ai_synth/docs/superpowers/plans/2026-03-25-brave-search.md

Brave Search Integration — Implementation Plan

For agentic workers: REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use superpowers:subagent-driven-development (recommended) or superpowers:executing-plans to implement this plan task-by-task. Steps use checkbox (- [ ]) syntax for tracking.

Goal: Add Brave Search API as an alternative to LLM web search in Phase 2, with per-article scrape+classify using the same flow as Phase 1.

Architecture: New brave_search service module calls the Brave API. A use_brave_search setting toggles Phase 2 between LLM search (existing) and Brave search (new). Brave API key stored in existing user_api_keys table. The Brave Phase 2 path reuses Phase 1's batched scrape+classify loop.

Tech Stack: Rust (Axum, sqlx, reqwest), SolidJS, PostgreSQL

Spec: docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-25-brave-search-design.md

---

Task 1: Brave Search service module

Files:

• Create: backend/src/services/brave_search.rs

• Modify: backend/src/services/mod.rs

• Step 1: Create brave_search.rs with BraveResult struct and search function

Create backend/src/services/brave_search.rs:

//! Brave Search API client.
//!
//! Calls the Brave Web Search API and returns structured results.
//! Used as an alternative to LLM web search in Phase 2.

use crate::errors::AppError;
use serde::Deserialize;

/// A single result from the Brave Search API.
#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
pub struct BraveResult {
    pub title: String,
    pub url: String,
    pub description: String,
}

/// Map `max_age_days` to Brave's `freshness` parameter.
fn freshness_from_days(max_age_days: i32) -> &'static str {
    match max_age_days {
        d if d <= 1 => "pd",
        d if d <= 7 => "pw",
        d if d <= 30 => "pm",
        _ => "py",
    }
}

/// Brave API response structures (only the fields we need).
#[derive(Deserialize)]
struct BraveSearchResponse {
    web: Option<BraveWebResults>,
}

#[derive(Deserialize)]
struct BraveWebResults {
    results: Option<Vec<BraveWebResult>>,
}

#[derive(Deserialize)]
struct BraveWebResult {
    title: Option<String>,
    url: Option<String>,
    description: Option<String>,
}

/// Search the Brave Web Search API.
///
/// # Arguments
/// * `http_client` — shared reqwest client
/// * `api_key` — Brave Search subscription token
/// * `query` — search query string
/// * `count` — max results (1-20)
/// * `max_age_days` — mapped to Brave's freshness parameter
pub async fn search(
    http_client: &reqwest::Client,
    api_key: &str,
    query: &str,
    count: u32,
    max_age_days: i32,
) -> Result<Vec<BraveResult>, AppError> {
    let freshness = freshness_from_days(max_age_days);

    let response = http_client
        .get("https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/web/search")
        .header("X-Subscription-Token", api_key)
        .header("Accept", "application/json")
        .query(&[
            ("q", query),
            ("count", &count.to_string()),
            ("freshness", freshness),
            ("search_lang", "fr"),
        ])
        .send()
        .await
        .map_err(|e| {
            tracing::warn!(error = %e, "Brave Search API request failed");
            AppError::Internal(anyhow::anyhow!("Brave Search API request failed: {}", e))
        })?;

    if !response.status().is_success() {
        let status = response.status();
        let body = response.text().await.unwrap_or_default();
        tracing::warn!(status = %status, body = %body, "Brave Search API error");
        return Err(AppError::Internal(anyhow::anyhow!(
            "Brave Search API returned status {}: {}",
            status,
            body
        )));
    }

    let api_response: BraveSearchResponse = response.json().await.map_err(|e| {
        AppError::Internal(anyhow::anyhow!("Failed to parse Brave Search response: {}", e))
    })?;

    let results = api_response
        .web
        .and_then(|w| w.results)
        .unwrap_or_default()
        .into_iter()
        .filter_map(|r| {
            let url = r.url?;
            if url.is_empty() {
                return None;
            }
            Some(BraveResult {
                title: r.title.unwrap_or_default(),
                url,
                description: r.description.unwrap_or_default(),
            })
        })
        .collect();

    Ok(results)
}

/// Test the Brave Search API key with a simple query.
///
/// Returns `Ok(())` if the key is valid, `Err` with a message otherwise.
pub async fn test_api_key(
    http_client: &reqwest::Client,
    api_key: &str,
) -> Result<(), AppError> {
    let response = http_client
        .get("https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/web/search")
        .header("X-Subscription-Token", api_key)
        .header("Accept", "application/json")
        .query(&[("q", "test"), ("count", "1")])
        .send()
        .await
        .map_err(|e| AppError::Internal(anyhow::anyhow!("Brave API request failed: {}", e)))?;

    if response.status().is_success() {
        Ok(())
    } else {
        let status = response.status();
        Err(AppError::BadRequest(format!(
            "Brave Search API returned status {}. Check your API key.",
            status
        )))
    }
}

#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
    use super::*;

    #[test]
    fn freshness_mapping() {
        assert_eq!(freshness_from_days(1), "pd");
        assert_eq!(freshness_from_days(0), "pd");
        assert_eq!(freshness_from_days(7), "pw");
        assert_eq!(freshness_from_days(3), "pw");
        assert_eq!(freshness_from_days(30), "pm");
        assert_eq!(freshness_from_days(14), "pm");
        assert_eq!(freshness_from_days(31), "py");
        assert_eq!(freshness_from_days(365), "py");
    }
}

• Step 2: Register module in mod.rs

In backend/src/services/mod.rs, add:

pub mod brave_search;

• Step 3: Build and test

Run: cd backend && cargo build && cargo test --lib brave_search Expected: Build succeeds, 1 test passes

• Step 4: Commit

git add backend/src/services/brave_search.rs backend/src/services/mod.rs
git commit -m "feat: add Brave Search API client module"

---

Task 2: Add use_brave_search setting

Files:

• Create: backend/migrations/20260325000022_add_brave_search_setting.sql

• Modify: backend/src/models/settings.rs

• Modify: backend/src/db/settings.rs

• Modify: backend/src/services/prompts.rs (test fixture)

• Modify: backend/tests/api_syntheses_test.rs (test fixture)

• Modify: e2e/tests/generation-live.spec.ts (test fixture)

• Modify: frontend/src/types.ts

• Modify: frontend/src/i18n/fr.ts

• Modify: CLAUDE.md

• Step 1: Create migration

Create backend/migrations/20260325000022_add_brave_search_setting.sql:

ALTER TABLE settings ADD COLUMN use_brave_search BOOLEAN NOT NULL DEFAULT false;

• Step 2: Add use_brave_search to all Rust settings structs

In backend/src/models/settings.rs, add pub use_brave_search: bool to UserSettings, SettingsResponse, and UpdateSettingsRequest (after use_llm_for_source_links in each struct).

In the From<UserSettings> for SettingsResponse impl, add: use_brave_search: s.use_brave_search,

In Default for UserSettings, add: use_brave_search: false,

No validation needed (it's a bool).

• Step 3: Update SettingsRow and DB queries in db/settings.rs

Add use_brave_search: bool to SettingsRow.

Add use_brave_search to the TryFrom impl.

Update both SQL queries (INSERT and UPSERT) to include use_brave_search:

• Add to column lists and VALUES placeholders (new bind parameter)

• Add to ON CONFLICT SET clause

• Add to RETURNING clause

• Add .bind() calls

• Step 4: Update test fixtures

In backend/src/models/settings.rs test helper valid_request(), add: use_brave_search: false,

In backend/src/services/prompts.rs test test_settings(), add: use_brave_search: false,

In backend/tests/api_syntheses_test.rs, add to the settings JSON: "use_brave_search": false

In e2e/tests/generation-live.spec.ts, add to the settings object: use_brave_search: false,

• Step 5: Update frontend types

In frontend/src/types.ts, add use_brave_search: boolean to UserSettings interface (after use_llm_for_source_links).

In DEFAULT_SETTINGS, add: use_brave_search: false,

• Step 6: Add i18n labels

In frontend/src/i18n/fr.ts, add after the 'settings.useLlmForSourceLinks' entry:

'settings.useBraveSearch': 'Utiliser Brave Search pour la recherche web',
'settings.useBraveSearchHelp': 'Remplace la recherche web par IA par l\'API Brave Search pour des resultats plus precis.',
'settings.braveSearch': 'Brave Search',
'settings.braveSearchKey': 'Cle API Brave Search',
'settings.braveSearchKeyHelp': 'Obtenez une cle sur api-dashboard.search.brave.com. Le plan gratuit offre 2000 requetes/mois.',
'settings.braveSearchNotConfigured': 'Configurez une cle API Brave Search pour activer cette option.',

• Step 7: Update CLAUDE.md

Change ## Database (21 migrations) to ## Database (22 migrations).

• Step 8: Build and test

Run: cd backend && cargo build && cargo test --lib Run: cd frontend && npx tsc --noEmit Expected: All pass

• Step 9: Commit

git add backend/migrations/20260325000022_add_brave_search_setting.sql \
  backend/src/models/settings.rs backend/src/db/settings.rs \
  backend/src/services/prompts.rs \
  backend/tests/api_syntheses_test.rs \
  e2e/tests/generation-live.spec.ts \
  frontend/src/types.ts frontend/src/i18n/fr.ts CLAUDE.md
git commit -m "feat: add use_brave_search setting"

---

Task 3: Handle brave_search in API key test endpoint

Files:

• Modify: backend/src/handlers/api_keys.rs

• Step 1: Add Brave Search test branch

In backend/src/handlers/api_keys.rs, update the test_key function. Before the line let llm_provider = factory::create_provider(&provider, decrypted_key)?; (around line 125), add a branch for brave_search:

// Handle Brave Search key testing separately (not an LLM provider)
if provider == "brave_search" {
    let result = crate::services::brave_search::test_api_key(
        &state.http_client,
        &decrypted_key,
    ).await;

    return match result {
        Ok(()) => Ok(Json(TestResult {
            success: true,
            message: "Brave Search API key is valid and working".into(),
        })),
        Err(e) => {
            let message = match &e {
                AppError::BadRequest(msg) => msg.clone(),
                _ => "Brave Search API key test failed.".into(),
            };
            Ok(Json(TestResult {
                success: false,
                message,
            }))
        }
    };
}

• Step 2: Build and test

Run: cd backend && cargo build && cargo test --lib Expected: All pass

• Step 3: Commit

git add backend/src/handlers/api_keys.rs
git commit -m "feat: handle brave_search in API key test endpoint"

---

Task 4: Phase 2 Brave Search pipeline path

Files:

• Modify: backend/src/services/synthesis.rs

This is the core change. When use_brave_search is true, Phase 2 calls Brave Search, filters results, then scrapes+classifies using the same batched loop as Phase 1.

• Step 1: Add Brave key resolution helper

At the bottom of synthesis.rs, near resolve_provider_and_key (around line 962), add:

/// Decrypt the Brave Search API key for a user.
async fn resolve_brave_key(
    state: &AppState,
    user_id: Uuid,
) -> Result<String, AppError> {
    let master_key = encryption::MasterKey::from_hex(&state.config.master_encryption_key)?;
    let key_record = db::api_keys::get_for_user_and_provider(
        &state.pool, user_id, "brave_search",
    ).await?
    .ok_or_else(|| AppError::BadRequest(
        "Brave Search est active mais aucune cle API Brave n'est configuree. \
         Veuillez ajouter une cle API Brave Search dans vos parametres.".into(),
    ))?;

    encryption::decrypt(&master_key, &key_record.encrypted_key, &key_record.nonce)
}

• Step 2: Add the Brave Phase 2 path

In synthesis.rs, find the Phase 2 block (starts around line 554 with // === PHASE 2: Web Search Fallback ===). The current code checks if !category_gaps.is_empty() and then runs the LLM search. Replace the body of that if block with a branch:

if !category_gaps.is_empty() {
    if settings.use_brave_search {
        // === BRAVE SEARCH PATH ===
        emit_progress(tx, "search", "Recherche Brave Search...", 70);

        let brave_key = resolve_brave_key(state, user_id).await?;
        let query = format!("{} actualites", settings.theme);
        let brave_results = crate::services::brave_search::search(
            &state.http_client, &brave_key, &query, 20, settings.max_age_days,
        ).await?;

        tracing::info!(results = brave_results.len(), "Brave Search returned results");

        // Filter Brave results (same filters as existing Phase 2)
        let mut brave_urls: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
        for result in &brave_results {
            let url_lower = result.url.to_lowercase();

            // Homepage filter
            if let Ok(parsed_url) = url::Url::parse(&result.url) {
                let path = parsed_url.path();
                if path.is_empty() || path == "/" {
                    trace_article(&state.pool, user_id, job_id, &result.url, &result.title, "brave_search", None, None, None, "filtered_homepage", false).await;
                    continue;
                }
            }

            // Cross-phase dedup
            if seen_urls.contains(&url_lower) {
                trace_article(&state.pool, user_id, job_id, &result.url, &result.title, "brave_search", None, None, None, "filtered_cross_phase_dedup", false).await;
                continue;
            }

            // History dedup
            if settings.article_history_days > 0 {
                let hash = hash_article_url(&result.url);
                let exists = db::article_history::check_urls_exist(&state.pool, user_id, std::slice::from_ref(&hash)).await.unwrap_or_default();
                if exists.contains(&hash) {
                    trace_article(&state.pool, user_id, job_id, &result.url, &result.title, "brave_search", None, None, None, "filtered_history", false).await;
                    continue;
                }
            }

            // Source diversity
            if let Some(domain) = extract_domain(&result.url) {
                let count = source_counts.get(&domain).copied().unwrap_or(0);
                if count >= settings.max_articles_per_source as usize {
                    trace_article(&state.pool, user_id, job_id, &result.url, &result.title, "brave_search", None, None, None, "filtered_diversity", false).await;
                    continue;
                }
            }

            seen_urls.insert(url_lower);
            brave_urls.push(result.url.clone());
        }

        // Scrape + classify in batches (same loop as Phase 1)
        if !brave_urls.is_empty() {
            emit_progress(tx, "processing", "Traitement des articles Brave...", 75);
            let total_candidates = brave_urls.len();
            let batch_size = settings.batch_size.max(1) as usize;
            let mut processed = 0usize;
            let mut candidates_iter = brave_urls.into_iter();
            let mut done = false;

            while !done {
                let mut batch: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
                while batch.len() < batch_size {
                    let Some(url) = candidates_iter.next() else { break };
                    batch.push(url);
                }

                if batch.is_empty() { break; }

                let pct = 75 + ((processed as u32 * 15) / total_candidates.max(1) as u32).min(15);
                emit_progress(tx, "processing", &format!("Articles Brave {}-{}/{}...", processed + 1, processed + batch.len(), total_candidates), pct as u8);

                // Scrape batch in parallel
                let mut scrape_set = tokio::task::JoinSet::new();
                for url in &batch {
                    let client = state.http_client.clone();
                    let u = url.clone();
                    let mad = settings.max_age_days as i64;
                    scrape_set.spawn(async move {
                        let result = scrape_single_article(&client, &u, mad).await;
                        (u, result)
                    });
                }

                let mut scraped_articles: Vec<(String, String, String)> = Vec::new(); // (url, body_text, page_title)
                while let Some(join_result) = scrape_set.join_next().await {
                    if let Ok((_url, (body_text, page_title, final_url, drop_reason))) = join_result {
                        if let Some(reason) = drop_reason {
                            trace_article(&state.pool, user_id, job_id, &final_url, &page_title, "brave_search", None, None, None, reason, false).await;
                        } else {
                            scraped_articles.push((final_url, body_text, page_title));
                        }
                    }
                }

                if scraped_articles.is_empty() {
                    processed += batch.len();
                    continue;
                }

                // Classify/summarize in parallel
                check_rate_limit(state, &user_rate_limiter, &provider_name).await?;

                let mut classify_set = tokio::task::JoinSet::new();
                for (final_url, body_text, page_title) in &scraped_articles {
                    let provider_clone = std::sync::Arc::clone(&provider);
                    let model = model_research.clone();
                    let schema = classify_schema.clone();
                    let cats = classification_categories.clone();
                    let body_snippet: String = body_text.chars().take(500).collect();
                    let title = page_title.clone();
                    let url = final_url.clone();
                    let pool = state.pool.clone();
                    let uid = user_id;
                    let jid = job_id;

                    let (class_sys, class_user) = crate::services::prompts::build_article_classify_prompt(&title, &body_snippet, &cats);
                    let sys = class_sys.clone();
                    let usr = class_user.clone();
                    let mdl = model.clone();

                    classify_set.spawn(async move {
                        let llm_start = std::time::Instant::now();
                        let result = provider_clone.call_llm(&mdl, &sys, &usr, &schema).await;
                        let duration = llm_start.elapsed().as_millis() as u64;

                        if let Ok(ref resp) = result {
                            let resp_str = serde_json::to_string_pretty(resp).unwrap_or_default();
                            crate::db::llm_call_log::insert(&pool, uid, jid, "classify_summarize", &mdl, &sys, &usr, &resp_str, duration as i32, Some(&url)).await.ok();
                        }

                        (url, title, result)
                    });
                }

                while let Some(join_result) = classify_set.join_next().await {
                    if let Ok((final_url, page_title, llm_result)) = join_result {
                        let class_response = match llm_result {
                            Ok(resp) => resp,
                            Err(e) => {
                                tracing::warn!(url = %final_url, error = %e, "LLM classify failed, skipping article");
                                continue;
                            }
                        };

                        let llm_title = class_response.get("title").and_then(|t| t.as_str()).unwrap_or(&page_title).to_string();
                        let llm_summary = class_response.get("summary").and_then(|s| s.as_str()).unwrap_or("").to_string();
                        let mut llm_category = class_response.get("category").and_then(|c| c.as_str()).unwrap_or("Autre").to_string();

                        if !classification_categories.iter().any(|c| c.to_lowercase() == llm_category.to_lowercase()) {
                            llm_category = "Autre".to_string();
                        }

                        let cat_key = if llm_category.to_lowercase() == "autre" {
                            "category_autre".to_string()
                        } else {
                            user_categories.iter().position(|c| c.to_lowercase() == llm_category.to_lowercase())
                                .map(|i| format!("category_{}", i))
                                .unwrap_or_else(|| "category_autre".to_string())
                        };

                        let cat_filled = filled_counts.get(&llm_category).copied().unwrap_or(0);
                        let (final_cat_key, final_cat_name) = if cat_filled >= settings.max_items_per_category as usize && llm_category.to_lowercase() != "autre" {
                            let autre_filled = filled_counts.get("Autre").copied().unwrap_or(0);
                            if autre_filled >= settings.max_items_per_category as usize {
                                continue;
                            }
                            ("category_autre".to_string(), "Autre".to_string())
                        } else {
                            (cat_key, llm_category)
                        };

                        article_scraped.entry(final_cat_key).or_default().push(NewsItem {
                            title: llm_title,
                            url: final_url.clone(),
                            summary: llm_summary,
                        });
                        *filled_counts.entry(final_cat_name).or_insert(0) += 1;

                        if let Some(domain) = extract_domain(&final_url) {
                            *source_counts.entry(domain).or_insert(0) += 1;
                        }
                    }
                }

                processed += batch.len();

                let total: usize = article_scraped.values().map(|v| v.len()).sum();
                if total >= max_total {
                    done = true;
                }
            }
        }
    } else {
        // === EXISTING LLM SEARCH PATH (unchanged) ===
        emit_progress(tx, "search", "Recherche d'actualites complementaires...", 70);
        check_rate_limit(state, &user_rate_limiter, &provider_name).await?;

        // ... (keep entire existing LLM search block)
    }
}

Also update the source_type in the final save section (around line 677). Currently it checks if source_url.is_some() { "personalized_source" } else { "web_search" }. This should also handle Brave articles. Since Brave articles won't have a source_url in url_source, they'll correctly get "web_search". To distinguish, we could track them, but the spec says to use "brave_search" — so add Brave URLs to url_source with a sentinel value:

After filtering each Brave URL (after seen_urls.insert(url_lower);), add:

url_source.insert(result.url.clone(), "brave_search".to_string());

Then update the final save source_type logic (around line 677):

let source_type = match url_source.get(&item.url).map(|s| s.as_str()) {
    Some("brave_search") => "brave_search",
    Some(_) => "personalized_source",
    None => "web_search",
};
trace_article(&state.pool, user_id, job_id, &item.url, &item.title,
    source_type,
    if source_type == "personalized_source" { url_source.get(&item.url).map(|s| s.as_str()) } else { None },
    Some(&section.title), Some(synthesis.id), "used", true).await;

• Step 3: Build and test

Run: cd backend && cargo build && cargo test --lib Expected: All pass

• Step 4: Commit

git add backend/src/services/synthesis.rs
git commit -m "feat: add Brave Search Phase 2 pipeline path"

---

Task 5: Frontend — Brave Search section in Settings

Files:

• Modify: frontend/src/pages/Settings.tsx

• Step 1: Add Brave Search section to Settings page

In frontend/src/pages/Settings.tsx, add a new section after the "Advanced extraction" section (after the useLlmSourceLinks checkbox block, around line 487). This section contains:

• A Brave API key input (standalone, not using ApiKeyManager)
• The use_brave_search toggle (disabled unless key is configured)

The section needs to:

1. Check if a Brave key exists (from the apiKeys resource already loaded for ApiKeyManager)
2. Show a key input if not configured, key prefix + delete if configured
3. Show the toggle, disabled if no key

{/* Brave Search */}
<div class="mt-6">
  <h3 class="text-lg font-medium text-gray-900 mb-4">
    {t('settings.braveSearch')}
  </h3>
  <p class="text-sm text-gray-500 mb-4">{t('settings.useBraveSearchHelp')}</p>

  {/* Brave API Key */}
  <div class="mb-4">
    <label class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700 mb-1">
      {t('settings.braveSearchKey')}
    </label>
    <p class="text-xs text-gray-500 mb-2">{t('settings.braveSearchKeyHelp')}</p>
    {/* Key input/display using apiKeysApi directly */}
    {/* Similar to ProviderKeyCard but standalone */}
  </div>

  {/* Toggle */}
  <div class="flex items-center">
    <input
      type="checkbox"
      id="useBraveSearch"
      checked={settings().use_brave_search}
      disabled={!hasBraveKey()}
      onChange={(e) =>
        setSettings((prev) => ({
          ...prev,
          use_brave_search: e.currentTarget.checked,
        }))
      }
      class="h-4 w-4 text-indigo-600 focus:ring-indigo-500 border-gray-300 rounded disabled:opacity-50"
    />
    <label for="useBraveSearch" class="ml-2 block text-sm text-gray-700">
      {t('settings.useBraveSearch')}
    </label>
  </div>
  <Show when={!hasBraveKey()}>
    <p class="text-xs text-amber-600 mt-1">{t('settings.braveSearchNotConfigured')}</p>
  </Show>
</div>

The hasBraveKey() signal checks whether the apiKeys resource contains a key with provider_name === "brave_search".

For the key input, create a minimal inline component with: input field, save button (calls apiKeysApi.create), and when configured: prefix display + delete button (calls apiKeysApi.remove, and if use_brave_search was on, also calls settings save with use_brave_search: false).

• Step 2: TypeScript check

Run: cd frontend && npx tsc --noEmit Expected: No errors

• Step 3: Commit

git add frontend/src/pages/Settings.tsx
git commit -m "feat: add Brave Search section to Settings page"