---
title: "Tavily Research Tool"
description: "Run multi-step research tasks and get cited reports using the Tavily Research API"
icon: "flask"
mode: "wide"
---

The `TavilyResearchTool` lets CrewAI agents kick off Tavily research tasks, returning a synthesized, cited report (or a stream of progress events) instead of raw search results. Use it when an agent needs an investigative answer rather than a single web search.

## Installation

To use the `TavilyResearchTool`, install the `tavily-python` library alongside `crewai-tools`:

```shell
uv add 'crewai[tools]' tavily-python
```

## Environment Variables

Set your Tavily API key:

```bash
export TAVILY_API_KEY='your_tavily_api_key'
```

Get an API key at [https://app.tavily.com/](https://app.tavily.com/) (sign up, then create a key).

## Example Usage

```python
import os
from crewai import Agent, Crew, Task
from crewai_tools import TavilyResearchTool

# Ensure TAVILY_API_KEY is set in your environment
# os.environ["TAVILY_API_KEY"] = "YOUR_API_KEY"

tavily_tool = TavilyResearchTool()

researcher = Agent(
    role="Research Analyst",
    goal="Investigate questions and produce concise, well-cited briefings.",
    backstory=(
        "You are a meticulous analyst who delegates web research to the Tavily "
        "Research tool, then synthesizes the findings into short briefings."
    ),
    tools=[tavily_tool],
    verbose=True,
)

research_task = Task(
    description=(
        "Investigate notable open-source agent orchestration frameworks released "
        "in the last six months and summarize their differentiators."
    ),
    expected_output="A bulleted briefing with citations.",
    agent=researcher,
)

crew = Crew(agents=[researcher], tasks=[research_task])
print(crew.kickoff())
```

## Configuration Options

The `TavilyResearchTool` accepts the following arguments — all can be set on the tool instance (defaults for every call) or per-call via the agent's tool input:

- `input` (str): **Required.** The research task or question to investigate.
- `model` (Literal["mini", "pro", "auto"]): The Tavily research model. `"auto"` lets Tavily pick; `"mini"` is faster/cheaper; `"pro"` is the most capable. Defaults to `"auto"`.
- `output_schema` (dict | None): Optional JSON Schema that structures the research output. Useful when you want strictly typed results.
- `stream` (bool): When `True`, the tool returns an iterator of SSE chunks emitting research progress and the final result instead of a single string. Defaults to `False`.
- `citation_format` (Literal["numbered", "mla", "apa", "chicago"]): Citation format for the report. Defaults to `"numbered"`.

## Advanced Usage

### Configure defaults on the tool instance

```python
from crewai_tools import TavilyResearchTool

tavily_tool = TavilyResearchTool(
    model="pro",                # use Tavily's most capable research model
    citation_format="apa",      # APA-style citations
)
```

### Stream research progress

When `stream=True`, the tool returns a generator (or async generator from `_arun`) of SSE chunks so your application can surface incremental progress:

```python
tavily_tool = TavilyResearchTool(stream=True)

for chunk in tavily_tool.run(input="Summarize recent advances in retrieval-augmented generation."):
    print(chunk)
```

### Structured output via JSON Schema

Pass an `output_schema` when you need a typed result instead of a free-form report:

```python
output_schema = {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
        "summary": {"type": "string"},
        "key_points": {"type": "array", "items": {"type": "string"}},
        "sources": {"type": "array", "items": {"type": "string"}},
    },
    "required": ["summary", "key_points", "sources"],
}

tavily_tool = TavilyResearchTool(output_schema=output_schema)
```

## Features

- **End-to-end research**: Returns a synthesized, cited report rather than raw search hits.
- **Model selection**: Trade off cost, speed, and depth via `mini`, `pro`, or `auto`.
- **Streaming**: Stream incremental progress and results as SSE chunks for responsive UIs.
- **Structured output**: Coerce results to a JSON Schema you define.
- **Multiple citation styles**: Choose from numbered, MLA, APA, or Chicago citations.
- **Sync and async**: Use either `_run` or `_arun` depending on your application's runtime.

Refer to the [Tavily API documentation](https://docs.tavily.com/) for full details on the Research API.
