---
name: "ChatGPT Deep Research"
description: "Use ChatGPT's Deep Research feature via browser automation to kick off research tasks, monitor progress, and extract structured results."
version: "1.0.0"
author: "skynet"
category: "dev"
agents: ["claude-code"]
tags: ["chatgpt", "research", "browser-automation", "ai"]
tools_required: ["chrome-mcp"]
---

# ChatGPT Deep Research

# ChatGPT Deep Research

Use ChatGPT's Deep Research feature to conduct thorough research on any topic. Deep Research browses the web extensively and produces a detailed report with sources.

## Prerequisites

- Chrome MCP browser tools available (mcp__claude-in-chrome__*)
- Logged in to chatgpt.com (James's account is pre-authenticated, Pro plan required)

## Step 1: Navigate to Deep Research

```
1. Create a new tab or use existing: mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_create_mcp
2. Navigate to: https://chatgpt.com/deep-research
3. Read page to confirm — look for "Deep research" label and the text input
```

The Deep Research page has:
- A text input with placeholder "Get a detailed report"
- A "Sites" button to scope research to specific sites
- Previous reports listed at the bottom

## Step 2: Submit a Research Query

```
1. Read page with filter: interactive
2. Find the textbox labeled "Chat with ChatGPT" (there are two — use the one with placeholder "Get a detailed report")
3. Use form_input to type your research query
4. Click the "Send prompt" button to submit
```

**Writing effective research queries:**
- Be specific about what you want to learn
- Include scope constraints (time period, geography, industry)
- Ask for comparisons if relevant
- Examples:
  - "Research the top 10 AI agent frameworks in 2025, compare their architectures, community size, and production readiness"
  - "Find all competitors to Lovable.dev for AI-powered app building, their pricing, features, and user reviews"
  - "Research the current state of browser automation tools for AI agents, including MCP-based solutions"

## Step 3: Monitor Progress

Deep Research takes 3-15 minutes. It shows progress as it browses.

```
1. Wait 30 seconds, then read the page
2. Look for progress indicators — it shows sites being visited and thinking steps
3. Do NOT interact with the page while research is running
4. Check every 30-60 seconds until you see the full report
5. The report is complete when you see source citations and a structured response
```

**Important:** Deep Research can take up to 15 minutes. Be patient. Do not refresh or navigate away.



## Browser Automation Tips

### Research Confirmation Step
After submitting a query, ChatGPT shows a research plan with steps and a "Start" button with a countdown timer. The research auto-starts when the timer reaches zero (~50 seconds). To start immediately:
```
1. Wait 2-3 seconds for the plan to appear
2. The "Start" button is NOT a standard button element — use JavaScript:
   document.querySelector('button') matching text "Start" — or just wait for auto-start
3. The countdown is visible next to the Start button (e.g., "Start 50", "Start 24")
```

### Text Input
The chat input is a contentEditable div, not a textarea. Use click + type:
```
1. Click on the input area (the "Get a detailed report" placeholder)
2. Use computer action "type" to enter your query
3. Click the send button (blue circle arrow) — standard click works here
```

### Developer Mode
ChatGPT may show "Developer mode" and "Memory is not used for this chat" on the Deep Research page. This is normal — deep research runs without memory.

## Step 4: Extract the Results

Once the report is complete:

```
1. Use get_page_text to extract the full text content of the report
2. The report includes:
   - Executive summary
   - Detailed findings organized by topic
   - Source citations with URLs
   - Sometimes tables or comparisons
3. Save the report text for further processing
```

## Step 5: Save and Reference

```
1. The research URL will be: chatgpt.com/c/<conversation-id>
2. Save this URL for future reference
3. Previous reports are listed on the Deep Research landing page
4. You can continue the conversation to ask follow-up questions
```

## Using Sites Filter

To scope research to specific websites:

```
1. Before submitting your query, click the "Sites" button
2. Add specific domains to search (e.g., github.com, arxiv.org)
3. This focuses the research on authoritative sources
```

## Retrieving Previous Reports

```
1. Navigate to: https://chatgpt.com/deep-research
2. Scroll down to see the "Reports" section
3. Click on a previous report to view it
4. Use get_page_text to extract the content
```

## Tips

- Deep Research is best for complex, multi-faceted questions that need web browsing
- For simple factual questions, use regular ChatGPT instead
- The feature is rate-limited — Pro plan gets ~10 deep research queries per month
- Results include source URLs which can be verified independently
- You can ask follow-up questions in the same conversation to dig deeper

## Running on Mac Minis

These instructions can also be executed on the Mac Minis (bots, vault, jarvis) using the mac-control MCP server instead of chrome-in-chrome.

### Via mac-control MCP Server (Port 8200)

The mac-control server on each Mac exposes the same GUI automation primitives:

```bash
# Take a screenshot to see the screen
curl -s http://bots.local:8200/tools/screenshot

# Open a URL in Chrome
curl -s http://bots.local:8200/tools/open_url -d '{"url": "https://chatgpt.com"}'

# Click at screen coordinates
curl -s http://bots.local:8200/tools/click -d '{"x": 500, "y": 300}'

# Type text
curl -s http://bots.local:8200/tools/type_text -d '{"text": "Research the latest advances in..."}'

# Press keyboard shortcut
curl -s http://bots.local:8200/tools/key_press -d '{"keys": "return"}'

# Run AppleScript
curl -s http://bots.local:8200/tools/applescript -d '{"script": "tell app \\"Google Chrome\\" to activate"}'

# Find text on screen (OCR)
curl -s http://bots.local:8200/tools/find_on_screen -d '{"text": "Submit"}'
```

### Via Chrome DevTools Protocol (Port 9222)

For direct browser control without GUI coordinates:

```bash
# List open tabs
curl -s http://bots.local:9222/json

# Navigate a tab to a URL
curl -s http://bots.local:9222/json/new?https://chatgpt.com

# Execute JavaScript in a tab (via WebSocket — use a CDP client)
```

### Via SSH + cliclick (Simple Fallback)

```bash
# Open URL
ssh bots 'open https://chatgpt.com'

# Wait for page load
sleep 3

# Screenshot + analyze
ssh bots 'screencapture /tmp/screen.png'
scp bots:/tmp/screen.png ./screen.png

# Click at coordinates
ssh bots '/opt/homebrew/bin/cliclick c:500,300'

# Type text
ssh bots '/opt/homebrew/bin/cliclick t:"Research the latest advances in..."'

# Submit
ssh bots '/opt/homebrew/bin/cliclick kp:return'
```

### Recommended Machine

Use **bots** (192.168.86.50) for browser automation — it has full GUI support, screencapture works, and Chrome with remote debugging is running.