ISMS Copilot
Tools

Use web search in chat

Overview

Web search lets you enrich AI responses with current information from the web. When enabled for a message, ISMS Copilot searches online sources before generating its answer, which is useful for questions about recent regulatory updates, newly published standards, or time-sensitive compliance news.

Web search now works across more chat routes, so you can get fresher answers when current information matters. Responses include inline source links so you can verify the information yourself.

Web search is helpful when you need:

  • Current information about recent regulatory changes or announcements

  • Updates to standards or frameworks published after your knowledge cutoff

  • Verification of the latest guidance from regulatory bodies

  • Time-sensitive compliance news or enforcement actions

For established compliance frameworks like ISO 27001:2022 controls or GDPR articles, you don't need web search—ISMS Copilot's built-in knowledge covers these thoroughly.

How to Enable Web Search for a Message

  1. Open any conversation in ISMS Copilot.

  2. Look for the web search toggle in the chat input area, near the attachment and send controls.

  3. Toggle web search ON before typing or sending your message.

  4. Type your question and send it as normal.

What happens: While the AI prepares your response, you'll see a "Searching the web…" indicator. This confirms the system is gathering current information before synthesizing the answer.

The toggle resets to OFF after each message. If you want web search for follow-up questions, turn it on again before each send.

Understanding the Searching Indicator

When web search is active, the chat displays an animated "Searching the web…" status while it queries online sources. This indicator appears in the message area while the response is being prepared.

Once the search completes, the indicator disappears and the AI delivers its response, incorporating information from the web results.

When web search finds relevant information, the response includes inline source links—clickable URLs embedded directly in the answer text. These appear as standard markdown-style links, so you can click through to verify the original source.

For example, a response about a recent regulatory update might include a link to the official announcement page. Use these links to:

  • Verify that the AI accurately represents the source material

  • Read the full original document for complete context

  • Bookmark authoritative sources for future reference

Source links are generated from web search results. Always check the linked page's date and authoritativeness before relying on the information for compliance decisions.

Why You Might Not See the Web Search Option

The web search toggle is hidden for some users. You won't see it if:

  • You're on the Free plan: Web search is a paid feature. Free-tier requests have web search disabled automatically server-side. Upgrade to Plus or higher to enable web search.

  • Advanced Data Protection Mode is enabled: Web search requires external internet access that conflicts with the EU-only, zero-retention processing guarantees of Advanced Data Protection. If ADP is active on your account, the toggle does not appear. See Advanced Data Protection Mode for details on that feature.

  • Your assistant doesn't support web search: Web search is available for Anthropic (Claude) and Mistral assistant routes only. Other AI providers do not support web search at this time.

If you expected to see web search but the toggle is missing, check your plan tier and Data Protection settings first. Free plan and ADP are the most common reasons the feature is unavailable.

Best Practices

  • Use selectively: Web search is slower than standard chat because it involves an extra lookup step. Enable it only when you genuinely need current information.

  • Verify critical findings: As with any AI-generated content, review web-sourced answers against authoritative sources when accuracy is critical.

  • Combine with explicit citations: The AI may reference where it found information. Use those references to dig deeper or confirm regulatory guidance.

Limitations

  • Provider support: Web search works with Anthropic (Claude) and Mistral assistant routes only. Other AI providers in ISMS Copilot do not support web search at this time.

  • Per-message only: Web search applies to one message at a time. It does not persist across a conversation thread.

  • Paid plans only: Free-tier accounts have web search disabled. You need Plus or higher to use this feature.

  • Not available with ADP: If maximum data protection with EU-only processing is your priority, web search is not compatible with that mode.

  • Subject to availability: Web search depends on external services; rare outages may temporarily affect the feature.

What's Next

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