🔍 Web Search Integration (Λ)

Enhance your research capabilities with integrated web search, providing access to current information, documentation, and best practices directly within your workflow.

🎯 Overview

Web Search integration enables:

• 🌐 General web searches
• 📍 Local business searches
• 📄 URL content fetching
• 🔬 Research augmentation
• 📚 Documentation discovery
• 🚫 Blocked in EXECUTE mode (maintains focus)

🚀 Setup

1. Install Brave Search MCP Server

npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-brave-search

2. Get Brave Search API Key

1. Visit Brave Search API
2. Sign up for free tier (1000 searches/month)
3. Copy your API key

3. Configure Environment

export BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

4. Update MCP Configuration

In .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "mcp-server-brave-search",
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY": "${env:BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

5. Enable in Framework

Uncomment Web Search section in your framework rules.

📋 Command Reference

Search Commands

Command	Function	Example
!ws	Web search	!ws JWT best practices 2024
!wl	Local search	!wl coffee shops near me
!wf	Fetch URL	!wf https://docs.example.com
!wn	News search	!wn tech news today
!wi	Image search	!wi architecture diagrams

Search Options

Option	Description	Example
--count	Result count	!ws query --count 20
--region	Region filter	!ws query --region us
--fresh	Recent results	!ws query --fresh
--safe	Safe search	!ws query --safe strict

🔐 Mode Permissions

Search Availability by Mode

Operation	Research	Innovate	Plan	Execute	Review
Web search	✓	✓	✓	✗	✓
Local search	✓	✓	✓	✗	✓
Fetch URL	✓	✓	✓	✗	✓
News search	✓	✓	✓	✗	✓

Why Blocked in Execute?

Execute mode blocks web search to:

• Maintain implementation focus
• Prevent scope creep
• Ensure plan adherence
• Reduce distractions

💡 Workflow Examples

1. Research Workflow

/research
!ws "microservices authentication patterns"
!wf "https://auth0.com/docs/patterns"
!ws "JWT vs OAuth2 comparison 2024"

2. Innovation Workflow

/innovate
!ws "emerging authentication technologies"
!ws "passwordless authentication examples"
!wn "biometric authentication trends"

3. Planning Workflow

/plan
!ws "REST API design best practices"
!wf "https://swagger.io/specification/"
!ws "API versioning strategies"

4. Review Workflow

/review
!ws "security audit checklist web api"
!ws "OWASP top 10 2024"
!wf "https://owasp.org/standards/"

🎨 Search Patterns

Technology Research Pattern

// Symbol: Λ₁
operation: web_search
command: !ws
permissions: Not in EXECUTE

// Research phase
!ws "technology stack comparisons"
!ws "technology pros and cons"
!ws "technology case studies"

Best Practices Discovery

// In PLAN mode
1. Search industry standards
   !ws "industry best practices 2024"
   
2. Fetch official documentation
   !wf "https://official-docs.com"
   
3. Search implementation examples
   !ws "real world implementations"

Security Research

// In RESEARCH mode
1. Search vulnerabilities
   !ws "CVE-2024 authentication"
   
2. Get security guidelines
   !wf "https://security-guide.org"
   
3. Search mitigation strategies
   !ws "security mitigation techniques"

🔍 Advanced Search Techniques

Search Operators

// Exact phrase
!ws "exact phrase match"

// Exclude terms
!ws "authentication -deprecated"

// Site-specific
!ws "site:github.com oauth2 implementation"

// File type
!ws "filetype:pdf api documentation"

Temporal Searches

// Recent content
!ws "kubernetes updates" --fresh

// Date range
!ws "security patches after:2024-01-01"

// News timeline
!wn "ai developments" --sort date

Regional Searches

// US-specific results
!ws "data privacy laws" --region us

// European results
!ws "GDPR compliance" --region eu

// Local businesses
!wl "tech meetups" --region "San Francisco"

📊 Search Result Management

Result Processing

// Fetch and analyze
!ws "api patterns"           // Get results
!wf "https://top-result.com" // Deep dive

// Save important findings
!an "API Pattern Research"   // Create notepad
// Document key findings

Citation Tracking

## Research Findings
- JWT Best Practices [Source: auth0.com]
- OAuth2 Flow Types [Source: oauth.net]
- Security Considerations [Source: OWASP]

Memory Integration

Search results automatically update:

• σ₃ (techContext.md) - Technology findings
• σ₄ (activeContext.md) - Current research
• σ₂ (systemPatterns.md) - Discovered patterns

🚫 Execute Mode Behavior

What Happens in Execute Mode

/execute
!ws "how to implement auth"

⚠️ WEB SEARCH BLOCKED IN EXECUTE MODE
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Web search is disabled to maintain focus.
Complete current task, then switch modes:
/research or /plan

Workaround Strategy

1. Complete current implementation
2. Note questions for later
3. Switch to RESEARCH mode
4. Perform searches
5. Return to EXECUTE if needed

🚨 Common Issues

API Key Invalid

Error: Invalid API key

Solution:

• Verify key is correctly set
• Check for typos
• Ensure key is active

Rate Limit Exceeded

Error: Rate limit exceeded

Solution:

• Check API tier limits
• Implement result caching
• Upgrade plan if needed

No Results Found

No results for query

Solution:

• Broaden search terms
• Check spelling
• Remove filters

Blocked in Execute

Search blocked in current mode

Solution:

• Complete current task
• Switch to appropriate mode
• Perform search

🎯 Best Practices

1. Search Strategy

• Start broad, then narrow
• Use multiple queries
• Verify with official sources
• Cross-reference findings

2. Result Evaluation

• Check source credibility
• Verify publication date
• Look for consensus
• Prefer official documentation

3. Mode Discipline

• Research thoroughly before EXECUTE
• Don't search mid-implementation
• Document findings in memory
• Reference sources properly

4. Efficient Searching

Good search practices:
✅ Specific, targeted queries
✅ Use search operators
✅ Fetch key URLs for detail
✅ Document findings immediately

Poor practices:
❌ Vague, broad searches
❌ Single query reliance
❌ No source verification
❌ Searching in EXECUTE mode

📈 Search Metrics

Track Search Usage

// Weekly search metrics
!search-stats
- Total searches: 127
- Web searches: 89
- Local searches: 12
- URL fetches: 26
- Blocked attempts: 3

Search Effectiveness

// Measure search value
- Relevant results: 85%
- Used in implementation: 60%
- Time saved: 4 hours/week
- Mode violations: 2

🔗 Integration Examples

Research Documentation

## Authentication Research [↗️σ₃]
### Sources Consulted
1. Auth0 Documentation
   - URL: https://auth0.com/docs
   - Fetched: 2024-01-15
   - Key findings: JWT best practices

2. OWASP Guidelines
   - Search: "OWASP authentication 2024"
   - Key findings: Security checklist

Pattern Discovery

## Discovered Patterns [↗️σ₂:P₁₂]
### Source: Web Research
- Query: "microservices authentication patterns"
- Pattern: API Gateway Authentication
- References: 
  - Kong Documentation
  - AWS API Gateway Guide

💡 Pro Tips

1. Pre-Execute Research

Before entering EXECUTE mode:

/research
!ws "implementation challenges"
!ws "common pitfalls"
!wf "official documentation"
/execute  # Now ready to code

2. Batch Searches

Combine related searches:

!ws "authentication" && !ws "authorization" && !ws "oauth2"

3. Search Templates

Create reusable search patterns:

# Security audit template
!ws "OWASP top 10 {year}"
!ws "{technology} vulnerabilities {year}"
!ws "{technology} security best practices"

4. Local Development

For local business searches:

!wl "tech coworking spaces"
!wl "programming meetups"
!wl "hackathons near me"

📚 Related Topics

• MCP Overview
• GitHub Integration
• Research Mode
• Context Management

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