Real-time web search using Playwright-controlled browser. Use this skill when you need current information, latest documentation, recent news, or any data beyond your knowledge cutoff (January 2025).
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Real-time web search using Playwright-controlled browser. Use this skill when you need current information, latest documentation, recent news, or any data beyond your knowledge cutoff (January 2025).
official
true
Web Search Skill
When to Use This Skill
Use the web-search skill when you need:
Current information - Events, news, or data after January 2025
IMPORTANT: Always use the $SKILLS_ROOT environment variable to locate the skill scripts. This ensures the skill works in both development and production environments.
For non-ASCII queries (Chinese/Japanese/etc.), prefer UTF-8 file input to avoid shell encoding issues on Windows:
cat > /tmp/web-query.txt <<'TXT'
苹果 Siri AI 2026 发布计划
TXT
bash "$SKILLS_ROOT/web-search/scripts/search.sh" @/tmp/web-query.txt 10
Examples:
# Search with default 10 results
bash "$SKILLS_ROOT/web-search/scripts/search.sh""TypeScript 5.0 new features"# Limit to 5 results
bash "$SKILLS_ROOT/web-search/scripts/search.sh""React Server Components guide" 5
# Search for recent news
bash "$SKILLS_ROOT/web-search/scripts/search.sh""AI news January 2026" 10
Output Format:
The script returns Markdown-formatted results:
# Search Results: TypeScript 5.0 new features**Query:** TypeScript 5.0 new features
**Results:** 5
**Time:** 834ms
---
## TypeScript 5.0 Release Notes**URL:** [https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/...]
TypeScript 5.0 introduces decorators, const type parameters...
---
## (More results...)
Workflow Example
# 1. Search for topic
bash "$SKILLS_ROOT/web-search/scripts/search.sh""Next.js 14 features" 5
# 2. Analyze results and answer user# 3. Follow-up search if needed
bash "$SKILLS_ROOT/web-search/scripts/search.sh""Next.js Server Actions tutorial" 3
Advanced Usage
Server Management
The Bridge Server is automatically managed by Electron. You typically don't need to start/stop it manually.
However, for manual control:
# Start server (if not already running)
bash "$SKILLS_ROOT/web-search/scripts/start-server.sh"# Stop server
bash "$SKILLS_ROOT/web-search/scripts/stop-server.sh"# Check health (start script will print endpoint status)
bash "$SKILLS_ROOT/web-search/scripts/start-server.sh"
Direct API Calls
For advanced use cases, you can call the HTTP API directly:
# Get or create connection
CONNECTION_ID=$(curl -s -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8923/api/browser/connect \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{}' | grep -o '"connectionId":"[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f4)
# Perform search
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8923/api/search \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d "{
\"connectionId\": \"$CONNECTION_ID\",
\"query\": \"Playwright tutorial\",
\"maxResults\": 5
}"# Navigate to specific URL
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8923/api/page/navigate \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d "{
\"connectionId\": \"$CONNECTION_ID\",
\"url\": \"https://example.com\"
}"# Take screenshot
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8923/api/page/screenshot \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d "{
\"connectionId\": \"$CONNECTION_ID\",
\"format\": \"png\"
}"
Best Practices
1. Use Specific Queries
❌ Bad: bash scripts/search.sh "react"
✅ Good: bash scripts/search.sh "React 19 new features and breaking changes"
2. Limit Results Appropriately
Quick lookup: 3-5 results
Comprehensive research: 10 results
Don't request more than needed (faster + less noise)
3. Check Server Status First
If search fails, verify the server is running:
bash "$SKILLS_ROOT/web-search/scripts/start-server.sh" || echo"Server not running"
4. Reuse Connections
The CLI script automatically caches connections. Multiple searches in the same session will reuse the same browser connection for better performance.
5. Clean Output
Parse the Markdown output to extract key information for the user. Don't just dump all results - synthesize and summarize.
Common Patterns
Pattern 1: Latest Documentation
# User asks about latest framework features
bash SKILLs/web-search/scripts/search.sh "Next.js 15 documentation" 5
# Parse results, find official docs, summarize features
Pattern 2: Troubleshooting
# User reports an error
bash SKILLs/web-search/scripts/search.sh "TypeError: Cannot read property of undefined React" 5
# Find Stack Overflow answers and GitHub issues, provide solution
Pattern 3: Current Events
# User asks about recent news
bash SKILLs/web-search/scripts/search.sh "AI developments January 2026" 10
# Summarize key news items from results
Pattern 4: Comparison Research
# User wants to compare technologies
bash SKILLs/web-search/scripts/search.sh "Vue 3 vs React 18 performance 2026" 5
# Synthesize comparison from multiple sources
Pattern 5: API/Library Usage
# User needs specific API documentation
bash SKILLs/web-search/scripts/search.sh "Playwright page.evaluate examples" 5
# Extract code examples and usage patterns
Error Handling
Server Not Running
Error:✗ Bridge Server is not running
Solution:
The server should auto-start with Electron
If manual start needed: bash SKILLs/web-search/scripts/start-server.sh
API reference: See README.md for complete API documentation
Troubleshooting: See examples/basic-search.md
Support
For issues:
Check .server.log for errors
Run basic test: node SKILLs/web-search/scripts/test-basic.js
Verify Chrome installation
Check internet connection
Review troubleshooting section above
Remember: This skill provides real-time access to current information. Use it whenever users need information beyond your knowledge cutoff or when accuracy of current data is important.
