diff --git a/haystack/components/websearch/searchapi.py b/haystack/components/websearch/searchapi.py
index dad31f0ff..4f3042743 100644
--- a/haystack/components/websearch/searchapi.py
+++ b/haystack/components/websearch/searchapi.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import json
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
 
 import requests
@@ -21,8 +20,6 @@ class SearchApiWebSearch:
     """
     Uses [SearchApi](https://www.searchapi.io/) to search the web for relevant documents.
 
-    See the [SearchApi website](https://www.searchapi.io/) for more details.
-
     Usage example:
     ```python
     from haystack.components.websearch import SearchApiWebSearch
@@ -50,12 +47,17 @@ class SearchApiWebSearch:
         :param search_params: Additional parameters passed to the SearchApi API.
             For example, you can set 'num' to 100 to increase the number of search results.
             See the [SearchApi website](https://www.searchapi.io/) for more details.
+
+            The default search engine is Google, however, users can change it by setting the `engine`
+            parameter in the `search_params`.
         """
 
         self.api_key = api_key
         self.top_k = top_k
         self.allowed_domains = allowed_domains
         self.search_params = search_params or {}
+        if "engine" not in self.search_params:
+            self.search_params["engine"] = "google"
 
         # Ensure that the API key is resolved.
         _ = self.api_key.resolve_value()
@@ -101,10 +103,8 @@ class SearchApiWebSearch:
         :raises SearchApiError: If an error occurs while querying the SearchApi API.
         """
         query_prepend = "OR ".join(f"site:{domain} " for domain in self.allowed_domains) if self.allowed_domains else ""
-
-        payload = json.dumps({"q": query_prepend + " " + query, **self.search_params})
+        payload = {"q": query_prepend + " " + query, **self.search_params}
         headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {self.api_key.resolve_value()}", "X-SearchApi-Source": "Haystack"}
-
         try:
             response = requests.get(SEARCHAPI_BASE_URL, headers=headers, params=payload, timeout=90)
             response.raise_for_status()  # Will raise an HTTPError for bad responses
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/update-searchapi-new-format-74d8794a8a6f5581.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/update-searchapi-new-format-74d8794a8a6f5581.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7c6a40d72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/update-searchapi-new-format-74d8794a8a6f5581.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+fixes:
+ - |
+   Updated the SearchApiWebSearch component with new search format and allowed users to specify the search engine via the `engine`
+   parameter in `search_params`. The default search engine is Google, making it easier for users to tailor their web searches.
diff --git a/test/components/websearch/test_searchapi.py b/test/components/websearch/test_searchapi.py
index 48ee677b6..75de66bde 100644
--- a/test/components/websearch/test_searchapi.py
+++ b/test/components/websearch/test_searchapi.py
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 import os
 from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
-from haystack.utils.auth import Secret
 
 import pytest
-from requests import Timeout, RequestException, HTTPError
+from requests import HTTPError, RequestException, Timeout
 
 from haystack import Document
 from haystack.components.websearch.searchapi import SearchApiError, SearchApiWebSearch
-
+from haystack.utils.auth import Secret
 
 EXAMPLE_SEARCHAPI_RESPONSE = {
     "search_metadata": {
@@ -385,7 +384,7 @@ class TestSearchApiSearchAPI:
                 "api_key": {"env_vars": ["SEARCHAPI_API_KEY"], "strict": True, "type": "env_var"},
                 "top_k": 10,
                 "allowed_domains": ["testdomain.com"],
-                "search_params": {"param": "test params"},
+                "search_params": {"param": "test params", "engine": "google"},
             },
         }