Practical overview
When it fits
Use it when building a research or RAG workflow where source selection and retrieval scope need to be configurable, and you can provide the required model and search-provider credentials.
Who it is for
- Developers building RAG chatbots or research assistants
- Teams connecting internal knowledge bases or specialized APIs to agentic research workflows
- Builders who want to adjust retrieval scope for customer-service, market-research or analytics use cases
Documented uses
- Connect custom information sources, including internal knowledge bases and specialized APIs.
- Adjust research depth and breadth to shape a response for a particular query.
- Build a web-interface research assistant or use the backend-only deployment option described in the README.
- Configure MCP-compatible data sources and tools, or choose among the listed model and search-provider options.
Requirements & limits
The repository is public and licensed under Apache-2.0. The documented setup uses provider API keys; the README lists OpenRouter as required and Exa or Tavily as at least one required search provider.
- Backend setup requires Python 3.9 or later, an OpenRouter API key, and at least one Exa or Tavily key.
- The full web interface additionally uses Node.js 18 or later.
- The README describes MCP support, Tavily and Exa search providers, and model options including OpenAI, Claude and private LLMs.
- The project documents cost as tied to depth and breadth settings, while its sample timings and amounts are scenario examples.
- Deployment choices include backend-only API use or a full frontend-and-backend setup.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Set up the backend environment
Prepare the documented Python backend environment and configure its required provider keys.
Before you start
- Python 3.9 or later
- An OpenRouter API key
- An Exa or Tavily API key
Steps
Copy deep_wide_research/env.example to deep_wide_research/.env.
Add the OpenRouter key and at least one Exa or Tavily key to the environment file.
Enter the deep_wide_research directory, create and activate a Python virtual environment, then install requirements.txt.
Expected outcome
The backend environment is configured and its Python dependencies are installed; the README's next documented step is starting the backend with python main.py.
Guide limitations
- This recipe covers setup only; it does not verify that the backend starts or completes a research request.
- Provider credentials are required for the documented backend configuration.
Prepare the web interface for local development
Install frontend dependencies and start the documented development server.
Before you start
- Node.js 18 or later
- The backend setup and provider credentials described in the project README
Steps
Copy chat_interface/env.example to chat_interface/.env.local.
Enter the chat_interface directory and run npm install.
Run npm run dev and open http://localhost:3000.
Expected outcome
The README directs users to the local web interface at http://localhost:3000.
Guide limitations
- The README does not specify the contents required in the frontend environment file.
- These are documented setup instructions, not a verification that the interface or a research workflow runs successfully.
Compare options for Retrieval-augmented applications
These projects document a common task and share a project role. This is a source-based comparison, not an execution benchmark or a guarantee of interchangeability.
| Project | Documented purpose | Platform | Access and requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Deep Wide Research | Connect custom information sources, including internal knowledge bases and specialized APIs. | Web | The repository is public and licensed under Apache-2.0. The documented setup uses provider API keys; the README lists OpenRouter as required and Exa or Tavily as at least one required search provider. |
| Vectaurant | Find menu options by describing preferences, such as asking what is vegan or spicy. | CLI, Docker, Linux, macOS | |
| Aml Multiagent Rag | Ingest PDF regulations, extract and chunk their text, and build a searchable vector collection. | Docker, Self-hosted | The repository is public and specifies the MIT license. The documented setup is self-hosted and requires Python 3.11 or later, Docker Desktop and an OpenAI API key. |
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 12 October 2026
- Original website title
- puppyone-ai/DeepWideResearch · Official homepage title · retained in its source language

