M
MercyNews
Home
Back
New Tool Visualizes Browser-Use Agent Traces for Developers
Technology

New Tool Visualizes Browser-Use Agent Traces for Developers

Hacker News12h ago
3 min read
📋

Key Facts

  • ✓ Justin, the developer behind the AI search engine Phind, is building a new tool to analyze browser-use agent traces.
  • ✓ The tool addresses the challenge of debugging complex LLM agents where user feedback is often less than 1% of total interactions.
  • ✓ A public demo of the visualization tool is currently available, using traces generated by GPT-5.
  • ✓ Future features under consideration include live querying of past failures and the use of preference models to enhance data signals.
  • ✓ The developer is actively seeking feedback and collaboration with teams generating over 10,000 traces daily.

In This Article

  1. A New Lens on AI Agents
  2. The Phind Precedent
  3. Scaling Complexity
  4. The Trails Demo
  5. Future Roadmap
  6. Looking Ahead

A New Lens on AI Agents#

The rapid evolution of LLM agents has created a new frontier in software debugging. As these agents perform increasingly complex tasks, understanding exactly where and why they fail has become a significant hurdle for developers. Traditional methods of gathering user feedback often fall short, leaving engineers to sift through mountains of data with little guidance.

Addressing this gap, Justin, the developer behind the popular AI search engine Phind, has introduced a new visualization tool. This initiative aims to bring clarity to the opaque inner workings of browser-use agents, offering a structured way to analyze their behavior and pinpoint errors.

The Phind Precedent#

Justin's journey into agent debugging began with the challenges faced while building Phind. The platform processed a high volume of daily searches, yet struggled to obtain actionable feedback from its user base. Less than 1% of users provided explicit feedback on poor search results, creating a blind spot in the development process.

This lack of direct input forced the team to rely on two inefficient methods: manually digging through search logs or making broad system improvements and hoping for the best. This experience highlighted a critical need for better diagnostic tools, a lesson that directly informs the current project.

  • High daily search volume on Phind
  • Less than 1% user feedback rate
  • Reliance on manual log analysis
  • Difficulty in targeting system improvements

"I've put together a demo using browser-use agent traces (gpt-5)."

— Justin, Developer

Scaling Complexity#

If debugging standard search queries was difficult, managing browser-use agents presents an even greater challenge. These agents operate with significantly longer and more complex traces than simple search queries. The sheer volume of data generated by a single agent session makes manual review a time-consuming and often impractical task for development teams.

Recognizing that this problem only intensifies with scale, Justin is building a tool specifically designed to analyze LLM outputs directly. The goal is to help developers of LLM applications and agents understand precisely where things are breaking and why, transforming raw data into actionable insights.

The Trails Demo#

To demonstrate the concept, a live demo has been deployed using browser-use agent traces generated by GPT-5. The tool, hosted on Vercel, provides a visual interface for exploring these complex agent behaviors. While the project is described as being in its early stages, it represents a tangible step toward solving the visibility problem in AI agent development.

"I've put together a demo using browser-use agent traces (gpt-5)."

The current focus is on gathering feedback from the developer community to refine the tool's capabilities and user experience.

Future Roadmap#

The vision for the tool extends far beyond the current demo. Future iterations are expected to include features like live querying of past failures for currently running agents, allowing for real-time troubleshooting. Additionally, the integration of preference models is being explored to expand sparse signal data, further enhancing the tool's diagnostic precision.

Justin is actively seeking feedback on the current demo and is interested in connecting with teams building agents who generate 10,000+ traces per day. This collaboration would provide the necessary scale to stress-test the tool and accelerate its development.

Looking Ahead#

The introduction of this visualization tool marks a promising development in the AI agent ecosystem. By addressing the fundamental challenge of trace analysis, it has the potential to significantly accelerate the debugging and improvement of complex LLM applications.

As the project evolves from a demo to a more robust platform, it could become an essential utility for developers navigating the complexities of autonomous agents. The community's feedback will be crucial in shaping its final form.

Continue scrolling for more

AI Transforms Mathematical Research and Proofs
Technology

AI Transforms Mathematical Research and Proofs

Artificial intelligence is shifting from a promise to a reality in mathematics. Machine learning models are now generating original theorems, forcing a reevaluation of research and teaching methods.

Just now
4 min
366
Read Article
Iran Threatens 'Total War' Amid US Naval Deployment
Politics

Iran Threatens 'Total War' Amid US Naval Deployment

As a US naval armada moves toward the Persian Gulf, Iranian officials have issued a stark warning, threatening a 'total war' response to any aggression. The escalation highlights growing regional instability.

6h
5 min
1
Read Article
Google's School Strategy: Building Lifelong Brand Loyalty
Technology

Google's School Strategy: Building Lifelong Brand Loyalty

A child safety lawsuit has unveiled internal Google documents suggesting the company's strategy to cultivate brand loyalty by investing in schools and onboarding children into its ecosystem.

6h
5 min
2
Read Article
Mega Snowstorm Tests US Supply Chain Resilience
Economics

Mega Snowstorm Tests US Supply Chain Resilience

A massive winter storm sweeping across a wide swath of the country is putting logistics safeguards to the test, with experts watching to see if business can continue as usual.

6h
5 min
1
Read Article
Clearly Filtered Water Filters: 10-19% Off Sale
Lifestyle

Clearly Filtered Water Filters: 10-19% Off Sale

A current promotion offers significant savings on Clearly Filtered water filtration systems. This article explores the available discounts and performance details from recent testing.

7h
3 min
1
Read Article
Nvidia's Arm Laptops Challenge Intel Inside
Technology

Nvidia's Arm Laptops Challenge Intel Inside

A leak reveals Lenovo has built six laptops powered by Nvidia's upcoming N1 and N1X processors, marking a significant shift in the Windows laptop landscape.

7h
5 min
2
Read Article
Federal Court Orders Release of $5B in Frozen EV Charger Funds
Politics

Federal Court Orders Release of $5B in Frozen EV Charger Funds

A federal district judge in Washington has ordered that $5 billion in National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funds must be made available to states, ending a year-long legal battle over frozen electric vehicle charging funds.

7h
5 min
2
Read Article
Open-Source Self-Driving Expands to 325 Car Models
Technology

Open-Source Self-Driving Expands to 325 Car Models

A significant update to an open-source self-driving platform has expanded compatibility to 325 vehicle models from 27 different automotive brands, marking a major step in accessible autonomous technology.

7h
5 min
2
Read Article
Ford Enters Electric Semi Market with 2026 F-Line E
Automotive

Ford Enters Electric Semi Market with 2026 F-Line E

Ford is entering the medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle market with its new F-Line E semi truck, set to launch in Westerm Europe this summer.

7h
5 min
1
Read Article
How to Stream UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett for Free
Sports

How to Stream UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett for Free

The UFC pay-per-view era is over. Discover the new streaming model for UFC 324 and the best way to watch the lightweight interim title bout for free.

7h
5 min
2
Read Article
🎉

You're all caught up!

Check back later for more stories

Back to Home