diff --git a/tests/test_web.py b/tests/test_web.py
index af3fff2..8de2292 100644
--- a/tests/test_web.py
+++ b/tests/test_web.py
@@ -68,3 +68,34 @@ def test_request_raises_after_exhausting_retries(monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setattr(web.time, "sleep", lambda *_: None)
     with pytest.raises(web.WebToolsError):
         web._request("http://x/y", retries=2)
+
+
+def test_search_parses_and_caps(monkeypatch):
+    payload = {"results": [
+        {"title": "A", "url": "http://a", "content": "snip a", "engine": "ddg"},
+        {"title": "B", "url": "http://b", "content": "snip b", "engine": "bing"},
+        {"title": "no-url", "content": "dropped"},
+        {"title": "C", "url": "http://c", "content": "snip c", "engine": "ddg"},
+    ]}
+    monkeypatch.setattr(web, "_request", lambda url, **kw: payload)
+    hits = web.search("demons", max_results=2)
+    assert hits == [
+        {"title": "A", "url": "http://a", "snippet": "snip a", "engine": "ddg"},
+        {"title": "B", "url": "http://b", "snippet": "snip b", "engine": "bing"},
+    ]
+
+
+def test_search_builds_json_query_url(monkeypatch):
+    captured = {}
+
+    def fake_request(url, **kw):
+        captured["url"] = url
+        return {"results": []}
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(web, "_request", fake_request)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("WEBTOOLS_HOST", "10.10.20.37")
+    monkeypatch.delenv("SEARXNG_PORT", raising=False)
+    web.search("demon hierarchy")
+    assert captured["url"].startswith("http://10.10.20.37:8080/search?")
+    assert "q=demon+hierarchy" in captured["url"]
+    assert "format=json" in captured["url"]
diff --git a/web.py b/web.py
index 3c7407f..17d7455 100644
--- a/web.py
+++ b/web.py
@@ -57,3 +57,22 @@ def _request(url, *, data=None, headers=None, timeout=30, retries=2, backoff=1.5
             if attempt < retries:
                 time.sleep(backoff ** attempt)
     raise WebToolsError(f"request failed after {retries + 1} attempt(s): {url}: {last}")
+
+
+def search(query, max_results=12, timeout=30):
+    """Query SearXNG and return up to max_results normalized hits."""
+    searx_base, _ = endpoints()
+    qs = urllib.parse.urlencode({"q": query, "format": "json"})
+    payload = _request(f"{searx_base}/search?{qs}", timeout=timeout)
+    hits = []
+    for r in payload.get("results", []):
+        url = r.get("url")
+        if not url:
+            continue
+        hits.append({
+            "title": r.get("title", ""),
+            "url": url,
+            "snippet": r.get("content", ""),
+            "engine": r.get("engine", ""),
+        })
+    return hits[:max_results]