AI Research Browser CLI

Use this skill when the user wants to operate the ai_research_browser.py CLI, verify real logged-in AI-provider sessions, run E2E workflows, or understand which command/flag to use.

CLI path:

python3 skills/software-development/ai-research-browser/scripts/ai_research_browser.py

Operating Rules

• Prefer real live CDP sessions for true E2E. The examples use a Brave work profile on port 9223; always verify the CDP owner/profile instead of trusting a port number.
• If the user only says "Starte Deep Research" / "start Deep Research" and does not name a browser or provider, default to Comet + Gemini Deep Research: --browser comet --profile work --provider google --mode deep-research, with preferred port 9333 only after owner/profile verification. Preflight first, no --submit until the actual research prompt and quota permission are explicit.
• Never claim a provider works until the status JSON proves login/account/plan, an automation target_id, screenshot evidence, output text, and no challenge/rate-limit wall.
• Do not use temporary clone/sibling success as proof of a real account login. Clone/sibling runs are diagnostic or explicit fallback only.
• Before typing or submitting, require provider inventory: signed-in state, visible account, plan, model/feature evidence, screenshot, and no CAPTCHA/rate-limit/challenge.
• Paid/quota workflows such as Deep Research, Agent, image generation, research, artifacts, or Labs need --allow-paid-quota-use.
• Deep Research prompts must pass the prompt-budget guard before submit: ideal <= 6,000 chars, default automated max <= 12,000 chars, review required above that, and block above 24,000 chars. See docs/DEEP_RESEARCH_PROMPT_BUDGETS.md.
• If CAPTCHA, Cloudflare, Turnstile, login challenge, provider warning, or rate-limit text appears, stop and persist cooldown. Do not solve or bypass it.
• For restart recovery, generate a dry-run plan first. Execute restart only when the user explicitly allowed it or supplied the required restart flags.
• Use --artifact-privacy redacted by default. Use full only when the user explicitly needs raw URLs/text and accepts the privacy tradeoff.
• After implementation or changes, run syntax, lint, unit tests, and at least one low-cost real provider smoke before saying the CLI is stable.

Fast Workflow

For the ambiguous one-line prompt "Starte Deep Research", do not route to a Brave-first fallback or a broad matrix. Start with the Comet/Gemini preflight:

python3 skills/software-development/ai-research-browser/scripts/ai_research_browser.py real-session-preflight \
  --browser comet \
  --profile work \
  --provider google \
  --port 9333 \
  --output /tmp/arb-preflight-comet-gemini.json

Port 9333 is not proof of Comet. If preflight says port_collision.detected=true or shows VS Code/Code Helper/non-CDP ownership on that port, do not block on 9333 and do not ask the user to manually reuse it. If the preflight also shows alternate_cdp.found=true, use its attach_port directly. Otherwise produce a recovery dry-run that lets the CLI choose a free loopback CDP port for the real Comet profile:

python3 skills/software-development/ai-research-browser/scripts/ai_research_browser.py browser-cdp-recover \
  --browser comet \
  --profile work \
  --provider google \
  --port 9333 \
  --dry-run \
  --output /tmp/arb-recover-comet-gemini.json

Only after the preflight proves the real account, plan, feature, screenshot, and CDP target should a paid Deep Research run be planned or submitted.

Before submitting a real Deep Research prompt, measure it:

python3 skills/research/comparison-deep-research/scripts/deep_research_prompt_budget.py \
  --file /tmp/deep-research-prompt.txt \
  --json

1. Discover browsers/profiles:

python3 skills/software-development/ai-research-browser/scripts/ai_research_browser.py discover

2. Verify the real CDP owner and provider session:

python3 skills/software-development/ai-research-browser/scripts/ai_research_browser.py real-session-preflight \
  --browser brave \
  --profile work \
  --provider chatgpt \
  --port 9223 \
  --output /tmp/arb-preflight.json

3. Run a low-cost live smoke and copy the verified output:

python3 skills/software-development/ai-research-browser/scripts/ai_research_browser.py workflow-live-run \
  --browser brave \
  --profile work \
  --provider chatgpt \
  --mode chat \
  --cdp-port 9223 \
  --prompt "Reply with exactly: CLI_SMOKE_E2E_OK" \
  --submit \
  --copy-output \
  --response-timeout 120 \
  --output /tmp/arb-live-smoke.json

4. Inspect the result. Treat only verified or a clearly successful captured result with output as success.
5. For Deep Research/Agent/image runs, add:

--allow-paid-quota-use --confirm-start --max-daily-paid-runs 1

Command Reference

For complete command recipes, status interpretation, recovery flows, and E2E checklists, read references/cli-reference.md.

Load the reference when:

• the user asks how to use any CLI subcommand;
• a run hits blocked, timeout, real-session-required, signed-out-or-wall, or rate-limited;
• you need examples for restart recovery, workflow suites, attachments, cache/follow-up, AI Exporter, or provider-specific modes.

Validation

Before reporting completion after a code or skill change:

python3 -m py_compile skills/software-development/ai-research-browser/scripts/ai_research_browser.py
ruff check skills/software-development/ai-research-browser/scripts/ai_research_browser.py skills/software-development/ai-research-browser/tests/test_ai_research_browser.py
python3 -m unittest skills/software-development/ai-research-browser/tests/test_ai_research_browser.py

For real E2E, start with one low-cost workflow-live-run against a verified account. Do not launch a broad paid matrix until single-flow evidence is green.