URL context

Using the URL context tool, you can provide Gemini with URLs as additional context for your prompt. The model can then retrieve content from the URLs and use that content to inform and shape its response.

This tool is useful for tasks like the following:

  • Extracting key data points or talking points from articles
  • Comparing information across multiple links
  • Synthesizing data from several sources
  • Answering questions based on the content of a specific page or pages
  • Analyzing content for specific purposes (like writing a job description or creating test questions)

This guide explains how to use the URL context tool in the Gemini API.

Use URL context

You can use the URL context tool in two main ways, by itself or in conjunction with Grounding with Google Search.

URL Context Only

You provide specific URLs that you want the model to analyze directly in your prompt.

Example prompts:

Summarize this document: YOUR_URLs

Extract the key features from the product description on this page: YOUR_URLs

Grounding with Google Search + URL Context

You can also enable both URL context and Grounding with Google Search together. You can enter a prompt with or without URLs. The model may first search for relevant information and then use the URL context tool to read the content of the search results for a more in-depth understanding.

Example prompts:

Give me three day events schedule based on YOUR_URL. Also let me know what needs to taken care of considering weather and commute.

Recommend 3 books for beginners to read to learn more about the latest YOUR_subject.

Code examples with URL context only

Python

from google import genai
from google.genai.types import Tool, GenerateContentConfig, GoogleSearch

client = genai.Client()
model_id = "gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20"

url_context_tool = Tool(
    url_context = types.UrlContext
)

response = client.models.generate_content(
    model=model_id,
    contents="Compare recipes from YOUR_URL1 and YOUR_URL2",
    config=GenerateContentConfig(
        tools=[url_context_tool],
        response_modalities=["TEXT"],
    )
)

for each in response.candidates[0].content.parts:
    print(each.text)
# get URLs retrieved for context
print(response.candidates[0].url_context_metadata)

Javascript

import { GoogleGenAI } from "@google/genai";

const ai = new GoogleGenAI({ apiKey: "GEMINI_API_KEY" });

async function main() {
  const response = await ai.models.generateContent({
    model: "gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20",
    contents: [
        "Compare recipes from YOUR_URL1 and YOUR_URL2",
    ],
    config: {
      tools: [{urlContext: {}}],
    },
  });
  console.log(response.text);
  // To get URLs retrieved for context
  console.log(response.candidates[0].urlContextMetadata)
}

await main();

REST

curl "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20:generateContent?key=$GOOGLE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
      "contents": [
          {
              "parts": [
                  {"text": "Compare recipes from YOUR_URL1 and YOUR_URL2"}
              ]
          }
      ],
      "tools": [
          {
              "url_context": {}
          }
      ]
  }' > result.json

cat result.json

Python

from google import genai
from google.genai.types import Tool, GenerateContentConfig, GoogleSearch

client = genai.Client()
model_id = "gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20"

tools = []
tools.append(Tool(url_context=types.UrlContext))
tools.append(Tool(google_search=types.GoogleSearch))

response = client.models.generate_content(
    model=model_id,
    contents="Give me three day events schedule based on YOUR_URL. Also let me know what needs to taken care of considering weather and commute.",
    config=GenerateContentConfig(
        tools=tools,
        response_modalities=["TEXT"],
    )
)

for each in response.candidates[0].content.parts:
    print(each.text)
# get URLs retrieved for context
print(response.candidates[0].url_context_metadata)

Javascript

import { GoogleGenAI } from "@google/genai";

const ai = new GoogleGenAI({ apiKey: "GEMINI_API_KEY" });

async function main() {
  const response = await ai.models.generateContent({
    model: "gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20",
    contents: [
        "Give me three day events schedule based on YOUR_URL. Also let me know what needs to taken care of considering weather and commute.",
    ],
    config: {
      tools: [{urlContext: {}}, {googleSearch: {}}],
    },
  });
  console.log(response.text);
  // To get URLs retrieved for context
  console.log(response.candidates[0].urlContextMetadata)
}

await main();

REST

curl "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20:generateContent?key=$GOOGLE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
      "contents": [
          {
              "parts": [
                  {"text": "Give me three day events schedule based on YOUR_URL. Also let me know what needs to taken care of considering weather and commute."}
              ]
          }
      ],
      "tools": [
          {
              "url_context": {}
          },
          {
              "google_search": {}
          }
      ]
  }' > result.json

cat result.json

For more details about Grounding with Google Search, see the overview page.

Contextual response

The model's response will be based on the content it retrieved from the URLs. If the model retrieved content from URLs, the response will include url_context_metadata. Such a response might look something like the following (parts of the response have been omitted for brevity):

{
  "candidates": [
    {
      "content": {
        "parts": [
          {
            "text": "... \n"
          }
        ],
        "role": "model"
      },
      ...
      "url_context_metadata":
      {
          "url_metadata":
          [
            {
              "retrieved_url": "https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/1234567890abcdef",
              "url_retrieval_status": <UrlRetrievalStatus.URL_RETRIEVAL_STATUS_SUCCESS: "URL_RETRIEVAL_STATUS_SUCCESS">
            },
            {
              "retrieved_url": "https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/abcdef1234567890",
              "url_retrieval_status": <UrlRetrievalStatus.URL_RETRIEVAL_STATUS_SUCCESS: "URL_RETRIEVAL_STATUS_SUCCESS">
            },
            {
              "retrieved_url": "YOUR_URL",
              "url_retrieval_status": <UrlRetrievalStatus.URL_RETRIEVAL_STATUS_SUCCESS: "URL_RETRIEVAL_STATUS_SUCCESS">
            },
            {
              "retrieved_url": "https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/fedcba0987654321",
              "url_retrieval_status": <UrlRetrievalStatus.URL_RETRIEVAL_STATUS_SUCCESS: "URL_RETRIEVAL_STATUS_SUCCESS">
            }
          ]
        }
    }
}

Supported models

Limitations

  • The tool will consume up to 20 URLs per request for analysis.
  • For best results during experimental phase, use the tool on standard web pages rather than multimedia content such as YouTube videos.
  • During experimental phase, the tool is free to use. Billing to come later.

  • The experimental release has the following quotas:

    • 1500 queries per day per project for requests made through the Gemini API
    • 100 queries per day per user in Google AI Studio