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Using the Google Text Search (Preview)

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Warning

The Semantic Kernel Text Search functionality is in preview, and improvements that require breaking changes may still occur in limited circumstances before release.

Overview

The Google Text Search implementation uses Google Custom Search to retrieve search results. You must provide your own Google Search Api Key and Search Engine Id to use this component.

Limitations

Feature Area Support
Search API Google Custom Search API only.
Supported filter clauses Only "equal to" filter clauses are supported.
Supported filter keys Following parameters are supported: "cr", "dateRestrict", "exactTerms", "excludeTerms", "filter", "gl", "hl", "linkSite", "lr", "orTerms", "rights", "siteSearch". For more information see parameters.

Tip

Follow this link for more information on how search is performed

Getting started

The sample below shows how to create a GoogleTextSearch and use it to perform a text search.

using Google.Apis.Http;
using Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Data;
using Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Plugins.Web.Google;

// Create an ITextSearch instance using Google search
var textSearch = new GoogleTextSearch(
    initializer: new() { ApiKey = "<Your Google API Key>", HttpClientFactory = new CustomHttpClientFactory(this.Output) },
    searchEngineId: "<Your Google Search Engine Id>");

var query = "What is the Semantic Kernel?";

// Search and return results as string items
KernelSearchResults<string> stringResults = await textSearch.SearchAsync(query, new() { Top = 4, Skip = 0 });
Console.WriteLine("——— String Results ———\n");
await foreach (string result in stringResults.Results)
{
    Console.WriteLine(result);
}

// Search and return results as TextSearchResult items
KernelSearchResults<TextSearchResult> textResults = await textSearch.GetTextSearchResultsAsync(query, new() { Top = 4, Skip = 4 });
Console.WriteLine("\n——— Text Search Results ———\n");
await foreach (TextSearchResult result in textResults.Results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Name:  {result.Name}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Value: {result.Value}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Link:  {result.Link}");
}

// Search and return results as Google.Apis.CustomSearchAPI.v1.Data.Result items
KernelSearchResults<object> fullResults = await textSearch.GetSearchResultsAsync(query, new() { Top = 4, Skip = 8 });
Console.WriteLine("\n——— Google Web Page Results ———\n");
await foreach (Google.Apis.CustomSearchAPI.v1.Data.Result result in fullResults.Results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Title:       {result.Title}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Snippet:     {result.Snippet}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Link:        {result.Link}");
    Console.WriteLine($"DisplayLink: {result.DisplayLink}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Kind:        {result.Kind}");
}

Coming soon

More coming soon.

Coming soon

More coming soon.

Next steps

The following sections of the documentation show you how to:

  1. Create a plugin and use it for Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG).
  2. Use text search together with function calling.
  3. Learn more about using vector stores for text search.

Text Search Abstractions Text Search Plugins Text Search Function Calling Text Search with Vector Stores