Choose the integration boundary
| Decision | Bedrock Web Search | AgentCore Web Search |
|---|---|---|
| Primary surface | Built-in tool during Bedrock model inference | Managed connector on AgentCore Gateway |
| Protocol | OpenAI-compatible Responses API tool | MCP tools/list and tools/call through Gateway |
| Orchestration | Bedrock performs server-side search lifecycle | Agent or harness invokes a Gateway tool |
| Result | Grounded model response with citation annotations | Search result content with title, URL, and published date when available |
| Permissions | Bedrock inference plus bedrock-websearch actions | Gateway invocation and service-role permissions |
The products are related but not interchangeable. Verify current Regions, models, connector versions, filters, quotas, pricing, IAM, CloudTrail, and data handling for the chosen path.
Decision rule
Use Bedrock Web Search for a tight “model answer with citations” path. Use AgentCore when web search is one governed tool among many and the application needs MCP discovery, connector configuration, request filters, or harness integration.
Avoid implementing both for the same request until a test shows a distinct need. Dual paths increase IAM, observability, cost, source, and failure-handling complexity.
Matched pilot
Run the same bounded questions and score source relevance, citation completeness, freshness, latency, failure behavior, prompt-injection resilience, operator visibility, permissions, and cost. Do not judge only by answer fluency.
Frequently asked questions
Is AgentCore a fallback for unsupported Bedrock models?
Do not assume compatibility. Verify the agent, model, Gateway, connector, and harness path independently.
Are filters available on both surfaces?
AgentCore documentation describes connector-version-dependent domain and published-date filters. Verify Bedrock’s current built-in tool schema separately.
Where should IAM be designed?
Use the Bedrock IAM and CloudTrail guide and AgentCore Gateway’s own IAM documentation.
Official sources
Source check: August 5, 2026.