Grounding Agents with Real World Intelligence
Microsoft Developer presents a practical look at Web IQ’s retrieval options and source controls, followed by a walkthrough of a web-grounded agent analyzing US energy markets.
Web grounding and answer transparency
The session explains why agents need access to current web information and examines the risks of relying on outdated information. It introduces Microsoft Web IQ and covers how grounding, passage-level retrieval, and citations support answer quality and make the sources behind an answer visible.
Enterprise grounding is another focus, including the use of scopes to control sources.
Search and retrieval options
The session covers Web IQ’s search verticals and API options, including:
- Auto search and Places.
- Fast versus advanced retrieval.
- Passage-level retrieval.
- Quality, speed, and token efficiency.
- Reducing agent latency and costs.
These topics connect retrieval choices with the requirements of production-scale agents. A competitive intelligence example illustrates another application of web-grounded information.
API setup and agent demonstration
The walkthrough moves from setting up a first Web IQ API call to building a web-grounded agent. The demonstration analyzes US energy markets, then inspects the agent’s activity and citations to show the information supporting its output.
Chapters
- 0:00 — Why Agents Need Web Grounding
- 1:36 — Introducing Microsoft Web IQ
- 2:12 — Grounded Answers with Citations
- 3:17 — Risks of Outdated Information
- 4:22 — What Is Web IQ?
- 5:30 — Search Modes and API Options
- 6:36 — Quality, Speed, and Token Efficiency
- 8:15 — Passage-Level Retrieval
- 9:22 — Reduce Agent Latency and Costs
- 10:26 — Responsible Enterprise Grounding
- 11:29 — Control Sources with Scopes
- 12:34 — Auto Search and Places
- 14:47 — Fast vs. Advanced Mode
- 15:52 — Competitive Intelligence Example
- 17:31 — Set Up Your First Web IQ Call
- 18:37 — Build a Web-Grounded Agent
- 19:11 — Demo: Analyze US Energy Markets
- 20:18 — Inspect Activity and Citations
- 21:22 — Key Benefits and Resources