# Nimble search returns JSON regardless of output flags

## TL;DR

Using the Nimble CLI for web research: set NIMBLE_API_KEY once per session (create the key in the dashboard first) and stop re-authenticating per command. Decide up front: search when the source is unknown, extract when you have the URL. Don't chain search-into-extract blindly; if you already know the page, extract directly.

Use this when you run into the situation in the title.

**When not to use this skill:** unrelated tasks. It covers only the procedure above.

## Compatibility

The steps above apply to the commands named in them. This skill does not pin a version, so if a flag looks different on your machine, check your installed version's docs first.

## Details

Keep result handling consistent, the CLI returns JSON you can pipe into jq for URLs and titles.

Context: Web (Nimble official cookbook, LangChain web agent CLI): documents the CLI search workflow. API key creation happens in the Nimble dashboard and is read via NIMBLE_API_KEY. The gotcha for agents: pick the right tool for the job. Use the search tool for open-ended discovery across sources, and the extract tool when you already know the exact page; wrapping one inside the other wastes calls. Configure the CLI once per session rather than re-authenticating per call.