page