diff --git a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/categories_command.rb b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/categories_command.rb
index 7909a2b7..c796b6d3 100644
--- a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/categories_command.rb
+++ b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/categories_command.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ module DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands
       { count: @last_count || 0 }
     end
 
-    def process(_args)
+    def process
       columns = {
         name: "Name",
         slug: "Slug",
diff --git a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/command.rb b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/command.rb
index 916238a9..a804d9bf 100644
--- a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/command.rb
+++ b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/command.rb
@@ -106,7 +106,9 @@ module DiscourseAi
           post.post_custom_prompt ||= post.build_post_custom_prompt(custom_prompt: [])
           prompt = post.post_custom_prompt.custom_prompt || []
 
-          prompt << [process(args).to_json, self.class.name, "function"]
+          parsed_args = JSON.parse(args).symbolize_keys
+
+          prompt << [process(**parsed_args).to_json, self.class.name, "function"]
           post.post_custom_prompt.update!(custom_prompt: prompt)
 
           raw = +(<<~HTML)
diff --git a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/google_command.rb b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/google_command.rb
index 697b6c80..ce9daad2 100644
--- a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/google_command.rb
+++ b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/google_command.rb
@@ -39,13 +39,11 @@ module DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands
       }
     end
 
-    def process(search_string)
-      search_string = JSON.parse(search_string)["query"]
-
-      @last_query = search_string
+    def process(query:)
+      @last_query = query
       api_key = SiteSetting.ai_google_custom_search_api_key
       cx = SiteSetting.ai_google_custom_search_cx
-      query = CGI.escape(search_string)
+      query = CGI.escape(query)
       uri =
         URI("https://www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1?key=#{api_key}&cx=#{cx}&q=#{query}&num=10")
       body = Net::HTTP.get(uri)
diff --git a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/image_command.rb b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/image_command.rb
index b1be713f..9439f0b5 100644
--- a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/image_command.rb
+++ b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/image_command.rb
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ module DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands
       true
     end
 
-    def process(prompt)
-      @last_prompt = prompt = JSON.parse(prompt)["prompt"]
+    def process(prompt:)
+      @last_prompt = prompt
       results = DiscourseAi::Inference::StabilityGenerator.perform!(prompt)
 
       uploads = []
diff --git a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/search_command.rb b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/search_command.rb
index 32371f40..dd7b794c 100644
--- a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/search_command.rb
+++ b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/search_command.rb
@@ -93,17 +93,15 @@ module DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands
       }
     end
 
-    def process(search_args)
-      parsed = JSON.parse(search_args)
-
+    def process(**search_args)
       limit = nil
 
       search_string =
-        parsed
+        search_args
           .map do |key, value|
-            if key == "search_query"
+            if key == :search_query
               value
-            elsif key == "limit"
+            elsif key == :limit
               limit = value.to_i
               nil
             else
diff --git a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/summarize_command.rb b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/summarize_command.rb
index 7c94a2b2..b8fcd13b 100644
--- a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/summarize_command.rb
+++ b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/summarize_command.rb
@@ -44,9 +44,7 @@ module DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands
       { url: "#{Discourse.base_path}/t/-/#{@last_topic_id}", title: @last_topic_title || "" }
     end
 
-    def process(instructions)
-      topic_id, guidance = instructions.split(" ", 2)
-
+    def process(topic_id:, guidance: nil)
       @last_topic_id = topic_id
 
       topic_id = topic_id.to_i
diff --git a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/tags_command.rb b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/tags_command.rb
index 61002d3a..fa8381a4 100644
--- a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/tags_command.rb
+++ b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/tags_command.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ module DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands
       { count: @last_count || 0 }
     end
 
-    def process(_args)
+    def process
       column_names = { name: "Name", public_topic_count: "Topic Count" }
 
       tags =
diff --git a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/time_command.rb b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/time_command.rb
index e5cb8aa8..39e2f46e 100644
--- a/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/time_command.rb
+++ b/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/time_command.rb
@@ -31,9 +31,7 @@ module DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands
       { timezone: @last_timezone, time: @last_time }
     end
 
-    def process(args)
-      timezone = JSON.parse(args)["timezone"]
-
+    def process(timezone:)
       time =
         begin
           Time.now.in_time_zone(timezone)
@@ -45,7 +43,7 @@ module DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands
       @last_timezone = timezone
       @last_time = time.to_s
 
-      { args: args, time: time.to_s }
+      { args: { timezone: timezone }, time: time.to_s }
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/bot_spec.rb b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/bot_spec.rb
index 289beb5f..210d5547 100644
--- a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/bot_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/bot_spec.rb
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Bot do
   end
 
   describe "#reply_to" do
-    it "can respond to !search" do
+    it "can respond to a search command" do
       bot.system_prompt_style!(:simple)
       bot.max_commands_per_reply = 2
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Bot do
       result =
         DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::SearchCommand
           .new(nil, nil)
-          .process({ query: "test search" }.to_json)
+          .process(query: "test search")
           .to_json
 
       prompt << { role: "function", content: result, name: "search" }
diff --git a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/categories_command_spec.rb b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/categories_command_spec.rb
index 03d42e78..aa0a90b3 100644
--- a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/categories_command_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/categories_command_spec.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::CategoriesCommand do
     it "can generate correct info" do
       Fabricate(:category, name: "america", posts_year: 999)
 
-      info = DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::CategoriesCommand.new(nil, nil).process(nil)
+      info = DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::CategoriesCommand.new(nil, nil).process
       expect(info.to_s).to include("america")
       expect(info.to_s).to include("999")
     end
diff --git a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/google_command_spec.rb b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/google_command_spec.rb
index 47e0aa5f..b34ecb16 100644
--- a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/google_command_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/google_command_spec.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::GoogleCommand do
       ).to_return(status: 200, body: json_text, headers: {})
 
       google = described_class.new(bot_user, post)
-      info = google.process({ query: "some search term" }.to_json).to_json
+      info = google.process(query: "some search term").to_json
 
       expect(google.description_args[:count]).to eq(1)
       expect(info).to include("title1")
diff --git a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/search_command_spec.rb b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/search_command_spec.rb
index 13e3e998..6e6da4b8 100644
--- a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/search_command_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/search_command_spec.rb
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::SearchCommand do
       post1 = Fabricate(:post)
       search = described_class.new(bot_user, post1)
 
-      results = search.process({ query: "order:fake ABDDCDCEDGDG" }.to_json)
-      expect(results[:args]).to eq("{\"query\":\"order:fake ABDDCDCEDGDG\"}")
+      results = search.process(query: "order:fake ABDDCDCEDGDG")
+
+      expect(results[:args]).to eq({ query: "order:fake ABDDCDCEDGDG" })
       expect(results[:rows]).to eq([])
     end
 
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::SearchCommand do
 
       search = described_class.new(bot_user, post1)
 
-      results = search.process({ limit: 1, user: post1.user.username }.to_json)
+      results = search.process(limit: 1, user: post1.user.username)
       expect(results[:rows].to_s).to include("/subfolder" + post1.url)
     end
 
@@ -37,13 +38,13 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::SearchCommand do
       # search has no built in support for limit: so handle it from the outside
       search = described_class.new(bot_user, post1)
 
-      results = search.process({ limit: 2, user: post1.user.username }.to_json)
+      results = search.process(limit: 2, user: post1.user.username)
 
       expect(results[:column_names].length).to eq(4)
       expect(results[:rows].length).to eq(2)
 
       # just searching for everything
-      results = search.process({ order: "latest_topic" }.to_json)
+      results = search.process(order: "latest_topic")
       expect(results[:rows].length).to be > 1
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/summarize_command_spec.rb b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/summarize_command_spec.rb
index d61f9a22..3e4c336d 100644
--- a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/summarize_command_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/summarize_command_spec.rb
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::SummarizeCommand do
       )
 
       summarizer = described_class.new(bot_user, post)
-      info = summarizer.process("#{post.topic_id} why did it happen?")
+      info = summarizer.process(topic_id: post.topic_id, guidance: "why did it happen?")
 
       expect(info).to include("Topic summarized")
       expect(summarizer.custom_raw).to include("summary stuff")
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::SummarizeCommand do
       post = Fabricate(:post, topic: topic)
 
       summarizer = described_class.new(bot_user, post)
-      info = summarizer.process("#{post.topic_id} why did it happen?")
+      info = summarizer.process(topic_id: post.topic_id, guidance: "why did it happen?")
 
       expect(info).not_to include(post.raw)
 
diff --git a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/tags_command_spec.rb b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/tags_command_spec.rb
index 3b926323..4dc62389 100644
--- a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/tags_command_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/tags_command_spec.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::TagsCommand do
       Fabricate(:tag, name: "america", public_topic_count: 100)
       Fabricate(:tag, name: "not_here", public_topic_count: 0)
 
-      info = DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::TagsCommand.new(nil, nil).process(nil)
+      info = DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::TagsCommand.new(nil, nil).process
 
       expect(info.to_s).to include("america")
       expect(info.to_s).not_to include("not_here")
diff --git a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/time_command_spec.rb b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/time_command_spec.rb
index 58b672ce..0cdf3317 100644
--- a/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/time_command_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/modules/ai_bot/commands/time_command_spec.rb
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ RSpec.describe DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::TimeCommand do
     it "can generate correct info" do
       freeze_time
 
-      args = { timezone: "America/Los_Angeles" }.to_json
-      info = DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::TimeCommand.new(nil, nil).process(args)
+      args = { timezone: "America/Los_Angeles" }
+      info = DiscourseAi::AiBot::Commands::TimeCommand.new(nil, nil).process(**args)
 
       expect(info).to eq({ args: args, time: Time.now.in_time_zone("America/Los_Angeles").to_s })
       expect(info.to_s).not_to include("not_here")