AI agents need access to the web. Not just cached results from months ago, but fresh, accurate content from real web pages. Building reliable web search into an agent is harder than it sounds. Rate limits, stale indexes, paywalled content, garbage results.
Today we're excited to highlight Linkup, a web search API built specifically for AI applications, now available on Orthogonal.
What is Linkup?
Linkup provides high-quality web search designed for AI apps and agents. Ask a natural language question, get back clean, sourced answers instead of ten blue links. With access to premium content partners, they're building the search layer that AI applications actually need.
Key Features
Natural Language Search
Ask questions in plain English. Get structured, sourced answers instead of raw HTML to parse. No query syntax to learn. Just describe what you're looking for.
Standard & Deep Search
Choose your depth. standard is fast for simple lookups like quick facts, definitions, and recent news. deep takes longer but returns comprehensive, well-sourced results for complex research questions.
Structured Output
Define a JSON schema for exactly the response format you need. No more parsing unstructured text. Get data in the shape your agent expects. Perfect for building reliable pipelines.
Web Page Fetching
Fetch and extract content from any URL, with optional JavaScript rendering for dynamic pages. Great for pulling content from specific pages your agent discovers.
Using Linkup with Orthogonal
Quick Search
import Orthogonal from "@orth/sdk";
const orthogonal = new Orthogonal({
apiKey: process.env.ORTHOGONAL_API_KEY,
});
// Search the web with a natural language question
const result = await orthogonal.run({
api: "linkup",
path: "/search",
body: {
q: "What is the latest funding round for Anthropic?",
depth: "standard",
outputType: "sourcedAnswer"
}
});
console.log(result);Deep Research
// Deep search for comprehensive results
const research = await orthogonal.run({
api: "linkup",
path: "/search",
body: {
q: "Compare pricing models of major LLM API providers in 2026",
depth: "deep",
outputType: "sourcedAnswer",
includeImages: true
}
});
console.log(research);Structured Output
// Get results in a specific format
const structured = await orthogonal.run({
api: "linkup",
path: "/search",
body: {
q: "Top 5 YC W26 companies by funding raised",
depth: "deep",
outputType: "structured",
structuredOutputSchema: JSON.stringify({
type: "object",
properties: {
companies: {
type: "array",
items: {
type: "object",
properties: {
name: { type: "string" },
funding: { type: "string" },
description: { type: "string" }
}
}
}
}
})
}
});
console.log(structured);Fetch a Web Page
// Fetch and extract content from a URL
const page = await orthogonal.run({
api: "linkup",
path: "/fetch",
body: {
url: "https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/15/latest-ai-news",
renderJs: true,
extractImages: true
}
});
console.log(page);Using x402 Protocol
Linkup on Orthogonal also supports x402, an open protocol that enables native payments in HTTP. With x402, your agents can pay for API calls directly using USDC stablecoins, with no API keys required.
// Install: npm install x402-fetch viem
import { wrapFetchWithPayment } from "x402-fetch";
import { privateKeyToAccount } from "viem/accounts";
const privateKey = process.env.PRIVATE_KEY;
if (!privateKey) {
throw new Error("PRIVATE_KEY environment variable is required");
}
const account = privateKeyToAccount(
privateKey.startsWith("0x") ? privateKey : `0x${privateKey}`,
);
const fetchWithPayment = wrapFetchWithPayment(fetch, account);
// Make a paid request (payment is automatic)
const url = "https://x402.orth.sh/linkup/search";
const response = await fetchWithPayment(url, {
method: "POST",
headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
body: JSON.stringify({
q: "latest AI funding rounds",
depth: "standard",
outputType: "sourcedAnswer"
})
});
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);x402 enables a new paradigm where AI agents can autonomously pay for services using stablecoins. No subscriptions, no API key management, just seamless agent-to-agent payments.
Why Agents Love Linkup
Traditional search APIs were built for developers building search engines. Linkup was built for the AI-native era:
- Natural language queries: Ask questions, not keyword strings
- Sourced answers: Every response includes citations so your agent can verify
- Flexible depth: Quick lookups or deep research, you choose per query
- Structured output: Define your schema, get data in the exact shape you need
- Premium content: Access to paywalled and licensed content sources
Available Endpoints
Linkup offers several powerful endpoints through Orthogonal:
| Endpoint | Description |
|---|---|
| Search (Standard) | Fast web search for quick lookups and simple questions |
| Search (Deep) | Comprehensive research with well-sourced, detailed results |
| Structured Search | Search with custom JSON schema output |
| Fetch | Extract content from any URL with optional JS rendering |
Try It Today
Sign up for Orthogonal and get $10 free credits to try Linkup and dozens of other APIs. No API keys to manage, no accounts to create. Just instant access to powerful tools for your agents.