Engineering
Website reads: connector → script → browser script → computer use
Computer use burned ~213K tokens on a page a browser script read for ~51K.
What hurt
@Michael_Fenech_ compared three ways to extract the same site: computer use (~213K tokens), browser + script (~51K), and plain script (no model tokens during fetch). Scripts also kept full titles that screenshots shortened. He pastes a Chief of Staff rule that tries connector → plain script → browser script → computer use, verifies counts, fails clearly, reuses scripts, and waits for approval before changing bot instructions. Tip + author-quoted prompt. Not affiliated with xAI.
What to install or create
Paste the ladder prompt into Chief of Staff → approve the rule → let recurring jobs stop at the first method that works.
Bots
No new bot. Follow the first-run steps.
Plugins
Browser
Optional
Routines
None on the first run. Watch one manual pass first.
The prompt
Chief of Staff: prefer cheaper website reads
Quoted from @Michael_Fenech_ — as published. Do not invent a second system prompt.
Last line is our approval fence: Never send, post, spend, or buy without my explicit yes.
Help my Bots use less model work when extracting information from websites, without sacrificing accuracy or completeness. Use this order, stopping at the first suitable method that works: 1: A connected app. Use an existing connector if it covers the task and returns the information we need. 2: A plain script. For public data or an authorised official data feed, fetch and process it directly. Return only the information needed for the task. Avoid opening a browser unnecessarily. 3: The browser, read by a script. If the page needs a browser, check whether supported browser scripting can read its contents accurately instead of repeatedly analysing screenshots. 4: Computer use. Use screenshots, scrolling and clicking for the remaining steps that need visual interaction or cannot be completed reliably by the methods above. Apply these rules: Check the result. Verify record counts, required fields and key details against the source. Don't silently shorten, omit or invent information. Fail clearly. If a method fails or returns incomplete or suspicious data, report the problem before trying the next suitable method. Reuse successful scripts. Save tested scripts with instructions and validation checks so recurring jobs don't require rebuilding them. Keep context lean. For repeat jobs, use a routine or a short, fresh chat with the necessary instructions and inputs. Avoid carrying unrelated conversation history into every run. Respect access limits. Use supported access methods. Don't extract protected credentials or bypass sign-ins, CAPTCHAs or bot protection. Stop if human action is required. Report the method. Tell me what you used, why earlier options weren't suitable, and any limitations. Report measured usage where available; label estimates. Propose this rule for the relevant Bots and routines, then wait for my approval before changing their instructions. Never send, post, spend, or buy without my explicit yes.
First run
- 1Read https://x.com/Michael_Fenech_/status/2115421573524148479 (credit @Michael_Fenech_; recirculated https://x.com/Michael_Fenech_/status/2116333581958324410).
- 2Open your Chief of Staff (or the bot that owns recurring website jobs).
- 3Paste the author's website-read ladder prompt in one message.
- 4Review the proposed rule change; approve only after it matches your access limits.
- 5Re-run one known scrape and compare method + usage to the old computer-use path.
Approval fence
Bot proposes the rule and waits for your OK before changing instructions; no credential bypass or CAPTCHA cracking.
What to tweak
Steal the four-step read ladder + measured token proof before defaulting to computer use.
Source
Michael | AI + Agents @Michael_Fenech_ · Original post
Not affiliated with xAI. We did not write this prompt. Third-party template terms still apply.
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