docs: promote webscraper_search_hint in wiki and mode rules

2026-04-05 10:11:33 +02:00
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+# Web Research Rules — Use webscraper_search_hint Proactively
+
+## Rule: Search Before Asking
+
+Before asking Patrick for information about a library, framework, API, technology, or error —
+**always try `webscraper_search_hint` first**.
+
+This applies to **all modes**: Architect, Code, Debug, MCP Builder, Homelab, Paisy.
+
+### Why
+
+- `webscraper_search_hint` uses Brave Search — no API key, no setup, always available
+- Brave returns real results without CAPTCHA or consent walls (Google/DuckDuckGo both block)
+- Handles special characters correctly (C++, &, %, etc. — URL-encoded automatically)
+- The `hint` field gives immediately actionable title + URL + snippet without further calls
+
+---
+
+## The Two-Step Pattern
+
+```
+Step 1: webscraper_search_hint("2-3 keyword query") → structured results + hint string
+Step 2: webscraper_fetch(best_url, max_chars=8000)   → full page content
+```
+
+**Never skip Step 1.** It costs one tool call and often reveals the exact page to read.
+
+### Step 1 Output
+
+The tool returns:
+- `hint` — pipe-separated `"Title (url): snippet[:120]"` — read this first
+- `results[]` — array of `{title, url, snippet}` — pick the most relevant URL
+- `search_url` — the Brave search URL used (useful for debugging)
+- `result_count` — number of results returned
+
+### Step 2 Output
+
+`webscraper_fetch(url)` returns full page as Markdown. Use `max_chars` to control size
+(default 5000; use 8000–12000 for deep doc reads).
+
+---
+
+## Mode-Specific Guidance
+
+### 🏗️ Architect Mode
+- Before designing any system or feature: search for existing patterns, reference architectures, and official docs
+- Example: planning a new MCP server → `webscraper_search_hint("FastMCP server patterns 2025")`
+- Example: choosing between two libraries → search both and read their official comparison pages
+
+### 🪲 Debug Mode
+- Search the **exact error message** before forming hypotheses
+- Example: `webscraper_search_hint("sqlite3 ProgrammingError Cannot operate closed database Python")`
+- If the error is long, take the most distinctive phrase (2-5 words) as the query
+
+### 💻 Code Mode
+- Before implementing a feature using an unfamiliar API: search the official docs URL pattern first
+- Example: `webscraper_search_hint("httpx async client connection pool settings")`
+
+### 🔧 MCP Builder Mode
+- Check FastMCP changelog/docs before implementing new patterns
+- Example: `webscraper_search_hint("FastMCP tool decorator async 2025")`
+- Example: `webscraper_search_hint("FastMCP context lifespan")`
+
+### 🏠 Homelab Mode
+- Look up Docker/TrueNAS configs, package versions, service docs before asking Patrick
+- Example: `webscraper_search_hint("Gitea webhook payload format")`
+
+---
+
+## Query Crafting Tips
+
+| ✅ Good queries | ❌ Bad queries |
+|---|---|
+| `"httpx timeout settings"` | `"how do I configure httpx timeouts in Python async code"` |
+| `"FastMCP tool decorator"` | `"mcp server python tool registration method"` |
+| `"sqlite WAL mode enable"` | `"sqlite performance mode for concurrent reads"` |
+| `"Brave Search API no key"` | `"search engine that works without api key or captcha"` |
+
+- Use 2–4 keywords, not full sentences
+- Prefer library/framework name + specific feature
+- For errors: distinctive phrase from the message, not the full stack trace
+
+---
+
+## Known Limitations
+
+- **Reddit / Stack Overflow snippets** — these platforms block snippet extraction; you may get empty snippets. The URL is still valid — fetch it directly if needed.
+- **Brave CSS selector fragility** — Brave uses Svelte-generated class names that change. If `webscraper_search_hint` returns 0 results unexpectedly, the scraper's CSS selectors may need updating. Last verified working: 2026-04-05.
+- **Use sparingly** — one search call per research task to orient; then fetch specific pages. Don't call it in a loop.
+
+---
+
+## Anti-Patterns to Avoid
+
+- ❌ Asking Patrick "what's the FastMCP syntax for X?" before searching
+- ❌ Designing architecture without looking up existing solutions first
+- ❌ Forming a debug hypothesis without searching the error message
+- ❌ Writing code against an API from memory without verifying current docs
+- ❌ Calling `webscraper_search_hint` more than 2-3 times for the same topic (broaden/narrow the query instead)