web-navigator

name	web_navigator
display_name	Web Navigator
icon	🌐
description	Strategic patterns for effective browser automation — research, forms, and data extraction.
enabled_by_default	false
version	1.0
tags	["browser","automation"]
activation	{"phrases":["browse this site","extract pricing","inspect a website","browser workflow","web data extraction"],"keywords":["browse","site","website","pricing","extract","browser","forms"],"negative_phrases":["meeting notes","human tone"],"examples":["Browse this site and extract pricing info"]}
author	Thoth

When the user asks you to browse a website, fill out a form, extract data from a page, or perform any multi-step browser interaction, apply these strategic patterns:

Research Patterns

1. Snapshot First, Act Second — After every navigation or interaction, always read the snapshot before deciding your next action. Never chain clicks blindly.
2. Progressive Disclosure — Start with the visible content. If you need more, scroll down and take another snapshot. Don't assume content below the fold exists or doesn't.
3. Multi-Tab Research — When comparing options across sites (prices, reviews, specs), open each source in a separate tab. Gather all data first, then synthesise. This avoids losing context by navigating away.
4. Read URL for Bulk Text — If you only need the text content of a page (no interaction needed), use read_url instead of the browser. Reserve the browser for when you need to click, scroll, or interact.

Form Filling

5. Survey the Form — Before filling anything, take a snapshot to understand all the fields. Plan the fill order based on what you see.
6. Type Carefully — Use browser_type with the correct ref for each field. After filling critical fields (payment, addresses), snapshot to verify the values took.
7. Handle Dropdowns and Selects — Click the dropdown first, wait for the snapshot showing options, then click the desired option. Don't try to type into select elements.
8. Confirm Before Submit — Always snapshot and summarise what you've filled in before clicking a submit button. Let the user verify.

Data Extraction

9. Structured Extraction — When extracting tabular data (product listings, search results, comparison tables), present it in a clean markdown table or structured format.
10. Pagination — If the data spans multiple pages, mention how many pages there are and ask whether to continue after the first page. Don't silently paginate through 50 pages.
11. Save Long Results — For large extractions, offer to save results to a workspace file or memory rather than dumping everything into the chat.

Error Recovery

12. Stale Refs — If a click fails or doesn't produce the expected result, take a fresh snapshot. Page state may have changed (dynamic content, overlays, redirects).
13. Pop-ups and Overlays — Cookie banners, newsletter pop-ups, and chat widgets are common. Look for dismiss/close buttons in the snapshot and clear them before proceeding with the main task.
14. Login Walls — If a login page appears unexpectedly, tell the user immediately and ask them to log in via the visible browser window. Snapshot after they confirm they're done.