URL context

The URL context tool lets you provide additional context to the models in the form of URLs. By including URLs in your request, the model will access the content from those pages (as long as it's not a URL type listed in the limitations section) to inform and enhance its response.

The URL context tool is useful for tasks like the following:

  • Extract Data: Pull specific info like prices, names, or key findings from multiple URLs.
  • Compare Documents: Analyze multiple reports, articles, or PDFs to identify differences and track trends.
  • Synthesize & Create Content: Combine information from several source URLs to generate accurate summaries, blog posts, or reports.
  • Analyze Code & Docs: Point to a GitHub repository or technical documentation to explain code, generate setup instructions, or answer questions.

The following example shows how to compare two recipes from different websites.

Python

# This will only work for SDK newer than 2.0.0
from google import genai

client = genai.Client()

url1 = "https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe-1940592"
url2 = "https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/21151/simple-whole-roast-chicken/"

interaction = client.interactions.create(
    model="gemini-3.7-flash",
    input=f"Compare the ingredients and cooking times from the recipes at {url1} and {url2}",
    tools=[{"type": "url_context"}]
)

# Print the model's text response and its source annotations
for step in interaction.steps:
    if step.type == "model_output":
        for content_block in step.content:
            if content_block.type == "text":
                print(content_block.text)
                if content_block.annotations:
                    print("\nSources:")
                    for annotation in content_block.annotations:
                        if annotation.type == "url_citation":
                            print(f"  - {annotation.title}: {annotation.url}")

Javascript

// This will only work for SDK newer than 2.0.0
import { GoogleGenAI } from "@google/genai";

const client = new GoogleGenAI({});

async function main() {
  const interaction = await client.interactions.create({
    model: "gemini-3.7-flash",
    input: "Compare the ingredients and cooking times from the recipes at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe-1940592 and https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/21151/simple-whole-roast-chicken/",
    tools: [{ type: "url_context" }]
  });

  // Print the model's text response and its source annotations
  for (const step of interaction.steps) {
    if (step.type === 'model_output') {
      for (const contentBlock of step.content) {
        if (contentBlock.type === 'text') {
          console.log(contentBlock.text);
          if (contentBlock.annotations) {
            console.log("\nSources:");
            for (const annotation of contentBlock.annotations) {
              if (annotation.type