Why:

The update in the web search API component focuses on updating to a new format and also enhancing flexibility. Specifically, it addresses the need for users to specify their preferred search engine when conducting web searches through the API.

• fixes SearchApiWebSearch in websearch is not passing query correctly as per v2 example documentation. https://docs.haystack.deepset.ai/docs/searchapiwebsearch #7447

What:

• Extended the documentation to inform users they can now specify a search engine via the search_params argument, with Google being the default.
• Altered the payload creation process by:
  • Checking if the engine parameter is not present in search_params and setting it to "google" by default.
  • Removing the JSON serialization process for the payload variable.
  • Adjusting the way the API key is included in the request, moving it from the request headers to the payload.
  • Simplifying the request by eliminating custom headers, relying instead on default headers and passing the payload as parameters.

How can it be used:

• To specify a search engine other than Google, users can now adjust the search_params like so:

from haystack.components.websearch import SearchApiWebSearch, SerperDevWebSearch
from haystack.utils import Secret

web_search = SearchApiWebSearch(api_key=Secret.from_token("YOUR-API-KEY"), search_params={"engine": "bing"})
query = "What is the capital of Germany?"

response = web_search.run(query)
print(response)

• This update maintains backward compatibility while allowing for new feature usage without additional overhead for users preferring the default settings.

How did you test it:

• Manually tested the updated component with different search engine parameters to ensure the correct engine is utilized.
• Conducted unit tests to verify that the default search engine is Google when no engine is specified.

Notes for the reviewer:

• Review the updated documentation to ensure it clearly communicates the new feature and its default behavior.
• Verify that the removal of custom headers does not impact the API's authentication process or response handling.