Price Compare
Compare prices for any product across major US retailers, with pros/cons, trust scores, and buy recommendations.
Pattern: Inversion + Pipeline + Reviewer
This skill uses structured questions before searching (Inversion), a multi-step workflow with gates (Pipeline), and a price trust scoring system (Reviewer). Follow the phases in order — do not skip ahead.
Phase 1 — Pre-Search: Gather Requirements (Inversion)
DO NOT start searching until you have answered the questions below.
Required (ask if not clear from the prompt)
- Product: What exactly do they want? (brand, model, size/quantity if relevant)
- Budget: Is there a max price? (filters results before showing)
- Context: Indoor or outdoor use? New or refurbished acceptable? (avoids irrelevant results)
Ask only if relevant
- Timeline: Need it today/this week, or can wait 2-3 weeks?
- Used/refurb OK?: If asking about electronics, clarify new vs. refurbished preference
- Specific retailers?: Any retailer they want to avoid or prefer?
If the user gives enough context (e.g., "best price for Sony WH-1000XM5 under $300"), skip redundant questions and move to Phase 2.
Phase 2 — Execute Search (Pipeline)
Step 1 — Search All Platforms in Parallel
Try web_search first. Run all calls simultaneously:
web_search(query="site:amazon.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:walmart.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:target.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:bestbuy.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:ebay.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:temu.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:costco.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="{product} price comparison site:google.com/shopping", count=5)
Step 1 Fallback — When web_search fails
If web_search returns errors (403/429/503) or empty results, use the browser instead:
browser(action="navigate", url="https://www.google.com/search?q={product}+price+site:amazon.com+OR+site:walmart.com+OR+site:target.com&num=10", profile="openclaw")
browser(action="snapshot", profile="openclaw") // extract prices from results
If browser also fails, fall back to a single web_fetch on Google Shopping:
web_fetch(url="https://www.google.com/shopping?q={product}&hl=en", maxChars=10000)
Step 2 — Fetch Top Results (with Browser Fallback)
For each platform that returned results, attempt web_fetch:
URL patterns:
- Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k={product}&s=price-asc-rank
- Walmart:
https://www.walmart.com/search?q={product}
- Target:
https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm={product}
- Best Buy:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.phtml?st={product}
- eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw={product}&_sop=15
- Temu:
https://www.temu.com/search_result.html?search_key={product}
- Costco:
https://www.costco.com/search?search={product}
- Google Shopping:
https://www.google.com/shopping?q={product}&hl=en
Browser fallback for JS-rendered pages:
If web_fetch returns a bot-check page or empty content for Amazon/Walmart/Target/Temu:
browser(action="navigate", url="<platform URL>", profile="openclaw")
browser(action="act", kind="evaluate", fn="() => { const items = document.querySelectorAll('[data-component-type=\"s-search-result\"]'); return Array.from(items).slice(0,5).map(i => ({ title: i.innerText.substring(0,100), price: i.querySelector('.a-price .a-offscreen, [class*=\"price\"]')?.innerText || 'N/A' })).slice(0,5); }")
Step 3 — Load References
Always load these reference files:
read(path="{skill_dir}/references/platforms.md")
read(path="{skill_dir}/references/trust-checklist.md")
Phase 3 — Price Trust Scoring (Reviewer)
Apply the trust score from trust-checklist.md to every price result. Flag suspicious prices before presenting.
Trust Score Criteria (Reviewer Pattern)
For each platform result, score:
| Signal | Score | Meaning |
|---|
| Official store / first-party seller | ✅ +2 | Authentic, full warranty |
| 4.5+ stars, 500+ reviews | ✅ +1 | Popular, likely real |
| Price history shown (Google Shopping) | ✅ +1 | Can verify if it's a good deal |
| "was $X, now $Y" with X > 30% above market | ⚠️ -2 | Fake discount — X was never real |
| No reviews / <10 reviews | ⚠️ -1 | Hard to verify quality |
| Temu unbranded generic | ⚠️ -1 | Quality not assured |
| Used/refurbished | ℹ️ ±0 | Normal risk, acceptable if disclosed |
| eBay seller <95% rating | ⚠️ -2 | High return/defect risk |
| "Only 2 left!" / countdown timers | 🚩 -1 | Dark pattern, ignore |
| Price < 30% of average market | 🚩 -3 | Almost certainly fake/knockoff |
Trust Score Totals
- +3 to +5: 🟢 Reliable — show prominently
- +1 to +2: 🟡 Acceptable — show with note
- 0 to -1: 🟠 Caution — show only if user OK with risk
- -2 or below: 🔴 Suspicious — skip or warn explicitly
Phase 4 — Price Anomaly Gate (Pipeline)
Before presenting results, check for anomalies:
Gate: If any result is >50% below market average
→ Flag as "⚠️ Suspicious cheap — likely fake/counterfeit. Verify before buying."
Gate: If Temu price is <30% of branded alternatives
→ Add warning: "Temu's low price suggests unbranded/knockoff quality. Compare photos with official listing."
Gate: If price has moved >20% in 30 days (from Google Shopping)
→ Note: "↗ Price up X% in 30 days — not the best time" OR "↓ Price down X% — good time to buy"
Gate: If web_search AND browser both failed for a platform
→ Do NOT fabricate prices. Mark that platform as "❌ Data unavailable — results may be incomplete."
Phase 5 — Output (Generator)
Use this structure every time:
📦 [Product Name]
Quick summary: [1 sentence: best pick + price range]
Trust-scored comparison:
| Platform | Price | Ship | Rating | Trust | Verdict |
|---|
| ... | ... | ... | ... | 🟢/🟡/🟠/🔴 | ... |
Recommended:
🥇 Best overall: [Platform] — $XX — [1 sentence why]
🥈 Runner-up: [Platform] — $XX — [1 sentence why]
♻️ Best used/refurb: [Platform] — $XX — [1 sentence why]
💸 Budget pick: [Platform] — $XX — [1 sentence why]
⚠️ Warnings & gotchas:
- [Any trust score issues, fake discounts, shipping gotchas]
📈 Price trend:
- [From Google Shopping: "↓ Good time — down 20% from 90-day average" OR "↗ Rising — up 15% in 30 days"]
🔗 Direct links:
Output Examples
Example — Basketball
### 📦 Wilson NBA Official Game Ball (Size 7)
**Quick summary:** Best authentic option is DICK'S at $219.99 (11% off); cheapest decent ball is Walmart's Wilson Prestige at $15.94 for outdoor use.
| Platform | Price | Ship | Rating | Trust | Verdict |
|---------|-------|------|--------|-------|---------|
| DICK'S | $219.99 | Free | ⭐ 4.7 (129) | 🟢 | 🔥 Best Price + ⭐ Best Value — 11% off, 90-day returns |
| Wilson.com | $219.95 | Free ($50+) | ⭐ 4.5 (64) | 🟢 | ⚡ Fastest — direct from manufacturer |
| Scheels | $219.95 | — | — | 🟡 | Same price, reliable retailer |
| NBA Store | $249.99 | Free ($50+) | ⭐ 4.6 | 🟢 | ❌ Overpriced — avoid |
| eBay | $190.00 | +$7.95 | varies | 🟠 | ♻️ Bulk deal — verify seller rating 98%+ first |
**⚠️ Warnings & gotchas:**
- The official Wilson game ball is **genuine leather — for indoor use only**. New it is slippery; needs 2-3 weeks of break-in.
- eBay at $190 is suspicious for new — verify authenticity before buying.
- Temu had no relevant results (mostly unbranded generic balls under $10 — 🔴 low quality risk).
**📈 Price trend:** → Stable — typically $220, within normal range for 90 days.
**Recommended:**
🥇 **Best overall:** DICK'S Sporting Goods — $219.99 — matches all-time low, free shipping, 90-day returns.
🥈 **Runner-up:** Wilson.com — $219.95 — direct from maker, 30-day returns.
💸 **Budget outdoor:** Walmart — Wilson Prestige Outdoor — $15.94, pickup today.
Quick Rules
- Trust score every result before showing it. Never present a 🔴 price without a warning.
- Always show total cost (price + shipping). A "cheaper" item with $20 shipping may cost more.
- Parallelize all searches — never run them sequentially unless using fallback.
- Flag fake discounts. "Was $X" where X was never actually sold = -2 trust score.
- No fabricated prices. If a platform's data is unavailable, say so.
- Direct links in every response. Users need to be able to click and buy.
- Platforms: Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, eBay, Temu, Costco, Google Shopping. Add Kroger for groceries.
