Search provider — Tavily (free tier: 1000 searches/month) is the easiest to add. Do we have an account or prefer something else?
Auto vs. toggle — Should the bot automatically detect when to web-search (like Perplexity), or should users toggle it on? Perplexity-style is automatic detection.
KB as fallback — The Perplexity doc you shared shows KB-first with web as fallback when KB is weak. Should web be additive (always run both and merge) or conditional (web only when KB misses)?
Troy Pastoral
AI Whisperer
QA — Web Search Experience Upgrade (Daryle AI) No coding knowledge needed. Just click and compare.
Branch: codex/daryle-ai-ae-web-search-ux Not live yet. Needs deploy first. Ask before testing on real prod site.
BEFORE YOU START
Web search may still say "I can't search the web" until deploy runs.
Turn on "Search the Internet" (globe icon) for all tests below.
Test 1 needs speed set to "Thinking" — Instant mode hides search steps.
CHAT SHOWS IT'S ACTUALLY SEARCHING Before: toggle did nothing visible. Sometimes claimed it can't search. After: search shows live. Steps:
Turn on Search the Internet. Set speed to Thinking.
Ask something needing current info ("latest AI news?")
Watch thinking/steps area for "Searching the web…" then "Found X web results" or a note that web search wasn't available. Pass: search visibly happens, not just a final answer. Fail: no mention of search, or still claims it can't search.
WEB SOURCES ARE REAL CLICKABLE LINKS Before: citations linked nowhere useful. After: web citations show site name + working link. Steps:
Hover a citation number like [1] in a web-search reply. Popup shows site name (e.g. reuters.com).
Click [1] — opens source panel.
Click "Open web source" on the web result. Pass: opens real page in new tab. Fail: no link, broken link, opens nothing.
STATUS CHIPS STAY IN CLICK ORDER Before: chips appeared grouped by type, not by click order. After: chips match the order you clicked, mixed across types. Steps:
One chat, no message in between: turn OFF knowledge base, change speed setting, turn Search the Internet back ON.
Read the chips top to bottom. Pass: order matches click order exactly. Fail: order scrambled or a chip missing.
CHIPS SURVIVE PAGE REFRESH Before: refresh could duplicate, lose, or reorder chips. After: refresh any number of times — same chips, same order. Steps:
After test 3, refresh browser. Count/read chips.
Refresh again. Pass: identical chips both times. Fail: chips vanish, duplicate, multiply, or move.
SWITCHING CHATS DOESN'T MIX UP CHIPS Before: n/a — new check. After: each chat keeps its own chip history. Steps:
Note chips in Chat A (from test 3/4).
Open Chat B (no settings changes there).
Switch back to Chat A. Pass: Chat B shows none of Chat A's chips; Chat A unchanged. Fail: chips bleed between chats, or Chat A's chips vanished.
WEB RESULTS BLEND WITH KNOWLEDGE BASE, DON'T REPLACE IT Before: unclear if web search would drop other KB results. After: both on = one combined numbered source list, KB first then web. Steps:
Turn ON Ambassador Way (or default KB) AND Search the Internet together.
Ask something with both a KB angle and a current-events angle.
Open the sources panel. Pass: both KB and web sources listed together, continuous numbering. Fail: only one type shows, or numbering resets/overlaps.
WEB-ONLY SEARCH WORKS WITH KB OFF Before: n/a — new check. After: KB off, only Search the Internet on — still searches and cites. Steps:
Turn off all KB except Search the Internet.
Ask a current-events question. Pass: real answer with web citations. Fail: declines, or answers with zero sources.
KNOWN LIMITATIONS — NOT BUGS
Instant/fast speed hides ALL thinking steps by design, web ones too. Use Thinking or Pro mode for test 1.
Chip history saved per browser, not per account. Won't follow you to a different computer. Intentional for now.
Tavily (search provider) down → plain note instead of citation. That is correct fallback, not a bug.
What changed: Turning on "Search the Internet" now shows a clear "Searching the web… getting sources" indicator you can expand to watch the live steps and the websites found. Answers pause one second so the indicator never flashes past. Also fixed: web search silently doing nothing on the first message of a brand-new chat.
What to test:
Web search on a new chat Before: Generic "Thinking..." and first answer ignored the web. After: "Searching the web… getting sources" shows and the answer cites live web sources. Steps: New Chat → Knowledge base menu → switch on "Search the Internet" → ask "What is the biggest tech story today?" → check citations + sources line.
Expandable search details Before: No way to see what the search was doing. After: "See details" shows live steps and website cards that open in a new tab. Steps: Send a web question, click "See details" before the answer lands.
One-second thinking pause Before: Fast answers appeared instantly. After: Indicator holds at least one second. Steps: Ask any quick question, notice the beat.
Normal chat unchanged After: Web search off = same behavior as before. Steps: Send normal questions, confirm no change.
cc Red
Red Bañares
Astra Product Experience Designer
Troy
Two QAs for this feature done today.
See attached for md. files. Will also create a card for bugs and issues found.
TASK #1 — Clicking a web source actually opens the real page [RETEST of Round 1, Task #2]
Path: /
What to do: Turn on Search the Internet, ask a question that needs current info (example: "what's the biggest tech news today?"). When the answer comes back with a numbered source like [1], click on it, then click "Open web source" or the link shown.
Previous Behavior: Clicking the source opened a little popup, but the popup did not actually lead anywhere — you couldn't get to the real article.
Expected Result: Clicking the source opens the real website in a new browser tab, and you can read the actual article.
Actual Result (Findings):
Status: [ ] Pass [ ] Fail [ ] Skip
Notes:
TASK #2 — Settings chips don't disappear when you refresh the page [RETEST of Round 1, Task #4]
Path: /
What to do: In one chat, without sending a new message: turn the knowledge base OFF, then change the speed setting, then turn Search the Internet back ON. You should see three small chips/tags appear in the chat showing those changes. Now refresh the browser page. Look at the chips again. Refresh a second time. Look again.
Previous Behavior: After refreshing, the chips would vanish — the record of what settings were changed disappeared.
Expected Result: All three chips are still there, in the same order, after both refreshes. Nothing disappears, nothing doubles up, nothing changes order.
Actual Result (Findings):
Status: [ ] Pass [ ] Fail [ ] Skip
Notes:
TASK #3 — Web search no longer blocks the Knowledge Base [RETEST of Round 1, Task #6]
Path: /
What to do: Turn ON a knowledge base (Ambassador Way or the default one) AND turn ON Search the Internet at the same time. Ask a question that has both an angle the knowledge base would know about AND a current-events angle (something happening in the news right now). Open the sources panel on the answer.
Previous Behavior: No matter what was asked, the answer only used web results — it never pulled anything from the knowledge base, even though the knowledge base was turned on.
Expected Result: The sources panel shows sources from BOTH the knowledge base AND the web in one combined list. Then, try the same kind of question with the knowledge base turned OFF (only web search on) — that should still work exactly like before, using only web sources.
Questions Before I Write the Plan
QA — Web Search Experience Upgrade (Daryle AI)
No coding knowledge needed. Just click and compare.
Branch: codex/daryle-ai-ae-web-search-ux
Not live yet. Needs deploy first. Ask before testing on real prod site.
BEFORE YOU START
Before: toggle did nothing visible. Sometimes claimed it can't search.
After: search shows live.
Steps:
results" or a note that web search wasn't available.
Pass: search visibly happens, not just a final answer.
Fail: no mention of search, or still claims it can't search.
Before: citations linked nowhere useful.
After: web citations show site name + working link.
Steps:
site name (e.g. reuters.com).
Pass: opens real page in new tab.
Fail: no link, broken link, opens nothing.
Before: chips appeared grouped by type, not by click order.
After: chips match the order you clicked, mixed across types.
Steps:
speed setting, turn Search the Internet back ON.
Pass: order matches click order exactly.
Fail: order scrambled or a chip missing.
Before: refresh could duplicate, lose, or reorder chips.
After: refresh any number of times — same chips, same order.
Steps:
Pass: identical chips both times.
Fail: chips vanish, duplicate, multiply, or move.
Before: n/a — new check.
After: each chat keeps its own chip history.
Steps:
Pass: Chat B shows none of Chat A's chips; Chat A unchanged.
Fail: chips bleed between chats, or Chat A's chips vanished.
Before: unclear if web search would drop other KB results.
After: both on = one combined numbered source list, KB first then web.
Steps:
together.
Pass: both KB and web sources listed together, continuous numbering.
Fail: only one type shows, or numbering resets/overlaps.
Before: n/a — new check.
After: KB off, only Search the Internet on — still searches and cites.
Steps:
Pass: real answer with web citations.
Fail: declines, or answers with zero sources.
KNOWN LIMITATIONS — NOT BUGS
Use Thinking or Pro mode for test 1.
a different computer. Intentional for now.
is correct fallback, not a bug.
QA READY
Web Search Progress Indicator — Daryle AI
PR: https://github.com/astradevelopers/daryle-ai-ae/pull/50
What changed: Turning on "Search the Internet" now
shows a clear "Searching the web… getting sources"
indicator you can expand to watch the live steps and
the websites found. Answers pause one second so the
indicator never flashes past. Also fixed: web search
silently doing nothing on the first message of a
brand-new chat.
What to test:
Before: Generic "Thinking..." and first answer
ignored the web.
After: "Searching the web… getting sources" shows
and the answer cites live web sources.
Steps: New Chat → Knowledge base menu → switch on
"Search the Internet" → ask "What is the biggest
tech story today?" → check citations + sources line.
Before: No way to see what the search was doing.
After: "See details" shows live steps and website
cards that open in a new tab.
Steps: Send a web question, click "See details"
before the answer lands.
Before: Fast answers appeared instantly.
After: Indicator holds at least one second.
Steps: Ask any quick question, notice the beat.
After: Web search off = same behavior as before.
Steps: Send normal questions, confirm no change.
cc
Two QAs for this feature done today.
See attached for md. files. Will also create a card for bugs and issues found.
cc
Tasks
TASK #1 — Clicking a web source actually opens the real page [RETEST of Round 1, Task #2]
Path: /
What to do: Turn on Search the Internet, ask a question that needs current info (example: "what's the biggest tech news today?"). When the answer comes back with a numbered source like [1], click on it, then click "Open web source" or the link shown.
Previous Behavior: Clicking the source opened a little popup, but the popup did not actually lead anywhere — you couldn't get to the real article.
Expected Result: Clicking the source opens the real website in a new browser tab, and you can read the actual article.
Actual Result (Findings):
Status: [ ] Pass [ ] Fail [ ] Skip
Notes:
TASK #2 — Settings chips don't disappear when you refresh the page [RETEST of Round 1, Task #4]
Path: /
What to do: In one chat, without sending a new message: turn the knowledge base OFF, then change the speed setting, then turn Search the Internet back ON. You should see three small chips/tags appear in the chat showing those changes. Now refresh the browser page. Look at the chips again. Refresh a second time. Look again.
Previous Behavior: After refreshing, the chips would vanish — the record of what settings were changed disappeared.
Expected Result: All three chips are still there, in the same order, after both refreshes. Nothing disappears, nothing doubles up, nothing changes order.
Actual Result (Findings):
Status: [ ] Pass [ ] Fail [ ] Skip
Notes:
TASK #3 — Web search no longer blocks the Knowledge Base [RETEST of Round 1, Task #6]
Path: /
What to do: Turn ON a knowledge base (Ambassador Way or the default one) AND turn ON Search the Internet at the same time. Ask a question that has both an angle the knowledge base would know about AND a current-events angle (something happening in the news right now). Open the sources panel on the answer.
Previous Behavior: No matter what was asked, the answer only used web results — it never pulled anything from the knowledge base, even though the knowledge base was turned on.
Expected Result: The sources panel shows sources from BOTH the knowledge base AND the web in one combined list. Then, try the same kind of question with the knowledge base turned OFF (only web search on) — that should still work exactly like before, using only web sources.
Actual Result (Findings):
Status: [ ] Pass [ ] Fail [ ] Skip
Notes:
Red
cc
All retested tasks have received a passing mark.