A search engine retrieves pages. Claude reasons from context and generates a response. That distinction matters because Claude can be useful without being independently correct.
The working model
- Context: what Claude can see in the conversation or attached material.
- Reasoning: how Claude transforms that context into a plan, answer or draft.
- Tools: optional access to files, browsers, APIs, databases or terminal commands.
- Output: the answer, plan, code, table, checklist or artifact you asked for.
Use this when the task may need facts
Before answering, separate what you know from the provided context, what you are inferring, and what must be verified with an external source. Do not present guesses as facts.
The better question is not 'Can Claude answer this?' It is 'What context and verification would make this answer trustworthy?'