When memory has no answer or fresh information is needed, the assistant can search the internet and read the pages it finds. It decides by itself when this is needed. You can also ask directly: "search the web for…", "open the page…".
Turn it on or off
Every connection on the Models screen has a Web access mode:
- Off: this model has no internet access.
- Automatic (recommended): the model searches when it needs to.
Two kinds of search
The model's built-in search. The provider searches and reads the results itself. Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok and Kimi have it, and through OpenRouter so do the models that support it. The provider charges for it separately.
Fallback search. If the model has no built-in search, MindDuck searches by itself through the search service you chose and passes the results to the model:
| Service | What you need |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Nothing, it works right away and for free. Good for reference questions, not for news |
| Brave, Tavily, Exa | Your own key for that service. Full search across the internet |
Connect a service on the Models → Web search tab: paste the key and click Test and save.
Reading pages
To read a page it found, MindDuck downloads it. The method is chosen in Assistant → Web page reader → Reading mode:
- Automatic: this device first, then Jina Reader: on the device first, and pages that can't be read here through the Jina Reader service.
- Local only: page addresses and content never leave the device.
- Always use Jina Reader: every address is sent to Jina Reader.
Background browser
Many sites build their pages with scripts: the downloaded code holds almost no text. MindDuck opens such pages in a background browser, a hidden window on this device. The address isn't sent anywhere, and the window never appears on screen or gets in your way. While a page opens, the assistant's progress line shows "Opening the page in the background browser…" and "Waiting for the page to finish loading…".
The background browser opens the page without your sign-ins and cookies, like a private window, and doesn't let it open new windows, download files, ask for the camera, microphone or location, or reach your computer and home network. Turn it off with Use a background browser for pages built by scripts in the same place. Without it, such pages are read through Jina Reader in Automatic mode and may not be readable in Local only mode.
Long pages
The assistant gets a long page in parts, with an outline: it sees which part holds which section and can open the part it needs or search the page for words. Tables stay tables. The page loads once per answer; moving between parts doesn't load it again.
The assistant opens pages of local servers, for example a program on
http://localhost:3000, only from the Local servers the assistant may open
list in the same place. Write one address per line, with its port, and click
Save addresses. Only these exact addresses open. Such pages are read on the
device and never go to Jina Reader, and the list itself is stored on this
device and isn't synced. Add only servers you trust: a page the assistant reads
could ask it to open an address from the list.
What is sent where
- With built-in search, the query goes to the model's provider.
- With fallback search, the search service receives the query the model wrote. It doesn't get your conversation.
- Jina Reader receives the page address in Always use Jina Reader mode, and in Automatic mode only when the page couldn't be read on the device. Addresses of local servers from the list are never sent to it.
- The background browser works on the device: the site gets an ordinary request from your device, as with local reading, but without your sign-ins and cookies.
Updated October 9, 2026 · for version 0.2.12 · Found a mistake? Write to us