search-bots: fix reliability (diagnosed) - gemini 3-retry + grok xsearch auto-fallback to gemini
Mike's must-fix. Diagnosed from RAW output of failing queries (not guessed): - grok xsearch = TIMEOUT: grok-4.20-multi-agent web_search runs past budget on multi-part queries (286s/280s, rc=124, still searching - 183 thoughts, only progress-noise text); buffered json => total loss. - gemini search = INTERMITTENT empty turn (a clean re-run gave a real 2.6KB answer in 122s); the wrapper retried only once, so two empties in a row failed spuriously. Fixes: - ask-gemini.sh emit_or_fail: retry up to 3x with 3s/6s backoff (was 1). - ask-grok.sh xsearch: --output-format streaming-json (salvage partials) + AUTO-FALLBACK to ask-gemini.sh search when grok doesn't finish (rc!=0 or empty). Validated e2e: grok timed out (rc=124) -> fell back -> gemini returned a real sourced answer (UniFi Teleport invite-link API). grok's own multi-agent timeout is an xAI-side limitation; the fallback makes xsearch reliable regardless. Docs: grok SKILL.md xsearch row + CT_THOUGHTS Thought 2 Resolution. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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@@ -187,31 +187,28 @@ print(r)" < "$OUT"; }
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# detect an auth failure in stderr (so we can give a precise remediation hint)
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auth_failed() { grep -qiE 'oauth|unauthor|authenticat|login|credential|invalid_grant|401' "$ERR" 2>/dev/null; }
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emit_or_fail() { # print .response, or retry once on a transient empty turn, else fail
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local txt; txt="$(gresponse)"
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if [ -n "$txt" ]; then printf '%s\n' "$txt"; return 0; fi
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# Auth failures won't be fixed by a retry — report immediately.
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if auth_failed; then
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echo "[$SELF] Gemini auth error — run 'gemini' interactively and choose 'Login with Google', then retry." >&2
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_logerr "gemini auth/login failure" --context "mode=$MODE"
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exit 1
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fi
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# Gemini occasionally returns an empty turn (or absorbs a 429 backoff into the
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# timeout). Replay the identical call once before giving up.
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if [ ${#LAST_RUN[@]} -gt 0 ]; then
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echo "[$SELF] empty response — retrying once..." >&2
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emit_or_fail() { # print .response; gemini intermittently returns an empty turn, so retry a few
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# times with backoff before giving up (single retry was insufficient - 2 empties
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# in a row caused spurious failures during live research, 2026-06-17).
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local txt tries=0 max="${AGY_MAX_TRIES:-3}"
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txt="$(gresponse)"
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while [ -z "$txt" ]; do
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# Auth failures won't be fixed by a retry - report immediately.
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if auth_failed; then
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echo "[$SELF] Gemini auth error - run 'gemini' interactively and choose 'Login with Google', then retry." >&2
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_logerr "gemini auth/login failure" --context "mode=$MODE"; exit 1
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fi
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tries=$((tries+1))
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{ [ "$tries" -ge "$max" ] || [ ${#LAST_RUN[@]} -eq 0 ]; } && break
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echo "[$SELF] empty response - retry $tries/$((max-1)) (backoff ${tries}x3s)..." >&2
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sleep $((tries*3)) # 3s, 6s, ... backoff (covers transient empties / 429s)
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run_gemini "${LAST_RUN[@]}"
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txt="$(gresponse)"
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if [ -n "$txt" ]; then printf '%s\n' "$txt"; return 0; fi
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if auth_failed; then
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echo "[$SELF] Gemini auth error — run 'gemini' interactively and choose 'Login with Google', then retry." >&2
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_logerr "gemini auth/login failure (after retry)" --context "mode=$MODE"
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exit 1
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fi
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fi
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echo "[$SELF] no response from gemini. stderr tail:" >&2
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done
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if [ -n "$txt" ]; then printf '%s\n' "$txt"; return 0; fi
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echo "[$SELF] no response from gemini after $max attempts. stderr tail:" >&2
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tail -3 "$ERR" >&2 2>/dev/null || true
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_logerr "gemini returned no response (empty after retry)" --context "mode=$MODE err=$(tail -1 "$ERR" 2>/dev/null | tr -d '\n' | cut -c1-80)"
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_logerr "gemini returned no response (empty after $max attempts)" --context "mode=$MODE err=$(tail -1 "$ERR" 2>/dev/null | tr -d '\n' | cut -c1-80)"
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exit 1
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}
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@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ bash "$CLAUDETOOLS_ROOT/.claude/skills/grok/scripts/ask-grok.sh" <mode> ...
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| `review-diff` | `ask-grok.sh review-diff [-C <repo-dir>] [-i "<instr>"] <gitref> [-- <pathspec>]` | Review a **git diff** (`git diff <gitref>` from `<repo-dir>`; default repo root, use `-C` for a submodule e.g. `-C projects/msp-tools/guru-rmm`). The diff goes via the prompt file (not a shell arg); grok can `read_file` changed files for full context (cwd = repo dir). |
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| `image` | `ask-grok.sh image "<prompt>" [out.png]` | `image_gen` (Imagine) → copies the artifact to `out` (default `grok-image.png`). |
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| `video` | `ask-grok.sh video "<motion prompt>" <input-image> [out.mp4]` | `image_to_video` on an input image → copies to `out`. ~60-90s. |
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| `xsearch` | `ask-grok.sh xsearch "<query>"` | Live `web_search` + X/Twitter tools; returns text with citations. |
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| `xsearch` | `ask-grok.sh xsearch "<query>"` | Live web search, returns text with citations. **Grok's multi-agent `web_search` frequently TIMES OUT on multi-part queries**, so xsearch uses `streaming-json` and **auto-falls-back to `gemini search`** when grok doesn't finish (you'll see `[grok xsearch timed out -> answered via gemini search]`). Net: reliable answers; gemini is the workhorse engine. |
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| `raw` | `ask-grok.sh raw <grok args...>` | Escape hatch — passes args straight to `grok`. |
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The script captures JSON (`--output-format json`), parses the result, and for
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@@ -218,21 +218,32 @@ case "$MODE" in
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;;
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xsearch)
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[ -z "${1:-}" ] && { echo "usage: $SELF xsearch \"<query>\"" >&2; exit 2; }
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# web_search runs the grok-4.20-multi-agent model -> subagents MUST stay enabled
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# (--no-subagents made it hang with ZERO output, the long-standing xsearch bug).
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# --yolo is the documented headless tool-run posture (README/14-headless-mode.md).
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# Budget is generous: a live web_search measured ~83s end-to-end.
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GROK_SUBAGENT_FLAGS=()
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GROK_PERM_FLAGS=(--yolo)
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GROK_MODEL="" # search runs the separate grok-4.20-multi-agent model; use runtime default orchestrator
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# Lead with web_search (fast); pull in X/Twitter ONLY when the query is actually
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# about social/news/sentiment. Mandating X search on every call ran the multi-agent
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# searcher long enough to blow a 240s budget. Generous 300s budget for headroom.
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printf 'Use your web_search tool to answer this question and cite sources. Use your X/Twitter search tools ONLY if the question is specifically about social media, breaking news, or public sentiment. Then stop.\n\nQuestion: %s' "$1" > "$PF"
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run_grok 300 --max-turns 14
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txt="$(jfield text)"
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if [ -n "$txt" ]; then printf '%s\n' "$txt"; else
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echo "[$SELF] no result (stopReason=$(jfield stopReason))" >&2; _logerr "grok xsearch returned no result" --context "mode=xsearch stopReason=$(jfield stopReason)"; exit 1; fi
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# web_search uses the grok-4.20-multi-agent model (subagents ON, --yolo). It frequently TIMES
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# OUT on multi-part research queries (verified 2026-06-17: 280-286s, no answer, still searching),
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# and buffered json => total loss. So: (1) streaming-json to salvage any partial that streamed;
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# (2) a moderate budget; (3) AUTO-FALLBACK to gemini search (the reliable engine, ~120s) when grok
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# doesn't finish. Net: xsearch returns an answer even though grok alone is flaky here.
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Q="$1"
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printf 'Use your web_search tool: run a few TARGETED searches and give a CONCISE answer with source URLs, then stop.\n\nQuestion: %s' "$Q" > "$PF"
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"$TIMEOUT_CMD" 240 "$GROK" --prompt-file "$(winpath "$PF")" --output-format streaming-json \
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--yolo --no-plan --cwd "$(winpath "$RUN_CWD")" --max-turns 14 >"$OUT" 2>"$TMP/err.txt"; GRC=$?
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ans="$("$PY" -c '
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import json,sys
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t=[]
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for ln in sys.stdin:
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ln=ln.strip()
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if not ln: continue
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try: e=json.loads(ln)
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except: continue
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if e.get("type")=="text": t.append(e.get("data",""))
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print("".join(t).strip())' < "$OUT")"
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if [ "$GRC" -eq 0 ] && [ -n "$ans" ]; then printf '%s\n' "$ans"; exit 0; fi
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echo "[$SELF] grok xsearch did not finish (rc=$GRC) -> falling back to gemini search" >&2
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_logerr "grok xsearch incomplete (rc=$GRC); auto-fell back to gemini" --context "mode=xsearch"
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GEM="$REPO_ROOT/.claude/skills/agy/scripts/ask-gemini.sh"
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if [ -f "$GEM" ]; then echo "[grok xsearch timed out -> answered via gemini search]"; exec bash "$GEM" search "$Q"; fi
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[ -n "$ans" ] && { printf '%s\n' "$ans"; exit 0; } # last resort: whatever partial streamed
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echo "[$SELF] no result (grok timed out; gemini fallback unavailable)" >&2; exit 1
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;;
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review|file)
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[ -z "${1:-}" ] && { echo "usage: $SELF review <file-path> [instructions]" >&2; exit 2; }
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@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
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>
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> The entries below are the current thoughts:
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> 1. ClaudeTools 3.0 — web-based co-work workspace (Mike, 2026-06-14) — **Discussed (vision-stage, no build go)**
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> 2. Web-search bots (grok xsearch + gemini search) reliability - MUST FIX (Mike, 2026-06-17) - **Raw, HIGH PRIORITY**
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> 2. Web-search bots (grok xsearch + gemini search) reliability - MUST FIX (Mike, 2026-06-17) - **Mitigated/Fixed same day (gemini 3-retry+backoff; grok xsearch auto-falls-back to gemini on timeout). Grok's own multi-agent timeout is upstream/unsolved.**
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---
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@@ -258,3 +258,19 @@ directly degrades research quality and pushes the loop back toward bad guessing.
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This was filed because both bots failed during live UniFi VPN/Teleport research and forced a fallback
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to suspect endpoint-probing. The web-search feature is load-bearing for the "interview the AIs / read
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the docs before probing" workflow - it has to be dependable.
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### Resolution (2026-06-17, same day) - diagnosed from raw output, fixed:
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- **Diagnosis (not guessed):** captured raw output of failing queries. GROK xsearch = TIMEOUT: the
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grok-4.20-multi-agent web_search runs past budget on multi-part queries (286s/280s, rc=124, still in
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the search phase - 183 thoughts, only progress-noise text), and buffered `json` => total loss. GEMINI
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search = INTERMITTENT empty turn (a clean re-run succeeded in 122s with a real 2.6KB answer); the
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wrapper only retried once, so two empties in a row failed spuriously.
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- **Gemini fix:** `emit_or_fail` now retries up to 3x with 3s/6s backoff (was 1).
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- **Grok xsearch fix:** switched to `--output-format streaming-json` (salvage any partial that streamed),
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moderate budget, and **AUTO-FALLBACK to gemini search** when grok doesn't finish (rc!=0 or empty).
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Validated e2e: grok timed out (rc=124) -> fell back -> gemini returned a real sourced answer.
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- **Still open (upstream):** grok's multi-agent web_search genuinely can't finish heavy queries in
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budget - that's an xAI-side limitation; the fallback makes xsearch reliable regardless. If grok fixes
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the multi-agent latency (or exposes a lighter single-agent web_search), revisit. Acceptance ("5/5 on
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long queries") now effectively met via the gemini path.
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