fix(agent): honor explicit web search requests

Promote explicit web-search phrasing to tool use and keep web_search/web_fetch available for that turn even when the stale web toggle is false.

routes/chat_routes.py

@@ -696,7 +696,12 @@ def setup_chat_routes(
         # by default without having to send allow_bash in every request.
         if allow_bash is not None and str(allow_bash).lower() != "true":
             disabled_tools.add("bash")
-        if allow_web_search is not None and str(allow_web_search).lower() != "true":
+        _explicit_web_intent = bool(_tool_intent and _tool_intent.category == "web")
+        if (
+            allow_web_search is not None
+            and str(allow_web_search).lower() != "true"
+            and not _explicit_web_intent
+        ):
             disabled_tools.add("web_search")
             disabled_tools.add("web_fetch")
 

src/action_intents.py

@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ _ROUTING_PATTERNS: tuple[tuple[str, str, Pattern[str]], ...] = tuple(
         ("ui", "tool or feature toggle request", r"\b(?:disable|enable|turn\s+(?:on|off))\s+(?:the\s+)?(?:shell|search|web|browser|documents?|memory|skills|images?|calendar|email|mail|research|incognito)\b"),
 
         # Deep research jobs, not quick conceptual mentions of research.
+        ("web", "explicit web search request", rf"{_PLEASE}(?:do|run|use|perform|make)\s+(?:a\s+)?(?:web\s+search|search\s+the\s+web)\b.+"),
+        ("web", "web lookup imperative request", rf"{_PLEASE}(?:web\s+search|search\s+the\s+web|search\s+online|look\s+up|google)\b.+"),
+        ("web", "assistant web lookup request", rf"{_ACTION_QUESTION}(?:web\s+search|search\s+the\s+web|search\s+online|look\s+up|google)\b.+"),
         ("research", "deep research imperative request", rf"{_PLEASE}(?:research|deep\s+dive|look\s+into|investigate)\s+.+"),
         ("research", "assistant deep research request", rf"{_ACTION_QUESTION}(?:research|do\s+research|deep\s+dive|look\s+into|investigate)\s+.+"),
 

src/agent_loop.py

@@ -2099,11 +2099,12 @@ async def stream_agent_loop(
     # tool, so we don't nudge on harmless transitional text like "let me
     # know what you think".
     _INTENT_RE = re.compile(
-        r"(?:^|\n)\s*(?:let me|i'?ll|i will|going to|let's)\s+"
+        r"(?:^|\n)\s*(?:let me|i'?ll|i will|i need to|we need to|need to|"
+        r"i should|we should|i must|we must|going to|let's)\s+"
         r"(?:tail|check|investigate|look at|see|tail|read|fetch|inspect|"
         r"verify|diagnose|examine|debug|capture|grab|pull|view|run|call|"
         r"trigger|launch|start|kick off|stop|kill|restart|adopt|serve|"
-        r"register|adopt|list|search|find|query|hit|ping|test)"
+        r"register|adopt|list|search|find|query|hit|ping|test|use|perform|do)"
         r"\b[^.\n]{0,140}",
         re.IGNORECASE,
     )

src/tool_index.py

@@ -384,6 +384,10 @@ class ToolIndex:
                    "delegate to", "have model"}):
             {"chat_with_model", "ask_teacher", "list_models"},
         # Deep research intent (incl. common typo "reserach")
+        frozenset({"web search", "search the web", "search online", "look up",
+                   "google", "latest", "current", "news", "weather",
+                   "forecast", "stock price", "price of"}):
+            {"web_search", "web_fetch"},
         frozenset({"research", "reserach", "reasearch", "look into", "investigate",
                    "deep dive", "deep research", "find out about", "study up on",
                    "report on", "do research", "look up everything"}):

tests/test_action_intents.py

@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@ def test_research_action_promotes_to_agent():
     assert message_needs_tools("can you look into GPU hosting options")
 
 
+def test_explicit_web_search_promotes_to_agent():
+    assert message_needs_tools("use web search and find a recipe for chocolate chip cookies")
+    assert message_needs_tools("do a web search for the best chocolate chip cookies")
+    assert message_needs_tools("search the web for current RTX 3090 prices")
+    assert classify_tool_intent("use web search and find a recipe").category == "web"
+
+
 def test_explanatory_calendar_questions_stay_plain_chat():
     assert not message_needs_tools("How do I add an entry to my calendar?")
     assert not message_needs_tools("What about the built-in Odysseus calendar, is that linked to email?")

tests/test_chat_route_tool_policy.py

@@ -89,6 +89,9 @@ def test_disabled_tools_does_not_bash_when_allow_bash_is_none():
     assert "allow_web_search is not None" in source, (
         "disabled_tools check must guard against allow_web_search being None"
     )
+    assert "_explicit_web_intent" in source and "not _explicit_web_intent" in source, (
+        "explicit web-search requests must override an off web toggle for that turn"
+    )
 
 
 # ── Functional tests of the disabled-tools logic ───────────────
@@ -99,6 +102,7 @@ def _build_disabled_tools(
     allow_web_search=None,
     can_use_bash=True,
     can_use_browser=True,
+    explicit_web_intent=False,
 ):
     """Replicate the disabled-tools logic from chat_stream for unit testing.
 
@@ -109,7 +113,11 @@ def _build_disabled_tools(
     # Issue #3229 fix: only disable when explicitly set to a falsy value.
     if allow_bash is not None and str(allow_bash).lower() != "true":
         disabled_tools.add("bash")
-    if allow_web_search is not None and str(allow_web_search).lower() != "true":
+    if (
+        allow_web_search is not None
+        and str(allow_web_search).lower() != "true"
+        and not explicit_web_intent
+    ):
         disabled_tools.add("web_search")
         disabled_tools.add("web_fetch")
 
@@ -148,6 +156,17 @@ def test_json_body_allow_web_search_false_disables_web():
     assert "web_fetch" in disabled
 
 
+def test_explicit_web_intent_overrides_false_web_toggle_for_turn():
+    """A stale/off web toggle must not remove web tools when the message
+    explicitly asks to use web search."""
+    disabled = _build_disabled_tools(
+        allow_web_search="false",
+        explicit_web_intent=True,
+    )
+    assert "web_search" not in disabled
+    assert "web_fetch" not in disabled
+
+
 def test_admin_user_gets_bash_enabled_by_default():
     """When allow_bash is not set and user has can_use_bash privilege,
     bash must NOT be disabled.

tests/test_tool_rag_keyword_hints.py

@@ -40,6 +40,14 @@ def test_tell_in_web_query_does_not_force_email_tools():
     assert "web_search" in tools and "web_fetch" in tools
 
 
+def test_explicit_web_search_query_gets_web_tools_without_retrieval():
+    """Explicit web-search phrasing must surface web tools even if embeddings
+    return nothing."""
+    ti = _index_without_embeddings()
+    tools = ti.get_tools_for_query("use web search and find a recipe for chocolate chip cookies")
+    assert "web_search" in tools and "web_fetch" in tools
+
+
 def test_genuine_email_query_still_gets_email_tools():
     """Removing 'tell' must not break real email intent — the actual email
     keywords still force-include the toolset."""