Server Tools

What are Server Tools

Server Tools are built-in tools hosted and executed automatically by MiniMax on the server side. Unlike traditional Function Calls (client-side tools), you don’t need to implement the tool’s execution logic or manually return tool results across multiple turns—the model automatically invokes the tool, retrieves the result, and continues generating within a single API request.

This capability is currently in Beta; behavior and parameters may change.

Client-side tools (Function Call)

The model returns tool_use, your code executes it, and you pass tool_result back. Requires multiple round trips.

The model executes the tool and retrieves the result on MiniMax’s servers, all within a single request. You only read the final reply.

Availability

Capability	Support
Interface	Anthropic Messages API (`/anthropic/v1/messages`) OpenAI Responses API (`/v1/responses`)
Available tools	`web_search`
How to use	Declare the server tool in the request’s `tools` array

web_search

web_search lets the model search the web automatically while generating a reply, fetch real-time information, and answer based on the search results. It’s ideal for time-sensitive questions that require the latest facts (news, market data, documentation lookups, etc.).

Declare the tool

Declare web_search in the tools array using the format for your interface:

Anthropic Messages API
OpenAI Responses API

{
  "type": "web_search_20250305",
  "name": "web_search"
}

{
  "type": "web_search"
}

The Anthropic Messages API uses the versioned type identifier web_search_20250305; the OpenAI Responses API uses the web_search tool type. Use the format that matches the interface you call.

Example

Anthropic Messages API
OpenAI Responses API

cURL

curl https://api.minimax.io/anthropic/v1/messages \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "x-api-key: ${MINIMAX_API_KEY}" \
  -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
  -d '{
    "model": "MiniMax-M3",
    "max_tokens": 8192,
    "messages": [
      {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "What is the weather in Shanghai?"
      }
    ],
    "tools": [
      {
        "type": "web_search_20250305",
        "name": "web_search"
      }
    ]
  }'

cURL

curl --location 'https://api.minimax.io/v1/responses' \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer ${MINIMAX_API_KEY}" \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "model": "MiniMax-M3",
    "input": "What is the weather in Shanghai?",
    "tools": [
      {
        "type": "web_search"
      }
    ]
  }'

Response

Anthropic Messages API

Once web_search is enabled, the model executes the search on the server side and uses the results to generate its final reply. You don’t need to handle tool_use / tool_result round trips—just read the text content blocks in message.content to get the answer. message.content returns multiple content blocks in the order the model executed them. A complete search-and-answer flow typically includes the following types:

Block type	Description
`text`	Text generated by the model. Both the lead-in before searching and the final answer after searching use this type
`server_tool_use`	The tool call the model issued on the server side. `name` is `web_search`, and `input.query` is the actual search query
`web_search_tool_result`	The search results returned by the server. `content` is a list of `web_search_result` items with fields such as `title`, `url`, `page_age`, and `content`

Full response example

{
  "id": "069d492820d3562155e88b67fe988b42",
  "type": "message",
  "role": "assistant",
  "model": "MiniMax-M3",
  "content": [
    {
      "text": "Let me search for today's weather in Shanghai.",
      "type": "text"
    },
    {
      "type": "server_tool_use",
      "id": "call_function_aa733q961ql2_1",
      "name": "web_search",
      "input": {
        "query": "Shanghai weather today"
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "web_search_tool_result",
      "tool_use_id": "call_function_aa733q961ql2_1",
      "content": [
        /// ...
        {
          "type": "web_search_result",
          "title": "Shanghai Weather Forecast",
          "url": "http://www.weather.com.cn/textFC/shanghai.shtml",
          "page_age": "2026-07-07 18:00:00",
          "content": "Map-based domestic city weather forecast > Domestic > Shanghai. Today Tue (Jul 7), Wed (Jul 8), Thu (Jul 9) ... Shanghai daytime/nighttime: weather, wind direction & force, high/low temperature. Shanghai - light rain, south wind <3, 28 ..."
        },
        /// ...
      ]
    },
    {
      "text": "Based on the latest search results, here's the weather in Shanghai today (July 8):\n\n## 🌤️ Shanghai Weather Today\n\n- **Conditions**: Mostly cloudy to overcast, with **brief showers or thunderstorms** in some areas\n- **Temperature**: Morning low around 30.3°C, daytime high up to **35–36°C**\n- **Wind**: South to southwest wind force 3–4 (4–5 along the river and coast), shifting to south-southeast at night\n- **Humidity**: Relative humidity 95%–60%, **feels muggy**\n- **Alert**: The Shanghai Meteorological Observatory has issued a **yellow high-temperature warning for the central urban area**\n\n## ⚠️ Tips\n\n1. **Beat the heat**: High temperature and humidity make it feel muggy; wear sunscreen and stay hydrated when heading out.\n2. **Rain & lightning**: Brief thundershowers in some areas—carry an umbrella for both sun and rain.\n3. **Typhoon update**: Typhoon No. 14 \"Bavi\" is extremely strong and is expected to bring noticeable wind and rain to Shanghai and nearby waters on the 11th–13th; keep an eye on later forecasts.\n\n## 📅 Coming days\n\n- **Tomorrow (July 9)**: Cloudy to overcast, brief thunderstorms in some areas, 28–34°C, slight relief\n- **From Friday**: Under the outer circulation of Typhoon \"Bavi,\" frequent showers, dropping temperatures with strong southeast winds\n\nFor a detailed hourly forecast, visit [Weather China – Shanghai](http://www.weather.com.cn/weather/101020100.shtml).",
      "type": "text"
    }
  ],
  "usage": {
    "input_tokens": 3206,
    "output_tokens": 365,
    "cache_creation_input_tokens": 0,
    "cache_read_input_tokens": 228,
    "service_tier": "standard"
  },
  "stop_reason": "end_turn",
  "base_resp": {
    "status_code": 0,
    "status_msg": ""
  }
}

OpenAI Responses API

Once web_search is enabled, the server completes the search and response generation within a single request; you do not need to return tool results. The response’s output array contains the search call and model reply. Read the top-level output_text field to get the final answer directly.

Field or output item	Description
`web_search_call`	The server-side web search call, including its call ID, status, and the actual search query in `action.query`
`message`	The model’s final reply; its text is contained in `content`
`output_text`	Aggregated final text that can be read directly

Responses API response example

{
  "id": "06dde8fff7573ca7ba181eecab350bd5",
  "object": "response",
  "created_at": 1787737599,
  "status": "completed",
  "model": "MiniMax-M3",
  "output": [
    {
      "id": "call_function_1bto13bpgmku_1",
      "type": "web_search_call",
      "status": "completed",
      "action": {
        "type": "search",
        "query": "Shanghai weather today"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "06dde8fff7573ca7ba181eecab350bd5_msg",
      "type": "message",
      "status": "completed",
      "role": "assistant",
      "content": [
        {
          "type": "output_text",
          "text": "# Shanghai Weather Today 🌤️\n\nAccording to the latest weather information retrieved……",
          "annotations": [
            {
              "type": "url_citation",
              "title": "Current weather in Shanghai",
              "url": "https://weather.yahoo.com/zh-hant-tw/cn/%E4%B8%8A%E6%B5%B7/",
              "start_index": 0,
              "end_index": 0,
              "content": "Current weather in Shanghai……"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "output_text": "# Shanghai Weather Today 🌤️\n\nAccording to the latest weather information retrieved……",
  "usage": {
    "input_tokens": 12036,
    "output_tokens": 412,
    "total_tokens": 12448,
    "input_tokens_details": {
      "cached_tokens": 348
    }
  },
  "error": null
}

Because the search runs entirely on the server, a single request may take longer than one without tools. Set your client timeout accordingly.

Notes

Server Tools are in Beta; behavior and parameters may change at any time.
web_search is currently the only available Server Tool. It can be called through the Anthropic Messages API and the OpenAI Responses API.
The Anthropic Messages API Base URL is https://api.minimax.io/anthropic; the OpenAI Responses API endpoint is https://api.minimax.io/v1/responses. See the Anthropic SDK and Responses API documentation for details.

If you run into any issues, contact our technical support team at Model@minimaxi.com.

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Server Tools

What are Server Tools

Client-side tools (Function Call)

Server Tools

Availability

web_search

Declare the tool

Example

Response

Anthropic Messages API

OpenAI Responses API

Notes

​What are Server Tools

Client-side tools (Function Call)

Server Tools

​Availability

​web_search

​Declare the tool

​Example

​Response

​Anthropic Messages API

​OpenAI Responses API

​Notes

What are Server Tools

Availability

web_search

Declare the tool

Example

Response

Anthropic Messages API

OpenAI Responses API

Notes