TL;DR
Claude Search (web search inside Claude) lets Anthropic’s assistant look up fresh information and cite the sources it used, improving answers that benefit from the latest data. It’s available globally across plans, with model upgrades in 2025 (Claude 4 family). For AEO, ensure your content is clear, current, and citable; Claude will link to sources it trusts. Anthropic, Anthropic.
What is Claude Search?
Anthropic announced that Claude can search the internet to provide up-to-date responses and access the latest events and information. The feature is designed to boost accuracy on time-sensitive topics by retrieving from the live web and attributing links. The company notes global availability across plans as rollouts completed in 2025. Anthropic.
In parallel, Anthropic released the Claude 4 model family (Opus 4, Sonnet 4), improving reasoning and long-running tasks, which benefits search-assisted answers and analyses. Anthropic.
How it feels to use
- Ask Claude a current-events or market question; it will decide when to search the web, then present a synthesised answer with links.
- Use follow-up questions to compare viewpoints and request more sources.
- Ask for quotations or definitions and Claude will link to the documents it used, when available. Anthropic.
Anthropic has also been rolling out memory features so you can maintain project context across sessions (user-controlled). Although not part of web search itself, this helps with continuity while you research over time. The Verge.
AEO: getting your brand cited by Claude
- Be unambiguous: Provide definitive, dated statements about pricing, limits, and policies.
- Use primary documents: policy PDFs, security pages, whitepapers—Claude tends to favour credible, original sources.
- Keep your schema valid: FAQ, Organization, Product, and Review markup help extract facts.
- Write for summaries: clear headings and short paragraphs reduce misinterpretation during synthesis.
- Eliminate contradictions: ensure your site, docs, and directory entries align.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Citations and retrieval for fresh topics. Anthropic.
- Strong reasoning with Claude 4 models for complex comparisons or policy analysis. Anthropic.
Limitations
- As with any LLM, errors are possible; always click citations to verify in sensitive contexts.
- Coverage depends on what the web offers; niche or paywalled material may be harder to summarise fully.
Practical prompts
- “Search the web and summarise the last 90 days of changes in UK R&D tax relief; link HMRC and two reputable accounting sources.”
- “Compare vendor X and Y for ISO 27001 evidence. Quote each claim with the source URL.”
- “Find three critiques of approach Z and three defences; attribute each to a named author.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Claude Search free?
Web search is available across plans, including free tiers, with usage subject to limits. Confirm current plan details in the app. Anthropic.
Does Claude always search?
No. It searches when helpful to improve freshness and accuracy. You can ask it explicitly to “search the web and cite sources.” Anthropic.
Which model should I pick?
For complex reasoning, use Claude Opus 4 or Sonnet 4 where available; for everyday tasks, lighter models may suffice. Anthropic.
Can Claude remember my research across sessions?
Anthropic has introduced memory to recall past chats on request (opt-in). It’s separate from web search but useful for ongoing projects. The Verge.
How do I improve my odds of being cited?
Publish answer-ready pages with clear claims and primary documentation, plus schema for FAQs, products and organisation details.
The bottom line
Claude’s web search turns it from a static model into a current-aware research partner that links its sources. If your content is clean and verifiable, you’re more likely to be the link in the answer, not just another search result.
References (Harvard style)
- Anthropic (2025a) Claude can now search the web. Available at: https://www.anthropic.com/news/web-search
- Anthropic (2025b) Introducing Claude 4. Available at: https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-4
- The Verge (2025) Claude adds memory for past chats. Available at: https://www.theverge.com/news/757743/anthropic-claude-ai-search-past-chats