---
title: "Run a web research task"
description: "Run job:research.task.run through the looot API: 1 provider, from $0.01 per call. Inputs, prices, output shape and code for curl, JavaScript and Python."
sidebar:
  hidden: true
---

{/* Generated by scripts/generate-api-reference.mjs from data/api-reference.json. Do not edit. */}

Run a web research task.

Job id `research.task.run`, in Web search & research (Research agents). As of 2026-10-01, 1 provider serve it through 1 tool. Run `job:research.task.run` and looot picks one of them; with `fallback` on, a miss moves on to the next. See [Jobs](/concepts/jobs).

## Inputs

This job has one tool, so it takes that tool's fields. Any key you send passes through unchanged.

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `advanced_settings` | string | no | Advanced search configuration for the task run. |
| `enable_events` | string | no | Controls tracking of task run execution progress. When set to true, progress events are recorded and can be accessed via the [Task Run events](https://docs.parallel.ai/api-reference) endpoint. When false, no progress events are tracked. Note that progress tracking cannot be enabled after a run has been created. The flag is set to true by default for premium processors (pro and above). |
| `input` | string | yes | Input to the task, either text or a JSON object. Example: "What was the GDP of France in 2023?" |
| `mcp_servers` | string | no | Optional list of MCP servers to use for the run. |
| `memory_scope_key` | string | no | User-provided key identifying the memory scope to use. Omit to use personal memory, if available. |
| `metadata` | string | no | User-provided metadata stored with the run. Keys and values must be strings with a maximum length of 16 and 512 characters respectively. |
| `previous_interaction_id` | string | no | Interaction ID to use as context for this request. |
| `processor` | string | yes | Processor to use for the task. Example: "base" |
| `source_policy` | string | no | Optional source policy governing included and excluded domains and domain/path prefixes in web search results. |
| `task_spec` | string | no | Task specification. If unspecified, defaults to auto output schema. |
| `webhook` | string | no | Callback URL (webhook endpoint) that will receive an HTTP POST when the run completes. This feature is not available via the Python SDK. |

## Providers and prices

| Provider | Tool | Price |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Parallel](/providers/parallel) | [`parallel-tasks-runs`](/reference/tools/parallel-tasks-runs) | $0.01 per call |

A call that fails at the provider costs $0. See [What's free](/money/free-and-failures).

## Output

The run's `result` holds the provider's answer. Signed in, `looot inspect parallel-tasks-runs` prints its fields.

## Run it

Every call needs your API token in `LOOOT_TOKEN`; [Sign in](/get-started/sign-in#use-the-token-in-scripts-and-agents) shows how to get one. Each run also needs a new idempotency key, so a retry never pays twice. With `wait: 30` the answer comes back inline when the run ends within 30 seconds. Otherwise you get the running run back: poll `GET /v1/runs/<runId>`.

Example input with placeholder values:

<CodeGroup>

```bash curl
curl -X POST "https://api.looot.ai/v1/runs" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LOOOT_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" \
  -d '{"endpointId":"job:research.task.run","input":{"processor":"base","input":"What was the GDP of France in 2023?"},"wait":30}'
```

```js JavaScript
const response = await fetch("https://api.looot.ai/v1/runs", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.LOOOT_TOKEN}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "Idempotency-Key": crypto.randomUUID(),
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    endpointId: "job:research.task.run",
    input: {
      processor: "base",
      input: "What was the GDP of France in 2023?",
    },
    wait: 30,
  }),
});
const run = await response.json();
console.log(run.status, run.result);
```

```python Python
import os
import uuid

import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.looot.ai/v1/runs",
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['LOOOT_TOKEN']}",
        "Idempotency-Key": str(uuid.uuid4()),
    },
    json={
        "endpointId": "job:research.task.run",
        "input": {
            "processor": "base",
            "input": "What was the GDP of France in 2023?",
        },
        "wait": 30,
    },
    timeout=90,
)
run = response.json()
print(run["status"], run.get("result"))
```

</CodeGroup>

To pin one provider, send its tool id as `endpointId` instead of `job:research.task.run`.