Brave · 2026-11-12 · notable
Brave Search API — AI agents can now pay per request with x402
In short
Brave Search API now accepts pay-per-request payments through the open x402 protocol. Agents need no account or API key: they pay in USDC on Base, at $0.005 per request on the web, news, image, video, local and LLM Context endpoints.
Brave · 2026-11-12 · 3 sources checked
Brave Search API lets an AI agent pay for each search with a stablecoin, with no account or API key.
Key specs
| Price per request | $0.005 |
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What is it?
Brave Search API now supports the x402 protocol, so developers and AI agents can query Brave's search index and pay per request without a plan, account or key. The signed payment replaces the API key as the credential. Answers, Autosuggest and Spellcheck are not sold this way yet and still need a key.
How does it work?
An unpaid request to an x402 endpoint returns HTTP 402 Payment Required with the price and payment details. The agent signs a USDC payment on the Base network and retries the request with the payment attached. Brave runs its own facilitator to verify it, runs the search, and returns a receipt for the transaction on Base. Brave says it covers Base gas fees for a limited time.
Why does it matter?
An agent can now buy search on its own, with a funded wallet and an x402-compatible client. Nobody has to sign up, store a key or pick a monthly plan first. Brave says other networks and stablecoins are coming soon.
Who is it for?
agent builders who want keyless, pay-as-you-go web search
Try it
Read https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/documentation/guides/agent-payments and send requests to search.agent.s.brave.app with an x402 client such as Purl Wallet