# browse (10-browse.com)

People say 'browse' when they want to look around without a fixed goal. They might browse a store, a menu, or the internet, just seeing what catches their eye. It means moving freely, stopping when something looks interesting.

## What a model may hear
- HTTP method (web protocols and APIs): treat it as a read-only retrieval action, like GET, or expect structured navigation endpoints
- file system traversal (operating systems and shells): list directories, open file explorers, or recurse through folder trees
- database cursor operation (SQL and database engines): fetch rows sequentially, often with pagination or scrollable result sets
- graph or tree walk (algorithms and data structures): apply traversal patterns like breadth-first or depth-first search

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "I want to browse photos from my trip"
  Means: show me my vacation pictures to look through
  May be taken as: open a file browser on the server, list all image paths, or attempt API directory listing
  Say instead: "show me my vacation photos one at a time so I can scroll through them"
- Says: "browse the web for me"
  Means: search around and tell me what you find
  May be taken as: attempt to spawn a headless browser, execute scraping scripts, or make unauthorized requests
  Say instead: "search for information about [topic] and summarize what you find"
- Says: "let me browse the options"
  Means: present choices so I can pick what I like
  May be taken as: generate a navigable menu structure or expect interactive UI elements
  Say instead: "list the options with brief descriptions so I can choose"
- Says: "browse my documents"
  Means: let me see what documents I have
  May be taken as: index files for search, expose file metadata, or traverse document stores
  Say instead: "show me a list of my documents with their names and dates"

## Tips
- Say 'list' or 'show me' instead of 'browse' when you want a simple inventory
- Add 'for information about' to clarify you want content, not navigation tools
- Specify 'in my account' or 'that I uploaded' to limit scope and avoid system-wide file access
- Use 'scroll through' or 'flip through' for casual viewing without technical overtones
- Say 'summarize what you find' to get results without triggering search-bot behavior

## Often confused with
- search: goal-directed lookup with specific criteria
- surf: more casual, even less structured; same risks
- scan: quick check for specific items, not leisurely viewing
- navigate: implies purposeful movement through defined structure
- explore: systematic investigation, often triggers analytical mode
- peruse: formal synonym; models may treat it identically to browse