<!-- source: https://docs.redpine.ai/docs/search-endpoints -->
# Which search endpoint?

> Four ways to search, and how to pick one.

Redpine Connect has four ways to run a search. They share the same retrieval pipeline underneath; what differs is when you pay, how many rounds it runs, and whether it's code or an agent driving it.

|                                                                                    | Billed                           | Rounds                             | In the [SDKs](/docs/sdks)   | Best when                                                                                                |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Search](/docs/search)<br />`POST /search/query`                                   | Always, win or lose              | One pass                           | `search()`                  | You already trust the query and just want results fast                                                   |
| [Preview and unlock](/docs/preview-unlock)<br />`POST /search/preview` + `/unlock` | Only what you unlock             | One pass                           | `preview()` then `unlock()` | You want to see relevance and cost before committing to either                                           |
| [Assisted search](/docs/assisted-search)<br />`POST /search/assisted`              | Only delivered, verified results | Multiple, agent-planned            | `assisted_search()`         | The query is a real question, not a keyword string, and you want every result checked before it's billed |
| [MCP](/docs/mcp)<br />`search` / `preview` / `confirm` tools                       | Same as their REST equivalents   | Depends which tool the agent picks | n/a                         | You're connecting an agent rather than writing HTTP calls yourself                                       |

A few rules of thumb:

* **Default to `/search/query`** for anything you're confident is a well-formed query against a known collection. It's the fastest path and the one every other option builds on.
* **Reach for preview and unlock** while you're still exploring: testing a new query shape, unsure if a filter is too narrow, or want to see the price before spending on a large `limit`.
* **Reach for assisted search** when the input is closer to a question than a query, and getting a wrong result is worse than getting no result. It plans its own internal searches and verifies each candidate before charging for it.
* **MCP isn't a fifth option**: it's the same three REST behaviors (`search`, `preview`, `confirm`) reached through tool calls instead of HTTP requests, for agents that speak MCP. Nothing about billing or retrieval quality changes.