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The Web Search feature enables the assistant to access information from the internet to answer questions requiring up-to-date data or information external to your document database. We are evolving this feature to offer you more flexibility, security, and stability through the MCP standard.

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1. Why is Web Search evolving?

Historically, LightOn offered a proprietary web search tool (“Web Search Legacy”). To focus on our core expertise—Private Document Search—we have decided to discontinue the development of our internal engine. We are now adopting the MCP standard. This architecture allows you to choose your own search provider (LinkUp, OmniSearch, FastMCP, Perplexity, etc.) and connect it easily to the LightOn platform.

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2. Our Recommendation: Linkup.so

Although the MCP architecture gives you free choice regarding the provider, LightOn recommends using Linkup for privacy-conscious clients. We have selected Linkup for its high standards regarding sovereignty and security:
  • Zero data retention: Your queries are not stored.
  • Hosting in France: Data sovereignty is guaranteed.
  • Independence: Linkup possesses its own index, avoiding sending data to “Big Tech”.
  • Certified: SOC2 Type II compliant.
Note: For new organizations, Web Search is disabled by default. You must configure an MCP (Linkup or other) to activate it.

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3. End of Support for the Legacy Tool (Deprecation)

For clients still using the native “Web Search” tool (Legacy), a transition period is in place.
  • Current Availability: Access is maintained for existing clients.
  • End of Service Date: The native tool will be permanently removed on March 31, 2026.
  • Required Action: We invite all clients to migrate to an MCP solution (like Linkup) before this date to avoid any service interruption.

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4. Configuration and Usage

Before being able to use web search via MCP, technical configuration is necessary, followed by activation in the chat interface.

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Step 1: Connector Configuration (Admin)

The web search feature is no longer native but relies on external connectors (MCP). To activate a provider (like Linkup or other), an administrator must configure the integration in the system settings. Please consult our step-by-step integration guide here: 👉 Documentation: MCP Servers Integration

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Step 2: How to launch a Web Search in the chat?

Once the MCP server is correctly configured and activated, the search tool appears in the list of available tools in your chat interface. There are three ways to interact with this tool:
  1. Automatic Detection (Autonomous Mode): Simply ask your question. The model analyzes your request and determines by itself if an external search is necessary to answer you (for example, for a question about recent news).
  2. Explicit Request (Prompting): You can specify in your request that you want to use the internet. Example: “Search the web for the latest announcements regarding generative AI.”
  3. Manual Selection (Forcing the tool): If you wish to guarantee the use of web search (without leaving the choice to the model), you can manually select the tool in the “Select a tool” menu before sending your message. The assistant will then be forced to use the MCP connector to process your request.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are my corporate documents shared during a Web Search? No. Whether with the old method or via MCP, your internal documents are never transmitted externally. Only the text query (the question asked) is sent to the search engine. Can the tool access paid sites (Paywall)? No, the tool (via MCP or Legacy) cannot access content locked behind a paywall or requiring specific user authentication (login/password).