web-research

name	web-research
description	Web browsing strategies, Electron app automation, and search patterns. Load when performing web searches, browsing pages, or controlling Electron apps.
version	1.0.0

Web Research & Browser Automation

When to Use execute_browser vs execute_gui

Use execute_browser (PinchTab CDP) when:

• Searching the web (navigate to search engine, fill query, extract results)
• Reading page content or extracting text from a webpage
• Filling forms with text input
• Clicking buttons, links, or interactive elements
• Navigating between pages
• Any task where you need TEXT from a page (not a picture of it)

Use execute_gui + observe_screen when:

• Task requires VISUAL verification (checking layout, colors, images)
• Drag-and-drop interactions
• Interacting with canvas, WebGL, or heavy JS-rendered apps
• The web app's UI elements are non-standard

PinchTab is automatically downloaded at server startup and started on first browser tool use. If execute_browser returns an error, fall back to execute_gui + observe_screen.

Electron Apps (VS Code, Slack, Discord, etc.)

Electron apps are desktop applications built with web technologies. To interact with them deterministically:

1. If the app is NOT yet running: launch it with the --remote-debugging-port=9222 flag via execute_cli:
   • start "" "C:\path\to\app.exe" --remote-debugging-port=9222 (Windows)
   • open -a "AppName" --args --remote-debugging-port=9222 (macOS)
2. Call execute_browser with action="connect_cdp" and url="http://localhost:9222"
3. Once connected, use execute_browser for all interactions (snapshot, click, fill, extract_text)

If the app is ALREADY running (user launched it normally), you CANNOT attach CDP. Use execute_accessible or observe_screen + execute_gui instead.

Browser Security - Intent-Based

Before calling execute_browser for potentially risky operations, evaluate the intent:

SAFE (proceed without confirmation):

• Reading/extracting page content
• Navigating to URLs the user explicitly mentioned
• Taking snapshots
• Clicking links to read content

REQUIRES CAUTION (explain what you'll do before proceeding):

• Filling forms with user data
• Clicking submit/purchase/delete buttons
• Navigating to financial or authenticated pages
• Any action that could trigger a transaction, send a message, or modify data

If in doubt, tell the user what you're about to do and wait for confirmation. Never silently submit forms, make purchases, or trigger irreversible actions.

Web App Search Bars

NEVER click the browser address bar to search within a web app. Use the app's own search:

• Gmail/Outlook: / or Ctrl+/ for search
• YouTube: / for search
• Slack: Ctrl+K
• Google Drive: / for search
• Most web apps: look for a search icon or Ctrl+F

Search Strategy

To search online: navigate to a search engine, fill the query, press Enter, extract results. You can also use execute_gui with an already-open browser. Never tell the user you cannot browse or search online.