Claude's Dual Knowledge Sources Explained | Generated by AI
Question: How does Claude analyze things — does it use web search, or just model knowledge (with a cutoff date)? And is this a good question to ask a Hermes-style agent?
Answer:
How Claude Analyzes
Two modes, depending on the question:
1. Model Knowledge (default)
- Baked-in during training, cutoff ~August 2025
- Used for: CS fundamentals, math, architecture patterns, code, anything stable
- Fast, no latency, no hallucinated URLs
- Risk: stale on anything post-cutoff (new model releases, API changes, recent papers)
2. Web Search (when triggered)
- Live fetch via search tool
- Triggered automatically when: recency matters, you ask about current events, prices, who holds a role, recent releases, etc.
- Also triggered manually if I judge the topic is fast-moving (e.g. “latest Claude API pricing”)
- You can also explicitly say “search for X” to force it
The heuristic I use:
if topic.is_stable() → model knowledge
if topic.requires_current_state() → web_search first, then answer
if topic.is_ambiguous() → search to verify
Is This a Good Question for a Hermes-Style Agent?
Yes — and here’s exactly why it’s a well-structured agent query:
"Do you use tool X or capability Y for task Z?"
This is meta-reasoning about the agent’s own tool use — which is exactly the kind of introspective query that:
- Tests the agent’s self-model — does it know its own architecture?
- Helps you calibrate trust — knowing when to trust model knowledge vs. live search is critical for building reliable pipelines
- Surfaces tool-use transparency — good agents should be explicit about what source they used
For your hermes-agent or any agent you’re building, this pattern is useful:
# Make your agent declare its source
system_prompt = """
When answering, always end with:
Source: [model_knowledge | web_search | tool:X]
Cutoff risk: [low | medium | high]
"""
This gives you traceable outputs — critical for AI systems in a bank context where auditability matters.
TL;DR: I use model knowledge by default, web search when recency matters. Your meta-question about tool use is a sharp way to probe any agent — add source declaration to your own agents for production reliability.