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| author | amankumarsingh77 <amankumarsingh7702@gmail.com> | 2026-08-02 19:17:20 +0530 |
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| committer | amankumarsingh77 <amankumarsingh7702@gmail.com> | 2026-08-02 19:17:20 +0530 |
| commit | da64520016e1631d21a5e393cec6b1a51e72a2a3 (patch) | |
| tree | 538a18b2391517113a9984b8074ded13bf9dfec0 /docs/speed-optimizations.md | |
| parent | f20fdf7fc4039ea71f3a8b56c7c508e46f1bbc51 (diff) | |
docs: remove the docs/ folder
The plans, specs, and audit reports under docs/superpowers/ described work
that has since landed, and ARCHITECTURE.md duplicated what the boundary
scanner and the tool contract already enforce in code. CONTRIBUTING.md now
points at the source that enforces each rule instead of at prose about it.
.gitignore keeps docs/ ignored so local scratch docs stay out of the repo.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Diffstat (limited to 'docs/speed-optimizations.md')
| -rw-r--r-- | docs/speed-optimizations.md | 180 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 180 deletions
diff --git a/docs/speed-optimizations.md b/docs/speed-optimizations.md deleted file mode 100644 index 5b35d6b..0000000 --- a/docs/speed-optimizations.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,180 +0,0 @@ -# Pi Agent Features for Blazingly Fast Browser Automation - -> Deep research on every pi agent capability that can be leveraged to make `pi-browser-harness` as fast as possible. - ---- - -## 1. Parallel Execution (The Biggest Speed Multiplier) - -| Feature | How It Makes Browser Harness Fast | -|---------|-----------------------------------| -| **Parallel Tool Execution (Default)** | Pi executes sibling tool calls from the same assistant message **concurrently** by default. Multiple `browser_click`, `browser_type`, `browser_scroll`, or `browser_http_get` calls on independent targets run simultaneously instead of sequentially. | -| **`browser_open_urls`** | Opens multiple URLs in **parallel new tabs** in one shot. For research/scraping workflows, this eliminates sequential navigation delays entirely. | -| **Parallel `browser_execute_js` across tabs** | After listing tabs, you can switch to each tab and extract data in parallel batches rather than one-by-one. | -| **Parallel `browser_http_get`** | Direct HTTP GETs outside the browser are independent of browser state—fire dozens of API calls simultaneously. | -| **Read + Browser tools in same turn** | `read` (file system) and `browser_*` tools can run in parallel in the same turn because they hit different resources. | -| **`withFileMutationQueue()`** | For custom tools that write files, this queues mutations per-file so parallel tool execution doesn't cause race conditions/overwrite bugs. | - -### Patterns - -```typescript -// Open all result pages at once -browser_open_urls({ urls: ["url1", "url2", "url3"] }) - -// Then extract from each tab in parallel batches -browser_switch_tab(targetId1) → browser_execute_js("...") -browser_switch_tab(targetId2) → browser_execute_js("...") -``` - ---- - -## 2. Batching & Scripting (Eliminate Round-Trips) - -| Feature | How It Makes Browser Harness Fast | -|---------|-----------------------------------| -| **`browser_run_script`** | Write a temporary `.js` script and execute it with **full daemon + Node.js access**. This is the single biggest speedup for multi-step browser workflows—scrape 47 paginated pages, bulk-export CSV, or run complex CDP sequences in **one round-trip** instead of 47 screenshot→click loops. | -| **Custom Tools via Extensions (`pi.registerTool`)** | Register high-level browser tools like `batch_extract`, `bulk_screenshot`, or `auto_login` that internally run multiple CDP commands. The LLM calls one tool; the extension does the orchestration. | -| **Dynamic Tool Registration** | Tools can be registered at runtime (e.g., after detecting a page type). This lets you inject specialized, fast-path tools only when needed. | -| **Early Termination (`terminate: true`)** | Custom tools can return `terminate: true` to hint that no follow-up LLM turn is needed. For structured extraction tasks, this saves an entire model call. | -| **`onUpdate` streaming in custom tools** | Stream partial results back while long browser scripts run, so the user sees progress without waiting for full completion. | - -### When to Use Scripts vs. Built-in Tools - -| Use Scripts | Use Built-in Tools | -|-------------|-------------------| -| Same 3+ step sequence repeated | One-off actions | -| Bulk CSV export, structured extraction, pagination | Simple click or type | -| Domain-specific reusable pattern | Quick screenshot verification | - -```typescript -// Example: Batch extraction script -write("/tmp/extract-products.js", ` - const data = await daemon.evaluateJs(\` - JSON.stringify(Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('${params.rowSelector}')).map(el => ({ - title: el.querySelector('${params.titleSelector}')?.textContent?.trim(), - price: el.querySelector('${params.priceSelector}')?.textContent?.trim(), - }))) - \`); - return { content: [{ type: 'text', text: data }], details: { raw: JSON.parse(data) } }; -`) -browser_run_script("/tmp/extract-products.js", { rowSelector: "...", titleSelector: "...", priceSelector: "..." }) -``` - ---- - -## 3. Subagents & Delegation (Scale Across Cores/Sessions) - -| Feature | How It Makes Browser Harness Fast | -|---------|-----------------------------------| -| **Parallel subagent tasks** | Launch multiple `scout`, `researcher`, or `worker` agents simultaneously with `tasks: [...]`. Each can control its own browser tab or perform independent research. | -| **Async/background runs (`async: true`)** | Launch a long-running browser automation (e.g., full test suite, deep crawl) in the background while the parent agent continues working. | -| **Chain execution** | Sequence dependent steps (e.g., `scout` → `planner` → `worker`) with `{previous}` and `{chain_dir}` templating so each step doesn't rediscover context. | -| **Worktree isolation (`worktree: true`)** | Run parallel agents on isolated git worktrees so concurrent file writes don't conflict—essential for parallel browser-based testing or scraping pipelines. | -| **File-only output mode (`outputMode: "file-only"`)** | For subagents, return compact file references instead of inline text. This prevents massive context bloat on the parent session, keeping subsequent turns fast. | -| **Forked context (`context: "fork"`)** | Spawn advisory `oracle` or `reviewer` agents that inherit parent history but run on a branched session—no context copying overhead. | - -### Example: Parallel Research with Browser - -```typescript -subagent({ - tasks: [ - { agent: "scout", task: "Audit frontend auth flow" }, - { agent: "researcher", task: "Research current retry/backoff best practices" } - ], - concurrency: 2 -}) -``` - ---- - -## 4. Event Interception & Mutation (Optimize at the Harness Level) - -| Feature | How It Makes Browser Harness Fast | -|---------|-----------------------------------| -| **`tool_call` event interception** | Block, modify, or batch tool arguments before execution. Example: detect three sequential `browser_click` calls and rewrite them into a single `browser_run_script` batch. | -| **`tool_result` event modification** | Post-process raw browser output (e.g., truncate huge HTML, extract only diff, cache repeated queries) before it hits the LLM context. | -| **`before_agent_start` / `context` events** | Inject pre-computed page state or strip unnecessary history before the LLM call, reducing token count and latency. | -| **`input` event transformation** | Transform user prompts before they reach the agent. Example: expand `!{selector}` inline bash or auto-convert "scrape all links" into a batched script invocation. | -| **AbortSignal (`ctx.signal`)** | Cancel long-running browser operations (navigation, waits, downloads) immediately when the user hits Escape or a turn ends. | - -### Example: Extension-Level Batching - -```typescript -pi.on("tool_call", async (event, ctx) => { - if (event.toolName === "browser_click" && shouldBatch(event.input)) { - // Rewrite into a script call - event.input = { scriptPath: "/tmp/batch-clicks.js", params: { clicks: [...] } }; - } -}); -``` - ---- - -## 5. Context Efficiency (Keep Token Latency Low) - -| Feature | How It Makes Browser Harness Fast | -|---------|-----------------------------------| -| **Automatic Compaction** | Proactively summarizes old messages when approaching the context window. For long browser sessions (multi-page crawls), this prevents slowdowns from oversized contexts. | -| **Custom Compaction via Extensions** | Override compaction logic to preserve critical browser state (current URL, cookies, form data) while summarizing away redundant screenshots or HTML dumps. | -| **Context Files (`AGENTS.md`)** | Load browser-specific conventions once at startup. The model doesn't need to relearn "always screenshot before clicking" every turn. | -| **Skills (Progressive Disclosure)** | Browser-specific skills (like `pi-browser-harness`) only load their full instructions when needed. The system prompt stays lean until a browser task is detected. | -| **`PI_CACHE_RETENTION=long`** | Extended prompt cache retention (Anthropic: 1h, OpenAI: 24h) means repeated browser-tool-heavy prompts reuse cached prefixes, cutting latency and cost. | - -### Settings for Long Browser Sessions - -```json -{ - "compaction": { - "enabled": true, - "reserveTokens": 16384, - "keepRecentTokens": 20000 - } -} -``` - ---- - -## 6. Provider & Model Control (Speed at the LLM Layer) - -| Feature | How It Makes Browser Harness Fast | -|---------|-----------------------------------| -| **Model Cycling (`Ctrl+P`)** | Switch to faster/cheaper models for simple browser tasks (e.g., `gpt-4o-mini` for extraction) and reserve heavy models for complex reasoning. | -| **Thinking Level Control (`Shift+Tab`)** | Set thinking to `off` or `minimal` for deterministic browser automation, eliminating reasoning latency when it's not needed. | -| **Custom Providers (`pi.registerProvider`)** | Route browser-heavy sessions through faster proxies, local endpoints, or team-wide caches. | -| **Transport Selection (`sse` vs `websocket`)** | Choose the lowest-latency transport for your provider. | -| **`before_provider_request` hook** | Inspect or rewrite the provider payload to inject cache-control markers, strip unnecessary tool definitions, or enable prompt caching for repeated browser schemas. | - ---- - -## 7. Session Architecture (Never Lose Speed to State Management) - -| Feature | How It Makes Browser Harness Fast | -|---------|-----------------------------------| -| **Session Branching (`/tree`, `/fork`)** | Experiment with different browser strategies without losing state. If one automation path is slow, fork and try another without rebuilding context from scratch. | -| **Session Compaction (`/compact`)** | Manually trigger compaction mid-session after a heavy crawl to instantly restore context window headroom. | -| **`pi.appendEntry()`** | Persist browser state (cookies, auth tokens, current page index) as custom session entries. Restore on resume without re-authenticating or re-navigating. | -| **Custom Commands (`pi.registerCommand`)** | Register `/browser-batch` or `/crawl` commands that kick off optimized script-based workflows without LLM involvement. | - ---- - -## 8. UI & Control Flow (Reduce Human-in-the-Loop Delay) - -| Feature | How It Makes Browser Harness Fast | -|---------|-----------------------------------| -| **Message Queue (`steer` / `followUp`)** | Queue corrective messages while the agent is mid-crawl. The browser harness receives steering immediately after the current tool batch instead of waiting for full completion. | -| **Custom UI / Overlays** | Build a live browser dashboard (status line showing current URL, progress bar for crawls) so the user doesn't interrupt prematurely. | -| **`browser_page_info` dialog detection** | Instantly detect blocking JS dialogs instead of timing out. Extensions can auto-dismiss known popups via `tool_call` interception. | - ---- - -## Summary: The "Blazingly Fast" Formula - -To maximize browser harness speed with pi: - -1. **Parallelize everything** — Use `browser_open_urls`, parallel tool execution, and parallel subagents. -2. **Script heavy sequences** — Use `browser_run_script` for any 3+ step repetitive flow. -3. **Build custom tools** — Register batch tools via extensions to collapse multi-turn loops into single tool calls. -4. **Intercept and optimize** — Use `tool_call`/`tool_result` events to batch, cache, and truncate before the LLM sees it. -5. **Keep context lean** — Use compaction, file-only subagent output, and skills to prevent token bloat. -6. **Delegate asynchronously** — Launch long crawls as `async` subagents while the parent continues. -7. **Choose the right model** — Cycle to fast models with minimal thinking for deterministic automation. |
