gt-core-skill

Use this skill when the user needs to work with Gumtree in a real Chrome browser session. It runs the local Python CLI and Chrome extension bridge to: - check login state - log in or out - search listings - read home recommendations, favourites, detail pages, and messages - favourite a listing - start the post-ad category flow

Gumtree Skills

Use this skill only for Gumtree tasks that must run in a real browser via this repository's bridge.

When To Use

• The user wants to inspect Gumtree content from a live browser session instead of plain HTTP scraping.
• The user wants to check login state, log in, log out, search listings, open favourites, read a detail page, send a Gumtree message, or start the post-ad flow.
• The user already has or can provide a Gumtree listing URL, keyword, login credentials, message text, or post-ad keyword.

What This Skill Does

• Runs Gumtree actions through uv run python scripts/cli.py ....
• Uses a local WebSocket bridge server plus the Chrome extension in extension/.
• Returns structured JSON from the CLI and should preserve key result fields in the final answer.

Hard Boundaries

• Do not use unofficial alternate Gumtree automation projects or invent nonexistent Gumtree APIs.
• Do not run commands with system python or a random virtualenv; use uv run.
• Do not claim support for features outside the implemented commands.
• Current scope stops at category selection for post-ad; filling and submitting the final ad form is not implemented.

Setup And Environment

Work from the directory that contains SKILL.md, pyproject.toml, uv.lock, scripts/, and extension/.

Prerequisites:

• Python 3.11+
• uv
• Google Chrome

First-time setup:

1. Run uv sync.
2. Open chrome://extensions/.
3. Enable Developer Mode.
4. Load the unpacked extension from extension/.
5. Confirm Gumtree Bridge is enabled.

Runtime notes:

• The CLI automatically checks and starts the local bridge server if needed.
• If the extension is not connected, the CLI may open Chrome and wait for the extension bridge.
• If you see No module named 'websockets', run from this project directory and use uv run after uv sync.

Command Routing

Use these commands exactly from the project root:

• Check login: uv run python scripts/cli.py check-login
• Login: uv run python scripts/cli.py login --username "<email>" --password "<password>"
• Logout: uv run python scripts/cli.py logout
• Search: uv run python scripts/cli.py search --keyword "<keyword>"
• Home recommendations: uv run python scripts/cli.py home-recommend
• Favourites: uv run python scripts/cli.py favourites
• Detail page: uv run python scripts/cli.py detail --url "<detail-url>"
• Favourite detail page: uv run python scripts/cli.py detail-favourite --url "<detail-url>"
• Messages: uv run python scripts/cli.py messages
• Detail message flow: uv run python scripts/cli.py detail-message --url "<detail-url>"
• Post ad category flow: uv run python scripts/cli.py post-ad --keyword "<keyword>"

Installed entrypoint variants are also valid:

• uv run gumtree-skills ...

Search And Filter Rules

For search, add optional flags only when the user asks for filtering or sorting:

• --limit <N>
• --search-location <location>
• --search-category <category>
• --sort relevance|date|price_lowest_first|price_highest_first|distance
• --distance <N>
• --min-price <N>
• --max-price <N>
• --condition as_good_as_new|good|new|fair and repeat when needed
• --seller-type trade|private and repeat when needed
• --mobile-storage-capacity <value>
• --common-for-sale-colour <value>
• --mobile-model-apple <value>

Preserve Gumtree's default search behavior unless the user asks to constrain it.

Feature-Specific Notes

Login State

• check-login should treat page-embedded JS data as the primary source of truth.
• __GUMTREE_ANALYTICS_CONFIG__, initialDataLayer, gumtreeDataLayer, legacy.loggedIn, and window.clientData are stronger signals than DOM text.
• DOM labels such as Manage my Ads, My Orders, Favourites, My Alerts, My Details, Login, and Sign up are only fallbacks.

Authentication

• login uses the page login modal, switches to email login, then submits the email and password.
• Credential arguments appear in shell history; avoid unnecessary repetition in summaries.
• logout uses the user menu and submits logout-form.

Favourites

• favourites opens https://www.gumtree.com/my-account/favourites.
• The extractor prefers window.clientData.favouriteAds.adverts.
• If the user is not logged in, Gumtree may redirect to login or return empty results.

Detail Favourite

• detail-favourite requires a logged-in session.
• It checks favourite state before and after clicking and may return flags such as already_favourited or just_favourited.

Messages

• messages opens https://www.gumtree.com/manage/messages.
• Add --conversation-id "<id>" to target a specific conversation.
• Add --message "<text>" to send a message in the current or selected conversation.
• detail-message first enters messaging from the listing detail page, then reads or sends messages.
• messages and detail-message both require a logged-in session.

Post Ad

• post-ad calls Gumtree's category suggestion API with the provided keyword.
• With only --keyword, it returns suggested categories for user confirmation.
• Add --category-name "<name>" for fuzzy name matching.
• Add --category-index <index> to pick a suggestion directly.
• After category selection it navigates to /postad/create?categoryId=<id>.

Response Handling

• The CLI prints JSON and exits with 0 on success or 2 on failure.
• Keep the JSON structure intact when possible and summarize only the most important fields.
• If a command fails, report the CLI error instead of fabricating results.

Known Limitations

• No session import mode.
• No official Gumtree API mode.
• No favourite sync or general favourite management beyond detail-favourite.
• post-ad stops after category selection and redirect.
• All content extraction depends on the live browser DOM and embedded page data, so site changes may require script updates.