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OpenAI Adds Image Results to Web Search in the Responses API

June 9, 2026 at 13:12 EDT

AI Agents
Software Dev & Coding
Foundation Models

On June 9, 2026, OpenAI announced that the Web search tool in its Responses API can now return image results in addition to text results. The update lets developers embed product photos, places, visual references, and images with source links directly into their apps via the API.

June 9, 2026 · OpenAI

web_search Now Returns Images, Not Just Text

OpenAI's Responses API can now surface image results with source links alongside text — making it easier for developers to build image-centric apps like product search, design references and place lookups.

result types now returned in parallel — text + images, both with source links

gpt-5.5

recommended model for the updated web_search tool

logged search actions: search · open_page · find_in_page

Current tool vs. legacy tool

Current

type: "web_search"

Returns text + images
Supports filters & new features
url_citation annotations

Legacy

web_search_preview

For legacy use only
No new features
No filter support

How a query flows through the tool

Query

web_search call

→

Actions

search / open_page / find_in_page

→

Results

text + images + url_citation

Why it helps

Real-time retrieval with citations, now able to formally handle image results — useful for e-commerce, design references and place lookups.

Still untested

Pricing, rate limits and image resolution are unspecified; quality, filtering and latency need real-world testing. Tool calls incur charges.

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