docs(skill): give probe-hover a decidable trigger condition

The previous wording asked the agent to notice when a page "looks like"
it hides content behind hover. That is not something an agent reading a
text tree can judge: hover-only content is invisible by definition, and
the marker that used to point at it came from the probing that is now off
by default.

Replaces it with a condition the agent can actually evaluate — an
expected control is missing and no [has-submenu] marker points at a
trigger — and places it on the escalation ladder ahead of get-html and
screenshot, which is where that dead end is currently reached.

Also documents [has-submenu]/[expanded] as the primary hover signal. It
comes from aria-haspopup in the accessibility tree, costs nothing, and is
unaffected by probing being off, so it covers menus that are marked up
correctly.

.github/workflows/release-extension.yml

@@ -325,3 +325,180 @@ jobs:
 
           echo "Chrome Web Store submission created successfully:"
           jq '{itemId, state, warningInfo}' "$PUBLISH_RESPONSE"
+
+  publish-edge-addons:
+    needs: [resolve, build-extension]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    environment: edge-addons
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    steps:
+      - name: Download build artifact
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
+        with:
+          name: extension-zip
+          path: dist
+
+      - name: Validate Microsoft Edge Add-ons configuration
+        shell: bash
+        env:
+          API_KEY: ${{ secrets.EDGE_ADDONS_API_KEY }}
+          CLIENT_ID: ${{ vars.EDGE_ADDONS_CLIENT_ID }}
+          PRODUCT_ID: ${{ vars.EDGE_ADDONS_PRODUCT_ID }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ -z "$API_KEY" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Environment secret EDGE_ADDONS_API_KEY is not configured"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          if [ -z "$CLIENT_ID" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Environment variable EDGE_ADDONS_CLIENT_ID is not configured"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          if [ -z "$PRODUCT_ID" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Environment variable EDGE_ADDONS_PRODUCT_ID is not configured"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          if ! [[ "$PRODUCT_ID" =~ ^[0-9a-fA-F]{8}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-[0-9a-fA-F]{12}$ ]]; then
+            echo "::error::EDGE_ADDONS_PRODUCT_ID must be the Partner Center product GUID, not the public Edge Add-ons extension ID"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          ARCHIVE="$(find dist -maxdepth 1 -name '*.zip' -type f -print -quit)"
+          if [ -z "$ARCHIVE" ]; then
+            echo "::error::No extension zip found in the downloaded artifact"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "ARCHIVE=$ARCHIVE" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
+      - name: Upload and publish Microsoft Edge Add-ons extension
+        shell: bash
+        env:
+          API_KEY: ${{ secrets.EDGE_ADDONS_API_KEY }}
+          CLIENT_ID: ${{ vars.EDGE_ADDONS_CLIENT_ID }}
+          PRODUCT_ID: ${{ vars.EDGE_ADDONS_PRODUCT_ID }}
+          RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ needs.resolve.outputs.version }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          API_ROOT="https://api.addons.microsoftedge.microsoft.com/v1"
+          UPLOAD_HEADERS="$RUNNER_TEMP/edge-upload-headers.txt"
+          UPLOAD_RESPONSE="$RUNNER_TEMP/edge-upload-response.json"
+          STATUS_RESPONSE="$RUNNER_TEMP/edge-status-response.json"
+          PUBLISH_HEADERS="$RUNNER_TEMP/edge-publish-headers.txt"
+          PUBLISH_RESPONSE="$RUNNER_TEMP/edge-publish-response.json"
+
+          operation_id_from_headers() {
+            local headers="$1"
+            local location
+            location="$(awk '
+              tolower($1) == "location:" {
+                sub(/\r$/, "")
+                sub(/^[^:]*:[[:space:]]*/, "")
+                print
+                exit
+              }
+            ' "$headers")"
+            location="${location%%\?*}"
+            printf '%s' "${location##*/}"
+          }
+
+          poll_operation() {
+            local operation_name="$1"
+            local status_url="$2"
+            local status="InProgress"
+            local http_status
+
+            for attempt in $(seq 1 30); do
+              sleep 5
+              http_status="$(curl --silent --show-error \
+                --output "$STATUS_RESPONSE" \
+                --write-out '%{http_code}' \
+                --header "Authorization: ApiKey $API_KEY" \
+                --header "X-ClientID: $CLIENT_ID" \
+                "$status_url")"
+              if [ "$http_status" -lt 200 ] || [ "$http_status" -ge 300 ]; then
+                echo "::error::Microsoft Edge Add-ons $operation_name status check failed with HTTP $http_status"
+                jq . "$STATUS_RESPONSE" || cat "$STATUS_RESPONSE"
+                exit 1
+              fi
+
+              status="$(jq -r '.status // empty' "$STATUS_RESPONSE")"
+              echo "$operation_name status check $attempt/30: $status"
+              case "$status" in
+                Succeeded)
+                  return 0
+                  ;;
+                InProgress)
+                  ;;
+                Failed)
+                  echo "::error::Microsoft Edge Add-ons $operation_name failed"
+                  jq . "$STATUS_RESPONSE"
+                  exit 1
+                  ;;
+                *)
+                  echo "::error::Microsoft Edge Add-ons returned an unknown $operation_name status: $status"
+                  jq . "$STATUS_RESPONSE"
+                  exit 1
+                  ;;
+              esac
+            done
+
+            echo "::error::Microsoft Edge Add-ons $operation_name did not complete after 30 checks"
+            jq . "$STATUS_RESPONSE"
+            exit 1
+          }
+
+          HTTP_STATUS="$(curl --silent --show-error \
+            --output "$UPLOAD_RESPONSE" \
+            --dump-header "$UPLOAD_HEADERS" \
+            --write-out '%{http_code}' \
+            --request POST \
+            --header "Authorization: ApiKey $API_KEY" \
+            --header "X-ClientID: $CLIENT_ID" \
+            --header "Content-Type: application/zip" \
+            --data-binary "@$ARCHIVE" \
+            "$API_ROOT/products/$PRODUCT_ID/submissions/draft/package")"
+          if [ "$HTTP_STATUS" != "202" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Microsoft Edge Add-ons upload failed with HTTP $HTTP_STATUS"
+            jq . "$UPLOAD_RESPONSE" || cat "$UPLOAD_RESPONSE"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          UPLOAD_OPERATION_ID="$(operation_id_from_headers "$UPLOAD_HEADERS")"
+          if [ -z "$UPLOAD_OPERATION_ID" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Microsoft Edge Add-ons upload response has no Location operation ID"
+            cat "$UPLOAD_HEADERS"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          poll_operation \
+            "package upload" \
+            "$API_ROOT/products/$PRODUCT_ID/submissions/draft/package/operations/$UPLOAD_OPERATION_ID"
+
+          HTTP_STATUS="$(curl --silent --show-error \
+            --output "$PUBLISH_RESPONSE" \
+            --dump-header "$PUBLISH_HEADERS" \
+            --write-out '%{http_code}' \
+            --request POST \
+            --header "Authorization: ApiKey $API_KEY" \
+            --header "X-ClientID: $CLIENT_ID" \
+            --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
+            --data "{\"notes\":\"Automated BrowserSkill extension v${RELEASE_VERSION} release from GitHub Actions.\"}" \
+            "$API_ROOT/products/$PRODUCT_ID/submissions")"
+          if [ "$HTTP_STATUS" != "202" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Microsoft Edge Add-ons publish failed with HTTP $HTTP_STATUS"
+            jq . "$PUBLISH_RESPONSE" || cat "$PUBLISH_RESPONSE"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          PUBLISH_OPERATION_ID="$(operation_id_from_headers "$PUBLISH_HEADERS")"
+          if [ -z "$PUBLISH_OPERATION_ID" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Microsoft Edge Add-ons publish response has no Location operation ID"
+            cat "$PUBLISH_HEADERS"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          poll_operation \
+            "submission" \
+            "$API_ROOT/products/$PRODUCT_ID/submissions/operations/$PUBLISH_OPERATION_ID"
+
+          echo "Microsoft Edge Add-ons submission created successfully:"
+          jq '{status, message, errorCode, errors}' "$STATUS_RESPONSE"

apps/extension/src/entrypoints/popup/App.test.tsx

@@ -247,6 +247,41 @@ describe("App", () => {
     expect(copyButton.getAttribute("disabled")).not.toBeNull();
     expect(screen.getByText("连接后可用")).toBeTruthy();
   });
+
+  it("treats protocol drift as still connected and prompts an upgrade", async () => {
+    mockUseConnectionState.mockReturnValue({
+      snapshot: {
+        ...baseSnapshot,
+        state: "version_skew",
+        instanceId: "03c3e47f",
+        handshake: {
+          server: "bh",
+          version: mockDaemonVersion,
+          protocol_version: "1.0",
+        },
+      },
+      statusState: "version_skew",
+      setLabel,
+      setConnectionEnabled,
+    });
+
+    render(<App />);
+
+    expect(screen.getByText("已连接")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByText("可升级")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("协议不一致")).toBeNull();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Action needed")).toBeNull();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("兼容")).toBeNull();
+    const warning = screen.getByText(/协议版本不同，请及时升级/);
+    expect(warning.textContent).toContain("CLI 协议");
+    expect(warning.textContent).toContain("扩展协议");
+
+    openRecordView();
+    const copyButton = screen.getByRole("button", { name: "复制录制指令" });
+    expect(copyButton.getAttribute("disabled")).toBeNull();
+    fireEvent.click(copyButton);
+    expect(navigator.clipboard.writeText).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("control hints toggle", () => {

apps/extension/src/entrypoints/popup/App.tsx

@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ export function App() {
   }, [copiedTick]);
 
   const isSkewed = statusState === "version_skew";
+  const connectionLive = statusState === "connected" || isSkewed;
   const daemonVersion = snapshot.handshake?.version ?? "—";
   const daemonProtocol = snapshot.handshake?.protocol_version ?? "—";
   const extensionVersion = snapshot.extensionVersion || "—";
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ export function App() {
     setCopiedInstanceId(true);
   };
 
-  const recordReady = statusState === "connected" && Boolean(snapshot.instanceId);
+  const recordReady = connectionLive && Boolean(snapshot.instanceId);
   const recordPurpose = purposeDraft.trim();
   const recordStartUrl = startUrlDraft.trim();
   const recordCommand = snapshot.instanceId
@@ -206,12 +207,12 @@ export function App() {
             </div>
             {isSkewed && (
               <p
-                className="mt-2 text-xs leading-snug text-amber-600 dark:text-amber-400"
+                className="mt-2 text-xs leading-snug text-muted-foreground"
                 data-slot="popup-version-skew-warning"
               >
                 {t("popup.versionSkewWarning", {
                   extensionProtocol: PROTOCOL_VERSION,
-                  daemonProtocol,
+                  cliProtocol: daemonProtocol,
                 })}
               </p>
             )}

apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/observation.test.ts

@@ -1904,36 +1904,41 @@ describe("buildVomScene", () => {
         backendDOMNodeId: 20,
       },
     ];
-    const scene = buildVomScene(axNodes, {
-      viewport: { width: 1000, height: 800 },
-      iframeNodes: new Map(),
-      excludedBackendNodeIds: new Set(),
-      surfaceProbes: [
-        { triggerBackendNodeId: 20, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["Shoes", "Bags"] },
-      ],
-      nodes: [
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 10,
-          parentBackendNodeId: null,
-          tag: "body",
-          attrs: {},
-          rect: { x: 0, y: 0, w: 1000, h: 800 },
-          paintOrder: 0,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-        },
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 20,
-          parentBackendNodeId: 10,
-          tag: "button",
-          attrs: {},
-          rect: { x: 20, y: 20, w: 120, h: 40 },
-          paintOrder: 1,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-        },
-      ],
-    });
+    const scene = buildVomScene(
+      axNodes,
+      {
+        viewport: { width: 1000, height: 800 },
+        iframeNodes: new Map(),
+        excludedBackendNodeIds: new Set(),
+        nodes: [
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 10,
+            parentBackendNodeId: null,
+            tag: "body",
+            attrs: {},
+            rect: { x: 0, y: 0, w: 1000, h: 800 },
+            paintOrder: 0,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+          },
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 20,
+            parentBackendNodeId: 10,
+            tag: "button",
+            attrs: {},
+            rect: { x: 20, y: 20, w: 120, h: 40 },
+            paintOrder: 1,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+      {
+        surfaceProbes: [
+          { triggerBackendNodeId: 20, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["Shoes", "Bags"] },
+        ],
+      },
+    );
 
     expect(scene.surfaces).toEqual([
       { triggerId: 20, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["Shoes", "Bags"] },
@@ -1957,46 +1962,51 @@ describe("buildVomScene", () => {
         backendDOMNodeId: 21,
       },
     ];
-    const scene = buildVomScene(axNodes, {
-      viewport: { width: 1000, height: 800 },
-      iframeNodes: new Map(),
-      excludedBackendNodeIds: new Set(),
-      surfaceProbes: [
-        { triggerBackendNodeId: 20, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["My profile"] },
-      ],
-      nodes: [
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 10,
-          parentBackendNodeId: null,
-          tag: "body",
-          attrs: {},
-          rect: { x: 0, y: 0, w: 1000, h: 800 },
-          paintOrder: 0,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-        },
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 20,
-          parentBackendNodeId: 10,
-          tag: "div",
-          attrs: { class: "tg-avatar" },
-          rect: { x: 900, y: 10, w: 30, h: 30 },
-          paintOrder: 1,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-        },
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 21,
-          parentBackendNodeId: 20,
-          tag: "div",
-          attrs: { class: "tg-avatar__inner" },
-          rect: { x: 902, y: 12, w: 26, h: 26 },
-          paintOrder: 2,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-        },
-      ],
-    });
+    const scene = buildVomScene(
+      axNodes,
+      {
+        viewport: { width: 1000, height: 800 },
+        iframeNodes: new Map(),
+        excludedBackendNodeIds: new Set(),
+        nodes: [
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 10,
+            parentBackendNodeId: null,
+            tag: "body",
+            attrs: {},
+            rect: { x: 0, y: 0, w: 1000, h: 800 },
+            paintOrder: 0,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+          },
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 20,
+            parentBackendNodeId: 10,
+            tag: "div",
+            attrs: { class: "tg-avatar" },
+            rect: { x: 900, y: 10, w: 30, h: 30 },
+            paintOrder: 1,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+          },
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 21,
+            parentBackendNodeId: 20,
+            tag: "div",
+            attrs: { class: "tg-avatar__inner" },
+            rect: { x: 902, y: 12, w: 26, h: 26 },
+            paintOrder: 2,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+      {
+        surfaceProbes: [
+          { triggerBackendNodeId: 20, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["My profile"] },
+        ],
+      },
+    );
 
     expect(renderVom(scene).text).toContain('@e1 button "image" [hover first: My profile]');
   });
@@ -2017,48 +2027,53 @@ describe("buildVomScene", () => {
         backendDOMNodeId: 21,
       },
     ];
-    const scene = buildVomScene(axNodes, {
-      viewport: { width: 1000, height: 800 },
-      iframeNodes: new Map(),
-      excludedBackendNodeIds: new Set(),
-      surfaceProbes: [
-        { triggerBackendNodeId: 20, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["My profile"] },
-        { triggerBackendNodeId: 20, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["Sign out"] },
-        { triggerBackendNodeId: 21, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["Settings"] },
-      ],
-      nodes: [
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 10,
-          parentBackendNodeId: null,
-          tag: "body",
-          attrs: {},
-          rect: { x: 0, y: 0, w: 1000, h: 800 },
-          paintOrder: 0,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-        },
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 20,
-          parentBackendNodeId: 10,
-          tag: "div",
-          attrs: { class: "tg-avatar" },
-          rect: { x: 900, y: 10, w: 30, h: 30 },
-          paintOrder: 1,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-        },
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 21,
-          parentBackendNodeId: 20,
-          tag: "div",
-          attrs: { class: "tg-avatar__inner" },
-          rect: { x: 902, y: 12, w: 26, h: 26 },
-          paintOrder: 2,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-        },
-      ],
-    });
+    const scene = buildVomScene(
+      axNodes,
+      {
+        viewport: { width: 1000, height: 800 },
+        iframeNodes: new Map(),
+        excludedBackendNodeIds: new Set(),
+        nodes: [
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 10,
+            parentBackendNodeId: null,
+            tag: "body",
+            attrs: {},
+            rect: { x: 0, y: 0, w: 1000, h: 800 },
+            paintOrder: 0,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+          },
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 20,
+            parentBackendNodeId: 10,
+            tag: "div",
+            attrs: { class: "tg-avatar" },
+            rect: { x: 900, y: 10, w: 30, h: 30 },
+            paintOrder: 1,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+          },
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 21,
+            parentBackendNodeId: 20,
+            tag: "div",
+            attrs: { class: "tg-avatar__inner" },
+            rect: { x: 902, y: 12, w: 26, h: 26 },
+            paintOrder: 2,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+      {
+        surfaceProbes: [
+          { triggerBackendNodeId: 20, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["My profile"] },
+          { triggerBackendNodeId: 20, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["Sign out"] },
+          { triggerBackendNodeId: 21, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["Settings"] },
+        ],
+      },
+    );
 
     expect(scene.surfaces).toEqual([
       { triggerId: 21, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["My profile"] },
@@ -2081,54 +2096,59 @@ describe("buildVomScene", () => {
         backendDOMNodeId: 21,
       },
     ];
-    const scene = buildVomScene(axNodes, {
-      viewport: { width: 1000, height: 800 },
-      iframeNodes: new Map(),
-      excludedBackendNodeIds: new Set(),
-      surfaceProbes: [
-        {
-          triggerBackendNodeId: 20,
-          triggerPoint: { x: 915, y: 25 },
-          triggerAction: "hover",
-          subItems: ["My profile", "Sign out"],
-        },
-      ],
-      nodes: [
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 10,
-          parentBackendNodeId: null,
-          tag: "body",
-          attrs: {},
-          rect: { x: 0, y: 0, w: 1000, h: 800 },
-          paintOrder: 0,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-          cursor: "auto",
-        },
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 20,
-          parentBackendNodeId: 10,
-          tag: "div",
-          attrs: { class: "tg-avatar" },
-          rect: { x: 900, y: 10, w: 30, h: 30 },
-          paintOrder: 1,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-          cursor: "pointer",
-        },
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 21,
-          parentBackendNodeId: 20,
-          tag: "div",
-          attrs: { class: "tg-avatar__inner" },
-          rect: { x: 902, y: 12, w: 26, h: 26 },
-          paintOrder: 2,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-          cursor: "pointer",
-        },
-      ],
-    });
+    const scene = buildVomScene(
+      axNodes,
+      {
+        viewport: { width: 1000, height: 800 },
+        iframeNodes: new Map(),
+        excludedBackendNodeIds: new Set(),
+        nodes: [
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 10,
+            parentBackendNodeId: null,
+            tag: "body",
+            attrs: {},
+            rect: { x: 0, y: 0, w: 1000, h: 800 },
+            paintOrder: 0,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+            cursor: "auto",
+          },
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 20,
+            parentBackendNodeId: 10,
+            tag: "div",
+            attrs: { class: "tg-avatar" },
+            rect: { x: 900, y: 10, w: 30, h: 30 },
+            paintOrder: 1,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+            cursor: "pointer",
+          },
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 21,
+            parentBackendNodeId: 20,
+            tag: "div",
+            attrs: { class: "tg-avatar__inner" },
+            rect: { x: 902, y: 12, w: 26, h: 26 },
+            paintOrder: 2,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+            cursor: "pointer",
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+      {
+        surfaceProbes: [
+          {
+            triggerBackendNodeId: 20,
+            triggerPoint: { x: 915, y: 25 },
+            triggerAction: "hover",
+            subItems: ["My profile", "Sign out"],
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    );
 
     expect(scene.surfaces).toEqual([
       { triggerId: 20, triggerAction: "hover", subItems: ["My profile", "Sign out"] },
@@ -2154,41 +2174,46 @@ describe("buildVomScene", () => {
         backendDOMNodeId: 42,
       },
     ];
-    const scene = buildVomScene(axNodes, {
-      viewport: { width: 1000, height: 800 },
-      iframeNodes: new Map(),
-      excludedBackendNodeIds: new Set(),
-      surfaceProbes: [
-        {
-          triggerBackendNodeId: 999,
-          triggerPoint: { x: 900, y: 20 },
-          triggerAction: "hover",
-          subItems: ["My profile"],
-        },
-      ],
-      nodes: [
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 10,
-          parentBackendNodeId: null,
-          tag: "body",
-          attrs: {},
-          rect: { x: 0, y: 0, w: 1000, h: 800 },
-          paintOrder: 0,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-        },
-        {
-          backendNodeId: 42,
-          parentBackendNodeId: 10,
-          tag: "a",
-          attrs: {},
-          rect: { x: 860, y: 120, w: 40, h: 30 },
-          paintOrder: 1,
-          position: "static",
-          pointerEvents: "auto",
-        },
-      ],
-    });
+    const scene = buildVomScene(
+      axNodes,
+      {
+        viewport: { width: 1000, height: 800 },
+        iframeNodes: new Map(),
+        excludedBackendNodeIds: new Set(),
+        nodes: [
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 10,
+            parentBackendNodeId: null,
+            tag: "body",
+            attrs: {},
+            rect: { x: 0, y: 0, w: 1000, h: 800 },
+            paintOrder: 0,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+          },
+          {
+            backendNodeId: 42,
+            parentBackendNodeId: 10,
+            tag: "a",
+            attrs: {},
+            rect: { x: 860, y: 120, w: 40, h: 30 },
+            paintOrder: 1,
+            position: "static",
+            pointerEvents: "auto",
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+      {
+        surfaceProbes: [
+          {
+            triggerBackendNodeId: 999,
+            triggerPoint: { x: 900, y: 20 },
+            triggerAction: "hover",
+            subItems: ["My profile"],
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    );
 
     expect(scene.surfaces).toBeUndefined();
     expect(renderVom(scene).text).not.toContain("[hover first:");
@@ -2606,7 +2631,106 @@ describe("handleSnapshot", () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it("enables conditional surface probing for semantic observe", async () => {
+  it("hovers the page only after the accessibility tree has been captured", async () => {
+    // Hovering can open menus and reflow the page. Probing between the DOM and
+    // AX captures would leave the two halves of one observation describing the
+    // page on either side of that change.
+    const sm = new SessionManager({ agentWindow: fakeAgentWindow([100]) });
+    await sm.start("aa11");
+    const root: CdpAxNode = {
+      nodeId: "1",
+      role: { type: "role", value: "RootWebArea" },
+      name: { type: "computedString", value: "Example" },
+      backendDOMNodeId: 100,
+      childIds: ["2"],
+    };
+    const button: CdpAxNode = {
+      nodeId: "2",
+      parentId: "1",
+      role: { type: "role", value: "button" },
+      name: { type: "computedString", value: "Products" },
+      backendDOMNodeId: 200,
+    };
+    const strings = ["body", "button", "position", "static", "pointer-events", "auto", "cursor"];
+    const i = (s: string) => strings.indexOf(s);
+    const methodOrder: string[] = [];
+    const send = vi.fn(async (_tabId: number, method: string, params?: object) => {
+      methodOrder.push(method);
+      if (method === "Accessibility.enable") return {};
+      if (method === "Accessibility.getFullAXTree") return { nodes: [root, button] };
+      if (method === "Page.getLayoutMetrics") {
+        return { cssLayoutViewport: { clientWidth: 1000, clientHeight: 800, pageX: 0, pageY: 0 } };
+      }
+      if (method === "DOMSnapshot.enable") return {};
+      if (method === "DOMSnapshot.captureSnapshot") {
+        return {
+          strings,
+          documents: [
+            {
+              nodes: {
+                parentIndex: [-1, 0],
+                nodeName: [i("body"), i("button")],
+                backendNodeId: [100, 200],
+                attributes: [[], []],
+              },
+              layout: {
+                nodeIndex: [0, 1],
+                styles: [
+                  [i("static"), i("auto"), i("auto")],
+                  [i("static"), i("auto"), i("auto")],
+                ],
+                bounds: [
+                  [0, 0, 1000, 800],
+                  [20, 20, 120, 40],
+                ],
+                paintOrders: [0, 1],
+              },
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+      }
+      if (method === "Input.dispatchMouseEvent") return {};
+      if (method === "Runtime.evaluate") {
+        const expression = (params as { expression?: string } | undefined)?.expression ?? "";
+        // Report the button as a `:hover` rule target so a real hover fires.
+        if (expression.includes("document.styleSheets")) {
+          return { result: { value: [{ x: 80, y: 40 }] } };
+        }
+        return { result: { value: [] } };
+      }
+      throw new Error(`unexpected CDP method ${method}`);
+    });
+
+    const res = await handleObserve(
+      sm,
+      { session_id: "aa11", probe_hover: true },
+      {
+        cdp: {
+          send: send as unknown as <T = unknown>(
+            tabId: number,
+            method: string,
+            params?: object,
+          ) => Promise<T>,
+          trackSessionTab: vi.fn(),
+        },
+        tabsApi: {
+          get: vi.fn(
+            async (tabId: number) =>
+              ({ id: tabId, windowId: 100, active: true }) as chrome.tabs.Tab,
+          ),
+          query: vi.fn(async () => [{ id: 4, windowId: 100, active: true } as chrome.tabs.Tab]),
+        },
+      },
+    );
+
+    if ("code" in res) throw new Error(`unexpected error: ${JSON.stringify(res)}`);
+    const firstHover = methodOrder.indexOf("Input.dispatchMouseEvent");
+    expect(firstHover).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(methodOrder.lastIndexOf("DOMSnapshot.captureSnapshot")).toBeLessThan(firstHover);
+    expect(methodOrder.lastIndexOf("Accessibility.getFullAXTree")).toBeLessThan(firstHover);
+  });
+
+  it("runs conditional surface probing only when observe opts in", async () => {
     const sm = new SessionManager({ agentWindow: fakeAgentWindow([100]) });
     await sm.start("aa11");
     const root: CdpAxNode = {
@@ -2662,30 +2786,46 @@ describe("handleSnapshot", () => {
       if (method === "Runtime.evaluate") return { result: { value: [] } };
       throw new Error(`unexpected CDP method ${method}`);
     });
-    const res = await handleObserve(
+    const deps = {
+      cdp: {
+        send: send as unknown as <T = unknown>(
+          tabId: number,
+          method: string,
+          params?: object,
+        ) => Promise<T>,
+        trackSessionTab: vi.fn(),
+      },
+      tabsApi: {
+        get: vi.fn(
+          async (tabId: number) => ({ id: tabId, windowId: 100, active: true }) as chrome.tabs.Tab,
+        ),
+        query: vi.fn(async () => [{ id: 4, windowId: 100, active: true } as chrome.tabs.Tab]),
+      },
+    };
+
+    const withoutProbe = await handleObserve(
       sm,
       { session_id: "aa11", debug_surfaces: true },
-      {
-        cdp: {
-          send: send as unknown as <T = unknown>(
-            tabId: number,
-            method: string,
-            params?: object,
-          ) => Promise<T>,
-          trackSessionTab: vi.fn(),
-        },
-        tabsApi: {
-          get: vi.fn(
-            async (tabId: number) =>
-              ({ id: tabId, windowId: 100, active: true }) as chrome.tabs.Tab,
-          ),
-          query: vi.fn(async () => [{ id: 4, windowId: 100, active: true } as chrome.tabs.Tab]),
-        },
-      },
+      deps,
+    );
+    if ("code" in withoutProbe) {
+      throw new Error(`unexpected error: ${JSON.stringify(withoutProbe)}`);
+    }
+    expect(withoutProbe.hover_probe).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(send).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      4,
+      "Runtime.evaluate",
+      expect.objectContaining({ returnByValue: true }),
     );
 
-    if ("code" in res) throw new Error(`unexpected error: ${JSON.stringify(res)}`);
-    expect(res.debug).toEqual({ surface_probes: [] });
+    const withProbe = await handleObserve(
+      sm,
+      { session_id: "aa11", debug_surfaces: true, probe_hover: true },
+      deps,
+    );
+    if ("code" in withProbe) throw new Error(`unexpected error: ${JSON.stringify(withProbe)}`);
+    expect(withProbe.debug).toEqual({ surface_probes: [] });
+    expect(withProbe.hover_probe).toEqual({ performed: true, revealed_content: false });
     expect(send).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       4,
       "Runtime.evaluate",

apps/extension/src/tools/dispatcher.ts

@@ -383,7 +383,11 @@ export class ToolDispatcher {
                 ? {
                     cdp: this.cdp,
                     tabsApi: chromeTabsCaptureApi,
-                    conditionalSurfaceProbe: !this.hasHoverLatchForScope(hoverScope),
+                    // Active hover probing is opt-in. A held hover latch still
+                    // suppresses it, because probing would move the cursor off
+                    // the element the caller is deliberately holding.
+                    conditionalSurfaceProbe:
+                      params.probe_hover === true && !this.hasHoverLatchForScope(hoverScope),
                     hoverProbeBypassOverlay: bypassOverlay,
                   }
                 : undefined,

apps/extension/src/tools/observation.ts

@@ -49,11 +49,14 @@ import {
 import { resolveSnapshotRef } from "./snapshot-ref";
 import {
   type CapturedNode,
+  type CapturedSurfaceProbe,
   type CapturedViewModel,
   captureViewModel,
   collectOverlayExcludedBackendIds,
+  probeHoverSurfaces,
 } from "./vom/capture";
 import { type CapturedFrameDocument, captureFrameData } from "./vom/frame-capture";
+import { withOverlayBypass } from "./vom/hover-perception";
 import { probeTooltipNames } from "./vom/name-enrichment";
 import {
   type CaptureVomObservationResult,
@@ -525,8 +528,11 @@ function buildActiveScopeBlocks(nodes: VomNode[], signals: VomNodeDomSignals): A
   return blocks;
 }
 
-function buildConditionalSurfaces(nodes: VomNode[], captured: CapturedViewModel): CondSurface[] {
-  const probes = captured.surfaceProbes ?? [];
+function buildConditionalSurfaces(
+  nodes: VomNode[],
+  captured: CapturedViewModel,
+  probes: CapturedSurfaceProbe[],
+): CondSurface[] {
   if (probes.length === 0) return [];
 
   const surfaces: CondSurface[] = [];
@@ -649,6 +655,7 @@ function findSurfaceNodeByPoint(
 export interface BuildVomSceneOptions {
   pageUrl?: string;
   supplementalNames?: ReadonlyMap<string, string>;
+  surfaceProbes?: CapturedSurfaceProbe[];
 }
 
 export type VomFrameDocument = CapturedFrameDocument<CdpAxNode>;
@@ -817,18 +824,19 @@ export function buildFrameVomScene(
     excludedBackendNodeIds: captured.excludedBackendNodeIds,
     supplementalNames: options.supplementalNames,
   });
-  return attachCapturedSceneAnnotations(scene, documents, captured);
+  return attachCapturedSceneAnnotations(scene, documents, captured, options.surfaceProbes ?? []);
 }
 
 function attachCapturedSceneAnnotations(
   scene: VomScene,
   documents: VomFrameDocument[],
   captured: CapturedViewModel,
+  surfaceProbes: CapturedSurfaceProbe[],
 ): VomScene {
   const rootDocument = documents.find((document) => document.frameId === scene.rootFrameId);
   const signals = capturedOnlySignals(rootDocument?.domNodes ?? captured.nodes);
   const activeScopeBlocks = buildActiveScopeBlocks(scene.nodes, signals);
-  const surfaces = buildConditionalSurfaces(scene.nodes, captured);
+  const surfaces = buildConditionalSurfaces(scene.nodes, captured, surfaceProbes);
   return {
     ...scene,
     ...(surfaces.length > 0 ? { surfaces } : {}),
@@ -1010,17 +1018,69 @@ async function captureForVom(
   options: CaptureVomObservationOptions,
 ): Promise<CapturedViewModel> {
   try {
-    return await captureViewModel(cdp, tabId, {
-      conditionalSurfaceProbe: options.conditionalSurfaceProbe ?? false,
-      hoverProbeBypassOverlay: options.hoverProbeBypassOverlay,
-      signal: options.signal,
-    });
+    return await captureViewModel(cdp, tabId, { signal: options.signal });
   } catch (error) {
     if (isAbortError(error)) throw error;
     return fallbackCapturedViewModel(cdp, tabId, options.signal);
   }
 }
 
+export interface HoverProbeOutcome {
+  /** Whether any active hover was dispatched during this observation. */
+  performed: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Whether hovering surfaced content absent from the static snapshot. Cached
+   * tooltip names count, so this may over-report on repeat observations — it
+   * errs towards telling the caller the snapshot is less fresh than it looks.
+   */
+  revealedContent: boolean;
+  surfaceProbes: CapturedSurfaceProbe[];
+  tooltipNames: Map<string, string>;
+}
+
+const NO_HOVER_PROBES: HoverProbeOutcome = {
+  performed: false,
+  revealedContent: false,
+  surfaceProbes: [],
+  tooltipNames: new Map(),
+};
+
+/**
+ * Runs both active-hover chains back to back.
+ *
+ * Ordering matters: this happens after DOM *and* accessibility capture so a
+ * hover that opens a menu cannot leave one half of the observation describing
+ * the page before the change and the other half after it. Sharing one overlay
+ * bypass span also means the agent overlay toggles once per observation
+ * instead of once per chain.
+ */
+async function runHoverProbes(
+  cdp: CdpRunner,
+  tabId: number,
+  captured: CapturedViewModel,
+  documents: VomFrameDocument[],
+  staticSemantics: ReturnType<typeof resolveSemanticGraph>,
+  options: CaptureVomObservationOptions,
+): Promise<HoverProbeOutcome> {
+  if (!options.conditionalSurfaceProbe) return NO_HOVER_PROBES;
+
+  return withOverlayBypass(options.hoverProbeBypassOverlay, tabId, async () => {
+    const surfaceProbes = await probeHoverSurfaces(cdp, tabId, captured.nodes, {
+      signal: options.signal,
+    });
+    throwIfAborted(options.signal, "observation");
+    const tooltipNames = await probeTooltipNames(cdp, tabId, documents, staticSemantics, {
+      signal: options.signal,
+    });
+    return {
+      performed: true,
+      revealedContent: surfaceProbes.length > 0 || tooltipNames.size > 0,
+      surfaceProbes,
+      tooltipNames,
+    };
+  });
+}
+
 export interface CaptureVomObservationOptions extends VomOptions {
   conditionalSurfaceProbe?: boolean;
   hoverProbeBypassOverlay?: (tabId: number, enabled: boolean) => Promise<void>;
@@ -1051,19 +1111,26 @@ export async function captureVomObservation(
     excludedBackendNodeIds: captured.excludedBackendNodeIds,
   });
   const staticSemantics = resolveSemanticGraph(semanticGraph, { identifierFallback: false });
-  const tooltipNames = options.conditionalSurfaceProbe
-    ? await probeTooltipNames(cdp, tabId, normalizedDocuments, staticSemantics, {
-        signal: options.signal,
-        hoverProbeBypassOverlay: options.hoverProbeBypassOverlay,
-      })
-    : new Map<string, string>();
+  const hoverProbes = await runHoverProbes(
+    cdp,
+    tabId,
+    captured,
+    normalizedDocuments,
+    staticSemantics,
+    options,
+  );
   throwIfAborted(options.signal, "observation");
   const scene = projectSemanticGraph(
     normalizeSemanticStructure(
-      resolveSemanticGraph(semanticGraph, { supplementalNames: tooltipNames }),
+      resolveSemanticGraph(semanticGraph, { supplementalNames: hoverProbes.tooltipNames }),
     ),
   );
-  const decoratedScene = attachCapturedSceneAnnotations(scene, normalizedDocuments, captured);
+  const decoratedScene = attachCapturedSceneAnnotations(
+    scene,
+    normalizedDocuments,
+    captured,
+    hoverProbes.surfaceProbes,
+  );
   const rendered = renderVom(decoratedScene, {
     maxDepth: options.maxDepth,
     maxTokens: options.maxTokens,
@@ -1075,7 +1142,11 @@ export async function captureVomObservation(
     rootFrameId: captured.rootFrameId ?? normalizedDocuments[0]?.frameId ?? "root",
     frameDocuments: normalizedDocuments,
     rendered,
-    surfaceProbes: captured.surfaceProbes,
+    surfaceProbes: hoverProbes.surfaceProbes,
+    hoverProbe: {
+      performed: hoverProbes.performed,
+      revealedContent: hoverProbes.revealedContent,
+    },
   });
 }
 
@@ -1141,6 +1212,14 @@ async function handleVomObservation(
       ref_count: observation.refs.length,
       tab_id: target.tabId,
       truncated: observation.truncated,
+      ...(toolName === "observe" && observation.hoverProbe?.performed
+        ? {
+            hover_probe: {
+              performed: true,
+              revealed_content: observation.hoverProbe.revealedContent,
+            },
+          }
+        : {}),
       ...(toolName === "observe" && (params as ObserveParams).debug_surfaces
         ? {
             debug: {
@@ -1179,5 +1258,13 @@ export async function handleObserve(
   deps: SnapshotDeps = getDefaultDeps(),
   signal?: AbortSignal,
 ): Promise<ObserveResult | RpcError> {
-  return handleVomObservation(manager, params, "observe", "transient_input", true, deps, signal);
+  return handleVomObservation(
+    manager,
+    params,
+    "observe",
+    "transient_input",
+    params.probe_hover === true,
+    deps,
+    signal,
+  );
 }

apps/extension/src/tools/vom/__tests__/capture.test.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { OVERLAY_HOST_MARKER_ATTR, OVERLAY_HOST_NAME } from "../../../lib/overlay-bridge";
-import { captureViewModel, collectOverlayExcludedBackendIds } from "../capture";
+import { captureViewModel, collectOverlayExcludedBackendIds, probeHoverSurfaces } from "../capture";
 
 // Minimal but format-accurate captureSnapshot reply: a body with one
 // fixed full-screen overlay div carrying a password input.
@@ -251,11 +251,10 @@ describe("captureViewModel", () => {
     expect(input?.attrs).toEqual({ type: "password" });
   });
 
-  it("does not run conditional surface probes by default", async () => {
+  it("never hovers the page while capturing", async () => {
     const cdp = makeCdp(fakeSnapshotReply());
-    const result = await captureViewModel(cdp, 4);
+    await captureViewModel(cdp, 4);
 
-    expect(result.surfaceProbes).toEqual([]);
     expect(cdp.send).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(4, "Input.dispatchMouseEvent", expect.anything());
   });
 
@@ -319,9 +318,10 @@ describe("captureViewModel", () => {
       }) as unknown as <T>(tabId: number, method: string, params?: object) => Promise<T>,
     };
 
-    const result = await captureViewModel(cdp, 4, { conditionalSurfaceProbe: true });
+    const captured = await captureViewModel(cdp, 4);
+    const surfaceProbes = await probeHoverSurfaces(cdp, 4, captured.nodes);
 
-    expect(result.surfaceProbes).toEqual([
+    expect(surfaceProbes).toEqual([
       {
         triggerBackendNodeId: 12,
         triggerPoint: { x: 956, y: 32 },
@@ -378,9 +378,10 @@ describe("captureViewModel", () => {
       }) as unknown as <T>(tabId: number, method: string, params?: object) => Promise<T>,
     };
 
-    const result = await captureViewModel(cdp, 4, { conditionalSurfaceProbe: true });
+    const captured = await captureViewModel(cdp, 4);
+    const surfaceProbes = await probeHoverSurfaces(cdp, 4, captured.nodes);
 
-    expect(result.surfaceProbes).toEqual([
+    expect(surfaceProbes).toEqual([
       expect.objectContaining({
         triggerBackendNodeId: 12,
         subItems: ["My profile", "Sign out"],
@@ -422,7 +423,8 @@ describe("captureViewModel", () => {
       }) as unknown as <T>(tabId: number, method: string, params?: object) => Promise<T>,
     };
 
-    await captureViewModel(cdp, 4, { conditionalSurfaceProbe: true });
+    const captured = await captureViewModel(cdp, 4);
+    await probeHoverSurfaces(cdp, 4, captured.nodes);
 
     expect(hoverMoves).toBe(1);
   });

apps/extension/src/tools/vom/__tests__/hover-perception.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { ProbeBudget, resetOverlayBypassDepth, withOverlayBypass } from "../hover-perception";
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  resetOverlayBypassDepth();
+});
+
+describe("ProbeBudget", () => {
+  it("refuses a candidate that cannot finish inside the budget", () => {
+    const budget = new ProbeBudget(500);
+
+    expect(budget.canAfford(400)).toBe(true);
+    expect(budget.canAfford(600)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("stops admitting candidates once the remaining budget is smaller than one", async () => {
+    const budget = new ProbeBudget(60);
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 40));
+
+    // A top-of-loop `elapsed > total` check would still admit this candidate
+    // and then overshoot by its full cost.
+    expect(budget.canAfford(50)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("withOverlayBypass", () => {
+  it("toggles the overlay once around nested probe phases", async () => {
+    const bypass = vi.fn(async () => {});
+
+    await withOverlayBypass(bypass, 4, async () => {
+      await withOverlayBypass(bypass, 4, async () => {
+        expect(bypass).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      });
+      expect(bypass).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+
+    expect(bypass.mock.calls).toEqual([
+      [4, true],
+      [4, false],
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("restores the overlay when the probe throws", async () => {
+    const bypass = vi.fn(async () => {});
+
+    await expect(
+      withOverlayBypass(bypass, 4, async () => {
+        throw new Error("probe exploded");
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow("probe exploded");
+
+    expect(bypass).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(4, false);
+  });
+
+  it("reports a failed restore instead of swallowing it", async () => {
+    const onRestoreFailure = vi.fn();
+    const bypass = vi.fn(async (_tabId: number, enabled: boolean) => {
+      if (!enabled) throw new Error("tab is gone");
+    });
+
+    await withOverlayBypass(bypass, 4, async () => undefined, { onRestoreFailure });
+
+    expect(onRestoreFailure).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("does not pin the overlay off for the tab when a restore fails", async () => {
+    const failing = vi.fn(async (_tabId: number, enabled: boolean) => {
+      if (!enabled) throw new Error("tab is gone");
+    });
+    await withOverlayBypass(failing, 4, async () => undefined, { onRestoreFailure: () => {} });
+
+    const bypass = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    await withOverlayBypass(bypass, 4, async () => undefined);
+
+    expect(bypass.mock.calls).toEqual([
+      [4, true],
+      [4, false],
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("runs the probe untouched when no bypass is wired up", async () => {
+    await expect(withOverlayBypass(undefined, 4, async () => "done")).resolves.toBe("done");
+  });
+});

apps/extension/src/tools/vom/__tests__/name-enrichment.test.ts

@@ -132,6 +132,37 @@ describe("tooltip name enrichment", () => {
     expect(cdp.sendToTarget).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("remembers controls that revealed no tooltip so the miss is paid once", async () => {
+    const cdp: CdpRunner = {
+      send: vi.fn(async () => ({})) as CdpRunner["send"],
+      sendToTarget: vi.fn(async (_target, method) => {
+        if (method === "Page.createIsolatedWorld") return { executionContextId: 31 };
+        if (method === "DOM.resolveNode") return { object: { objectId: "button-801" } };
+        if (method === "Runtime.callFunctionOn") return { result: { value: [] } };
+        return {};
+      }) as CdpRunner["sendToTarget"],
+    };
+
+    const documents = [
+      document({ tabId: 11, sessionId: "miss-session" }, 801, undefined, "miss-frame"),
+    ];
+    const graph = semantics(documents);
+
+    const first = await probeTooltipNames(cdp, 11, documents, graph);
+    expect(first.size).toBe(0);
+    const hoversAfterFirst = vi
+      .mocked(cdp.send)
+      .mock.calls.filter(([, method]) => method === "Input.dispatchMouseEvent").length;
+    expect(hoversAfterFirst).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+
+    const second = await probeTooltipNames(cdp, 11, documents, graph);
+    expect(second.size).toBe(0);
+    expect(
+      vi.mocked(cdp.send).mock.calls.filter(([, method]) => method === "Input.dispatchMouseEvent")
+        .length,
+    ).toBe(hoversAfterFirst);
+  });
+
   it("keeps tooltip evidence isolated across sibling frame sessions", async () => {
     let hoveredX = -10;
     const cdp: CdpRunner = {

apps/extension/src/tools/vom/capture.ts

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { evaluateHoverTrigger } from "@/lib/hover-trigger-policy";
 import { isOverlayHostNode, OVERLAY_HOST_SELECTOR } from "../../lib/overlay-bridge";
 import { childFrameProjection, type GeometryProjection, projectRectToViewport } from "../geometry";
 import type { CdpRunner } from "../shared";
-import { clearHover, waitForHover } from "./hover-perception";
+import { clearHover, ProbeBudget, waitForHover } from "./hover-perception";
 
 const REQUESTED_STYLES = ["position", "pointer-events", "cursor", "visibility", "opacity"] as const;
 const STYLE_COL = Object.fromEntries(
@@ -71,14 +71,11 @@ export interface CapturedViewModel {
   /** Explicit DOMSnapshot frame ancestry; never inferred from backend node ids. */
   frameParentIds?: Map<string, string>;
   rootFrameId?: string;
-  surfaceProbes?: CapturedSurfaceProbe[];
   /** Backend node ids belonging to the agent overlay host + its shadow subtree. */
   excludedBackendNodeIds: Set<number>;
 }
 
 export interface CaptureViewModelOptions {
-  conditionalSurfaceProbe?: boolean;
-  hoverProbeBypassOverlay?: (tabId: number, enabled: boolean) => Promise<void>;
   signal?: AbortSignal;
 }
 
@@ -368,7 +365,16 @@ function collectBackendIdsFromDomNode(node: CdpDomNode | undefined, out: Set<num
   }
 }
 
-const MAX_HOVER_PROBE_MS = 2_000;
+/**
+ * Ceiling for the whole hover-surface phase.
+ *
+ * The previous 2000 was only a floor: the loop checked elapsed time at the top,
+ * so a candidate could start with 1ms left and still run its two settle
+ * windows, pushing real cost to ~2.6s. This is that true ceiling, now actually
+ * enforced by an up-front affordability check, so the same number of candidates
+ * get probed under a bound that no longer lies.
+ */
+const MAX_HOVER_PROBE_MS = 2_600;
 const MAX_HOVER_TRIGGERS = 6;
 const MAX_HOVER_SURFACES = 3;
 const HOVER_SETTLE_MS = 300;
@@ -614,13 +620,35 @@ function confidenceForHover(
   return "low";
 }
 
-async function probeHoverSurfaces(
+/**
+ * One candidate costs two settle windows (baseline + post-hover) plus a few
+ * CDP round trips. Used to decide whether the next candidate still fits the
+ * budget before paying for it.
+ */
+const HOVER_CANDIDATE_COST_MS = HOVER_SETTLE_MS * 2;
+
+export interface HoverSurfaceProbeOptions {
+  signal?: AbortSignal;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Hovers a bounded set of likely menu triggers and reports the sub-items each
+ * one reveals.
+ *
+ * Runs after DOM *and* accessibility capture. Hovering can open menus and
+ * change layout, so probing between the two captures would leave the DOM half
+ * of an observation describing the page before the change and the AX half
+ * describing it after.
+ *
+ * The caller owns the overlay bypass span (see `withOverlayBypass`).
+ */
+export async function probeHoverSurfaces(
   cdp: CdpRunner,
   tabId: number,
   nodes: CapturedNode[],
-  options: CaptureViewModelOptions,
+  options: HoverSurfaceProbeOptions = {},
 ): Promise<CapturedSurfaceProbe[]> {
-  const started = Date.now();
+  const budget = new ProbeBudget(MAX_HOVER_PROBE_MS);
   try {
     throwIfAborted(options.signal);
     const cssScan = await cdp.send<RuntimeEvaluateReply>(tabId, "Runtime.evaluate", {
@@ -635,60 +663,54 @@ async function probeHoverSurfaces(
     const results: CapturedSurfaceProbe[] = [];
     const seen = new Set<number>();
     throwIfAborted(options.signal);
-    await options.hoverProbeBypassOverlay?.(tabId, true).catch(() => undefined);
-    try {
+    for (const candidate of candidates.slice(0, MAX_HOVER_TRIGGERS)) {
       throwIfAborted(options.signal);
-      for (const candidate of candidates.slice(0, MAX_HOVER_TRIGGERS)) {
+      if (!budget.canAfford(HOVER_CANDIDATE_COST_MS)) break;
+      if (results.length >= MAX_HOVER_SURFACES) break;
+      if (seen.has(candidate.backendNodeId)) continue;
+      try {
+        await clearHover(cdp, tabId);
         throwIfAborted(options.signal);
-        if (Date.now() - started > MAX_HOVER_PROBE_MS) break;
-        if (results.length >= MAX_HOVER_SURFACES) break;
-        if (seen.has(candidate.backendNodeId)) continue;
-        try {
-          await clearHover(cdp, tabId);
-          throwIfAborted(options.signal);
-          await waitForHover(HOVER_SETTLE_MS, options.signal);
-          const baselineReply = await cdp.send<RuntimeEvaluateReply>(tabId, "Runtime.evaluate", {
-            expression: hoverStateExpression(),
-            returnByValue: true,
-          });
-          throwIfAborted(options.signal);
-          const baselineItems = runtimeValue<HoverRuntimeItem[]>(baselineReply) ?? [];
+        await waitForHover(HOVER_SETTLE_MS, options.signal);
+        const baselineReply = await cdp.send<RuntimeEvaluateReply>(tabId, "Runtime.evaluate", {
+          expression: hoverStateExpression(),
+          returnByValue: true,
+        });
+        throwIfAborted(options.signal);
+        const baselineItems = runtimeValue<HoverRuntimeItem[]>(baselineReply) ?? [];
 
-          throwIfAborted(options.signal);
-          await cdp.send(tabId, "Input.dispatchMouseEvent", {
-            type: "mouseMoved",
-            x: candidate.x,
-            y: candidate.y,
-          });
-          throwIfAborted(options.signal);
-          await waitForHover(HOVER_SETTLE_MS, options.signal);
-          const collected = await cdp.send<RuntimeEvaluateReply>(tabId, "Runtime.evaluate", {
-            expression: hoverStateExpression(),
-            returnByValue: true,
-          });
-          throwIfAborted(options.signal);
-          const subItems = diffHoverItems(
-            baselineItems,
-            runtimeValue<HoverRuntimeItem[]>(collected) ?? [],
-          );
-          if (subItems.length === 0) continue;
-          seen.add(candidate.backendNodeId);
-          results.push({
-            triggerBackendNodeId: candidate.backendNodeId,
-            triggerPoint: { x: candidate.x, y: candidate.y },
-            triggerAction: "hover",
-            subItems,
-            confidence: confidenceForHover(candidate, subItems),
-          });
-        } catch (error) {
-          if (isAbortError(error)) throw error;
-          continue;
-        } finally {
-          await clearHover(cdp, tabId);
-        }
+        throwIfAborted(options.signal);
+        await cdp.send(tabId, "Input.dispatchMouseEvent", {
+          type: "mouseMoved",
+          x: candidate.x,
+          y: candidate.y,
+        });
+        throwIfAborted(options.signal);
+        await waitForHover(HOVER_SETTLE_MS, options.signal);
+        const collected = await cdp.send<RuntimeEvaluateReply>(tabId, "Runtime.evaluate", {
+          expression: hoverStateExpression(),
+          returnByValue: true,
+        });
+        throwIfAborted(options.signal);
+        const subItems = diffHoverItems(
+          baselineItems,
+          runtimeValue<HoverRuntimeItem[]>(collected) ?? [],
+        );
+        if (subItems.length === 0) continue;
+        seen.add(candidate.backendNodeId);
+        results.push({
+          triggerBackendNodeId: candidate.backendNodeId,
+          triggerPoint: { x: candidate.x, y: candidate.y },
+          triggerAction: "hover",
+          subItems,
+          confidence: confidenceForHover(candidate, subItems),
+        });
+      } catch (error) {
+        if (isAbortError(error)) throw error;
+        continue;
+      } finally {
+        await clearHover(cdp, tabId);
       }
-    } finally {
-      await options.hoverProbeBypassOverlay?.(tabId, false).catch(() => undefined);
     }
     return results;
   } catch (err) {
@@ -1042,7 +1064,6 @@ export async function captureViewModel(
       nodes: [],
       viewport,
       iframeNodes: new Map(),
-      surfaceProbes: [],
       excludedBackendNodeIds: new Set(),
     };
   }
@@ -1071,11 +1092,6 @@ export async function captureViewModel(
   await enrichFormControlStates(cdp, tabId, [nodes, ...iframeNodes.values()], options.signal);
   throwIfAborted(options.signal);
 
-  const surfaceProbes = options.conditionalSurfaceProbe
-    ? await probeHoverSurfaces(cdp, tabId, nodes, options)
-    : [];
-  throwIfAborted(options.signal);
-
   const frameNodes = new Map<string, CapturedNode[]>();
   if (topContext.frameId) frameNodes.set(topContext.frameId, nodes);
   for (const iframeFrameNodes of iframeNodes.values()) {
@@ -1096,7 +1112,6 @@ export async function captureViewModel(
     frameOwnerBackendNodeIds: frameParsed.frameOwnerBackendNodeIds,
     frameParentIds: frameParsed.frameParentIds,
     ...(topContext.frameId ? { rootFrameId: topContext.frameId } : {}),
-    surfaceProbes,
     excludedBackendNodeIds,
   };
 }

apps/extension/src/tools/vom/hover-perception.ts

@@ -35,3 +35,91 @@ export async function clearHover(cdp: CdpRunner, tabId: number): Promise<void> {
       }),
     );
 }
+
+/**
+ * Wall-clock budget for a probe phase.
+ *
+ * Callers ask whether the *next* candidate still fits before starting it,
+ * rather than checking elapsed time at the top of the loop. A top-of-loop
+ * check lets a candidate start with 1ms of budget left and then run to
+ * completion, overshooting by a full settle window.
+ */
+export class ProbeBudget {
+  private readonly startedAt = Date.now();
+
+  constructor(private readonly totalMs: number) {}
+
+  get elapsedMs(): number {
+    return Date.now() - this.startedAt;
+  }
+
+  /** True when a candidate costing `estimatedMs` still fits in the budget. */
+  canAfford(estimatedMs: number): boolean {
+    return this.elapsedMs + estimatedMs <= this.totalMs;
+  }
+}
+
+export type OverlayBypass = (tabId: number, enabled: boolean) => Promise<void>;
+
+export interface OverlayBypassScopeOptions {
+  /**
+   * Called when the overlay could not be restored. Defaults to `console.error`
+   * so a stuck-bypassed overlay is never silent; tests inject a spy.
+   */
+  onRestoreFailure?: (error: unknown) => void;
+}
+
+const overlayBypassDepth = new Map<number, number>();
+
+/**
+ * Runs `body` with the agent overlay bypassed, restoring it afterwards.
+ *
+ * Reference counted per tab so nested probe phases share a single bypass span
+ * instead of toggling the overlay once per phase. Restore failures are
+ * reported rather than swallowed, and the depth is released even when restore
+ * throws so a failure cannot pin the overlay off for the tab's lifetime.
+ */
+export async function withOverlayBypass<T>(
+  bypass: OverlayBypass | undefined,
+  tabId: number,
+  body: () => Promise<T>,
+  options: OverlayBypassScopeOptions = {},
+): Promise<T> {
+  if (!bypass) return body();
+
+  const depth = overlayBypassDepth.get(tabId) ?? 0;
+  overlayBypassDepth.set(tabId, depth + 1);
+  if (depth === 0) {
+    try {
+      await bypass(tabId, true);
+    } catch (error) {
+      // Failing to hide the overlay only risks probing our own UI, so continue.
+      console.debug("[bsk hover] overlay bypass could not be enabled", error);
+    }
+  }
+
+  try {
+    return await body();
+  } finally {
+    const current = overlayBypassDepth.get(tabId) ?? 1;
+    if (current <= 1) {
+      overlayBypassDepth.delete(tabId);
+      try {
+        await bypass(tabId, false);
+      } catch (error) {
+        (options.onRestoreFailure ?? defaultRestoreFailure)(error);
+      }
+    } else {
+      overlayBypassDepth.set(tabId, current - 1);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function defaultRestoreFailure(error: unknown): void {
+  console.error("[bsk hover] agent overlay could not be restored after probing", error);
+}
+
+/** Test seam: drops any bypass depth left behind by a crashed probe. */
+export function resetOverlayBypassDepth(): void {
+  overlayBypassDepth.clear();
+}

apps/extension/src/tools/vom/name-enrichment.ts

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { isVomReferenceNode } from "@browser-skill/vom";
 import { type CdpRunner, sendToCdpTarget } from "../shared";
 import type { FrameDocument, FrameOwnedAxNode } from "./frame-document";
-import { clearHover, waitForHover } from "./hover-perception";
+import { clearHover, ProbeBudget, waitForHover } from "./hover-perception";
 import { stableIdentifierName } from "./semantic-graph/name-evidence";
 import { frameBackendKey, type ResolvedSemanticGraph } from "./semantic-graph/types";
 
@@ -9,11 +9,18 @@ const MAX_TOOLTIP_CANDIDATES = 8;
 const MAX_TOOLTIP_PROBE_MS = 2_400;
 const TOOLTIP_SETTLE_MS = 250;
 const CACHE_TTL_MS = 5 * 60_000;
+/**
+ * Misses expire sooner than hits: a control that gains a tooltip once the app
+ * finishes booting should still be discoverable, but not at the cost of
+ * re-probing every unlabelled control on every observation.
+ */
+const MISS_CACHE_TTL_MS = 60_000;
 const MAX_CACHE_ENTRIES = 500;
 const FORM_CONTROL_TAGS = new Set(["input", "select", "textarea"]);
 
 interface TooltipCacheEntry {
-  name: string;
+  /** `null` records "probed, revealed no tooltip" so the miss is not re-paid. */
+  name: string | null;
   expiresAt: number;
 }
 
@@ -27,7 +34,6 @@ interface TooltipCandidate<T extends FrameOwnedAxNode> {
 
 export interface TooltipNameProbeOptions {
   signal?: AbortSignal;
-  hoverProbeBypassOverlay?: (tabId: number, enabled: boolean) => Promise<void>;
 }
 
 const tooltipCache = new Map<string, TooltipCacheEntry>();
@@ -39,10 +45,11 @@ function cacheKey<T extends FrameOwnedAxNode>(
   return `${document.target.tabId}\u0000${document.frameId}\u0000${document.url ?? ""}\u0000${backendNodeId}`;
 }
 
-function cachedName<T extends FrameOwnedAxNode>(
+/** Returns the cache entry, or `undefined` when this control was never probed. */
+function cachedEntry<T extends FrameOwnedAxNode>(
   document: FrameDocument<T>,
   backendNodeId: number,
-): string | undefined {
+): TooltipCacheEntry | undefined {
   const key = cacheKey(document, backendNodeId);
   const entry = tooltipCache.get(key);
   if (!entry) return undefined;
@@ -50,13 +57,13 @@ function cachedName<T extends FrameOwnedAxNode>(
     tooltipCache.delete(key);
     return undefined;
   }
-  return entry.name;
+  return entry;
 }
 
 function storeName<T extends FrameOwnedAxNode>(
   document: FrameDocument<T>,
   backendNodeId: number,
-  name: string,
+  name: string | null,
 ): void {
   if (tooltipCache.size >= MAX_CACHE_ENTRIES) {
     const oldest = tooltipCache.keys().next().value;
@@ -64,7 +71,7 @@ function storeName<T extends FrameOwnedAxNode>(
   }
   tooltipCache.set(cacheKey(document, backendNodeId), {
     name,
-    expiresAt: Date.now() + CACHE_TTL_MS,
+    expiresAt: Date.now() + (name === null ? MISS_CACHE_TTL_MS : CACHE_TTL_MS),
   });
 }
 
@@ -237,22 +244,27 @@ export async function probeTooltipNames<T extends FrameOwnedAxNode>(
   const names = new Map<string, string>();
   const pending: TooltipCandidate<T>[] = [];
   for (const candidate of candidates(documents, graph)) {
-    const cached = cachedName(candidate.document, candidate.backendNodeId);
+    const cached = cachedEntry(candidate.document, candidate.backendNodeId);
     if (cached) {
-      names.set(frameBackendKey(candidate.document.frameId, candidate.backendNodeId), cached);
+      // A cached miss is still a decision: skip the control instead of re-probing.
+      if (cached.name !== null) {
+        names.set(
+          frameBackendKey(candidate.document.frameId, candidate.backendNodeId),
+          cached.name,
+        );
+      }
     } else if (pending.length < MAX_TOOLTIP_CANDIDATES) {
       pending.push(candidate);
     }
   }
   if (pending.length === 0) return names;
 
-  const started = Date.now();
+  const budget = new ProbeBudget(MAX_TOOLTIP_PROBE_MS);
   const contexts = new Map<string, number>();
-  await options.hoverProbeBypassOverlay?.(tabId, true).catch(() => undefined);
   try {
     for (const candidate of pending) {
       if (options.signal?.aborted) throw new DOMException("observation aborted", "AbortError");
-      if (Date.now() - started >= MAX_TOOLTIP_PROBE_MS) break;
+      if (!budget.canAfford(TOOLTIP_SETTLE_MS)) break;
       let objectId: string | undefined;
       try {
         let contextId = contexts.get(candidate.document.frameId);
@@ -278,9 +290,9 @@ export async function probeTooltipNames<T extends FrameOwnedAxNode>(
         await waitForHover(TOOLTIP_SETTLE_MS, options.signal);
         const after = await tooltipTexts(cdp, candidate.document, objectId);
         const name = cleanTooltipDiff(before, after);
+        storeName(candidate.document, candidate.backendNodeId, name ?? null);
         if (!name) continue;
         names.set(frameBackendKey(candidate.document.frameId, candidate.backendNodeId), name);
-        storeName(candidate.document, candidate.backendNodeId, name);
       } catch (error) {
         if (error instanceof Error && error.name === "AbortError") throw error;
       } finally {
@@ -290,7 +302,6 @@ export async function probeTooltipNames<T extends FrameOwnedAxNode>(
     }
   } finally {
     await clearHover(cdp, tabId);
-    await options.hoverProbeBypassOverlay?.(tabId, false).catch(() => undefined);
   }
   return names;
 }

apps/extension/src/tools/vom/record-safe-observation.ts

@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@ export interface CaptureVomObservationResult {
   frames: CaptureVomFrame[];
   matchNodes: CaptureVomMatchNode[];
   surfaceProbes?: CapturedSurfaceProbe[];
+  /**
+   * Whether this observation actively hovered the page, and whether that
+   * revealed content the static tree does not contain. Lets callers judge how
+   * far the page may have drifted from the returned snapshot.
+   */
+  hoverProbe?: HoverProbeReport;
+}
+
+export interface HoverProbeReport {
+  performed: boolean;
+  revealedContent: boolean;
 }
 
 function projectFrames(documents: CapturedFrameDocument<FrameAxNode>[]): CaptureVomFrame[] {
@@ -75,6 +86,7 @@ export function projectRecordSafeObservation(input: {
   frameDocuments: CapturedFrameDocument<FrameAxNode>[];
   rendered: VomResult;
   surfaceProbes?: CapturedSurfaceProbe[];
+  hoverProbe?: HoverProbeReport;
 }): CaptureVomObservationResult {
   return {
     text: input.rendered.text,
@@ -84,5 +96,6 @@ export function projectRecordSafeObservation(input: {
     frames: projectFrames(input.frameDocuments),
     matchNodes: projectMatchNodes(input.frameDocuments),
     surfaceProbes: input.surfaceProbes,
+    ...(input.hoverProbe ? { hoverProbe: input.hoverProbe } : {}),
   };
 }

apps/extension/src/transport/types.ts

@@ -318,9 +318,14 @@ export interface SnapshotResult {
 
 export interface ObserveParams extends SnapshotParams {
   debug_surfaces?: boolean;
+  probe_hover?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface ObserveResult extends SnapshotResult {
+  hover_probe?: {
+    performed: boolean;
+    revealed_content: boolean;
+  };
   debug?: {
     surface_probes?: Array<{
       trigger_backend_node_id: number;

crates/bsk-cli/skill/SKILL.md

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Drive the user's **real Chromium browser** (with their logins and cookies) throu
 ## Prerequisites
 
 1. `bsk` on `PATH` (Rust CLI from browser-skill)
-2. browser-skill **extension** loaded in Chromium and connected (popup shows green)
+2. browser-skill **extension** loaded in Chromium and connected (popup shows green, or an upgrade reminder — still connected; continue)
 3. Any `bsk` command auto-starts background services as needed; use `bsk doctor` if anything fails
 
 ## Mandatory workflow
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ Write operations only affect tabs in the **Agent Window** (or tabs you **borrowe
 
 ```
 bsk navigate <url> --session <id>
-bsk observe --session <id>           → primary semantic VOM view; reveals hover/focus surfaces
+bsk observe --session <id>           → primary semantic VOM view
 bsk snapshot --session <id>          → static aria tree fallback when VOM is insufficient
 bsk hover @e3 --session <id>          → reveal hover-triggered menus before re-observing/clicking
 bsk click @e4 --session <id>          → or bsk fill, bsk select, bsk press
@@ -78,16 +78,19 @@ bsk observe --session <id>             → again after navigation / DOM change
 
 Prefer `@eN` refs from the latest snapshot over raw CSS selectors. Use `--ref` / `--selector` when ambiguous (`bsk click --help`).
 
-When VOM renders `[hover first: …]` on an element, the listed items are not currently clickable refs. Run `bsk hover <that-ref> --session <id>`, then immediately run `bsk snapshot` or `bsk observe` again and click the newly visible menu item ref. Do not click the trigger itself unless the user explicitly wants the trigger action.
+When VOM marks a control `[has-submenu]` or `[expanded]`, its menu items are not in the observation yet. Run `bsk hover <that-ref> --session <id>`, then immediately run `bsk snapshot` or `bsk observe` again and click the newly visible menu item ref. Do not click the trigger itself unless the user explicitly wants the trigger action. `[hover first: …]` means the same thing and additionally lists what that trigger revealed.
+
+`bsk observe` does not hover the page on its own. Reach for `--probe-hover` when a control you have good reason to expect is absent from the observation **and** no `[has-submenu]` marker points at a trigger — that combination is what a CSS-only hover menu looks like from here. Try it before falling back to `bsk get-html` or `bsk screenshot`. It hovers a bounded set of likely triggers to surface hover-only menus and tooltips; it costs a few seconds and touches the live page, so once you know which element hides the menu, `bsk hover <ref>` is cheaper and more precise.
 
 ## Observation priority
 
-Start with `bsk observe` to understand page structure, text, controls, element refs, and conditional hover/focus surfaces. Use `bsk snapshot` only when you need the stricter static accessibility tree or VOM is insufficient. Only escalate to raw HTML or screenshots when the latest observation cannot answer the question:
+Start with `bsk observe` to understand page structure, text, controls, and element refs. Use `bsk snapshot` only when you need the stricter static accessibility tree or VOM is insufficient. Only escalate to raw HTML or screenshots when the latest observation cannot answer the question:
 
-1. `bsk observe` — primary semantic VOM observation; may run bounded perception probes such as hover-surface discovery
-2. `bsk snapshot` — strict static accessibility tree fallback
-3. `bsk get-html` — when hidden DOM, metadata, or markup details are required
-4. `bsk screenshot` — when visual layout, canvas/image content, or styling cannot be inferred from the observation. Use `--ref @eN` (from the latest snapshot/observe) to crop to one element; omit `--ref` for the full visible tab.
+1. `bsk observe` — primary semantic VOM observation
+2. `bsk observe --probe-hover` — re-run once when an expected control is missing and nothing marks a hover trigger
+3. `bsk snapshot` — strict static accessibility tree fallback
+4. `bsk get-html` — when hidden DOM, metadata, or markup details are required
+5. `bsk screenshot` — when visual layout, canvas/image content, or styling cannot be inferred from the observation. Use `--ref @eN` (from the latest snapshot/observe) to crop to one element; omit `--ref` for the full visible tab.
 
 Do **not** call `bsk get-html` or `bsk screenshot` first just to inspect a page.
 
@@ -172,7 +175,7 @@ bsk emulate --session <id> --off
 | Command | Summary |
 |---------|---------|
 | `bsk snapshot` | First-choice static page understanding: accessibility tree with `@eN` element refs |
-| `bsk observe` | Semantic VOM observation with bounded perception probes for conditional surfaces |
+| `bsk observe` | Semantic VOM observation; `--probe-hover` adds bounded active hover probing for conditional surfaces |
 | `bsk get-html` | Raw HTML dump after snapshot is insufficient (high token cost) |
 | `bsk screenshot` | PNG capture after snapshot is insufficient: full visible tab, or `--ref @eN` to crop to one element (`--out` path optional) |
 
@@ -299,7 +302,7 @@ bsk record stop [--output trace]   # terminal fallback if the browser panel is u
 | `2` | Protocol / transport — service unreachable, IPC failure | `bsk doctor`; check extension connected; retry the command |
 | `3` | Browser / CDP execution failed | Retry; simplify selector; check tab still open |
 | `4` | Timeout | Increase `--timeout`; try `--wait-until domcontentloaded` |
-| `5` | Version skew (CLI vs extension) | Upgrade/reinstall matching versions |
+| `5` | Unknown RPC method | This command is not implemented in the current build. Continue the task with other commands. If a newly added command is missing, suggest `bsk update`. |
 
 Human errors print `error:` + `hint:` on stderr; `--json` includes `code`, `message`, `hint`, `exit_code`.
 
@@ -319,7 +322,7 @@ Always **`bsk session stop <id>`** in a `finally`-style path so the Agent Window
 2. **No long borrow** — do not leave a user's personal tab in the Agent Window across unrelated tasks.
 3. **No skip stop** — always `bsk session stop <id>`; never assume idle timeout will clean up.
 4. **No post-success control** — once the user’s goal (or last trace step) is met, do not keep operating the page; stop the session unless they asked to keep it open.
-5. **No raw observe escalation before snapshot/observe** — use `bsk snapshot` first; use `bsk observe` when VOM semantics or conditional surfaces help. Only use `bsk get-html` or `bsk screenshot` when snapshot/observe is insufficient. Element screenshots (`--ref @eN`) still require a fresh snapshot/observe ref — never skip observation just to grab a visual.
+5. **No raw observe escalation before snapshot/observe** — use `bsk snapshot` first; use `bsk observe` when VOM semantics help. Only use `bsk get-html` or `bsk screenshot` when snapshot/observe is insufficient. Element screenshots (`--ref @eN`) still require a fresh snapshot/observe ref — never skip observation just to grab a visual.
 6. **`evaluate` is powerful and risky** — use only when snapshot + click/fill/select cannot suffice; never on credential surfaces.
 
 ---

crates/bsk-cli/src/cli/doctor.rs

@@ -351,10 +351,10 @@ fn check_version_compatible(status: Option<&StatusResult>) -> CheckResult {
     }
 }
 
-/// `bsk doctor` check: every connected browser should use the same
-/// protocol version as the daemon. Minor protocol drift is accepted by
-/// the daemon but flagged here so the user can see who needs updating
-/// (M10.4).
+/// `bsk doctor` check: connected browsers should speak a protocol the
+/// daemon accepts. A different protocol string is still a live
+/// connection — report Ok so agents keep working. The detail is an
+/// upgrade reminder, not a blocker.
 ///
 /// Review M2 (round-1 minor): when no browsers are connected, the
 /// check has nothing to compare against, so it now reports
@@ -396,13 +396,12 @@ fn check_browsers_protocol_compatible(status: Option<&StatusResult>) -> CheckRes
         })
         .collect::<Vec<_>>()
         .join(", ");
-    CheckResult::fail(
+    CheckResult::ok(
         name,
         format!(
-            "{} browser(s) have protocol minor drift from the daemon: {stale}",
+            "{} browser(s) report a different protocol version (still usable — continue, and upgrade soon): {stale}",
             status.version_skew_browsers.len()
         ),
-        "upgrade the browser-skill extension or bsk CLI so both sides use the same protocol version",
     )
 }
 
@@ -581,7 +580,7 @@ mod m2_tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn browsers_check_reports_fail_when_skew_present() {
+    fn browsers_check_reports_ok_when_skew_present() {
         let status = fake_status(
             vec![BrowserStatusEntry {
                 instance_id: "alpha".into(),
@@ -605,9 +604,17 @@ mod m2_tests {
             }],
         );
         let check = check_browsers_protocol_compatible(Some(&status));
-        assert_eq!(check.status, CheckStatus::Fail);
+        assert_eq!(check.status, CheckStatus::Ok);
         assert!(check.detail.contains("alpha"));
-        assert!(check.hint.is_some());
+        assert!(
+            check
+                .detail
+                .contains("still usable — continue, and upgrade soon")
+        );
+        assert!(
+            check.hint.is_none(),
+            "a protocol-version note must not hint to stop"
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -635,7 +642,7 @@ mod m2_tests {
             }],
         );
         let check = check_browsers_protocol_compatible(Some(&status));
-        assert_eq!(check.status, CheckStatus::Fail);
+        assert_eq!(check.status, CheckStatus::Ok);
         assert!(
             check
                 .detail

crates/bsk-cli/src/cli/observe.rs

@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ pub struct ObserveArgs {
     /// Include conditional surface probe diagnostics in JSON output.
     #[arg(long = "debug-surfaces")]
     pub debug_surfaces: bool,
+
+    /// Actively hover page controls to reveal hover-only menus and tooltips.
+    /// Costs seconds of wall clock and touches the live page, so it is off
+    /// unless a static observation looks like it is missing hover content.
+    #[arg(long = "probe-hover")]
+    pub probe_hover: bool,
 }
 
 pub fn dispatch(args: ObserveArgs, format: Format) -> Result<(), CliError> {
@@ -47,6 +53,7 @@ fn run(sock: PathBuf, args: ObserveArgs, format: Format) -> Result<(), CliError>
         max_depth: args.max_depth,
         max_tokens: args.max_tokens,
         debug_surfaces: args.debug_surfaces,
+        probe_hover: args.probe_hover,
     };
     let reply: ObserveResult = call(sock, params)?;
     match format {

crates/bsk-cli/src/cli/status.rs

@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ fn render_human(s: &StatusResult) {
         let bold = "\x1b[1m";
         let reset = "\x1b[0m";
         eprintln!(
-            "{bold}{yellow}warning:{reset} {} browser(s) have protocol version drift from the daemon{reset}",
+            "{bold}{yellow}note:{reset} {} browser(s) report a different protocol version; still usable — continue, and run `bsk update` soon{reset}",
             s.version_skew_browsers.len()
         );
         for skew in &s.version_skew_browsers {
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ fn render_human(s: &StatusResult) {
                 skew.label.clone()
             };
             eprintln!(
-                "  {} ({}) — protocol ext {} vs daemon {} (app ext v{}, daemon v{}) — please align protocol versions",
+                "  {} ({}) — protocol ext {} vs CLI {} (app ext v{}, CLI v{}) — still usable; please upgrade",
                 skew.instance_id,
                 label,
                 display_protocol(&skew.client_protocol_version),

crates/bsk-cli/tests/tools_ipc.rs

@@ -478,6 +478,7 @@ async fn observe_returns_semantic_text_and_ref_count() {
                 tab_id: 13,
                 truncated: false,
                 dialogs: vec![],
+                hover_probe: None,
                 debug: None,
             })
             .unwrap(),
@@ -494,6 +495,7 @@ async fn observe_returns_semantic_text_and_ref_count() {
             max_depth: None,
             max_tokens: None,
             debug_surfaces: false,
+            probe_hover: false,
         },
     )
     .await

crates/bsk-protocol/schema/tool_observe_params.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
   "title": "ObserveParams",
-  "description": "Parameters for `tool.observe` — produce a semantic VOM observation for one tab plus a fresh `@e<N>` ref-store on the extension side.\n\nUnlike `tool.snapshot`, this path may run bounded perception probes such as hover-surface discovery. It must not submit input, click, navigate, or otherwise commit page state.",
+  "description": "Parameters for `tool.observe` — produce a semantic VOM observation for one tab plus a fresh `@e<N>` ref-store on the extension side.\n\nUnlike `tool.snapshot`, this path may run bounded perception probes such as hover-surface discovery, but only when `probe_hover` asks for them. It must not submit input, click, navigate, or otherwise commit page state.",
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
     "session_id"
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@
       "format": "uint32",
       "minimum": 0.0
     },
+    "probe_hover": {
+      "description": "Opt in to active hover probing: the extension moves the real cursor over a bounded set of controls to discover hover-only menus and tooltips.\n\nOff by default. Probing costs seconds of wall clock, mutates the live page, and pays off only on pages whose content is genuinely hidden behind hover. Request it when a static observation looks like it is missing hover-revealed structure.",
+      "default": false,
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
     "session_id": {
       "type": "string"
     },

crates/bsk-protocol/schema/tool_observe_result.json

@@ -24,6 +24,17 @@
         "$ref": "#/definitions/JavaScriptDialogInfo"
       }
     },
+    "hover_probe": {
+      "description": "Present only when `probe_hover` was requested and probing actually ran.",
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/definitions/HoverProbeReport"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
     "ref_count": {
       "description": "Number of `@e<N>` refs registered for this session by this observation. Equivalent to the size of the new ref-store map.",
       "type": "integer",
@@ -46,6 +57,24 @@
     }
   },
   "definitions": {
+    "HoverProbeReport": {
+      "description": "Reports what active hover probing did during an observation, so the agent can judge how far the live page may have drifted from the returned text.",
+      "type": "object",
+      "required": [
+        "performed",
+        "revealed_content"
+      ],
+      "properties": {
+        "performed": {
+          "description": "The real cursor was moved over page content during this observation.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        },
+        "revealed_content": {
+          "description": "Hovering surfaced content the static tree does not contain, so the page reacts to the cursor and may not have fully reverted.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "JavaScriptDialogHandledAction": {
       "description": "How the extension resolved the dialog so CDP could continue.",
       "type": "string",

crates/bsk-protocol/src/tools/observation.rs

@@ -58,8 +58,9 @@ pub struct SnapshotResult {
 /// for one tab plus a fresh `@e<N>` ref-store on the extension side.
 ///
 /// Unlike `tool.snapshot`, this path may run bounded perception probes
-/// such as hover-surface discovery. It must not submit input, click,
-/// navigate, or otherwise commit page state.
+/// such as hover-surface discovery, but only when `probe_hover` asks for
+/// them. It must not submit input, click, navigate, or otherwise commit
+/// page state.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
 pub struct ObserveParams {
     pub session_id: String,
@@ -77,6 +78,16 @@ pub struct ObserveParams {
     /// Include implementation diagnostics for conditional surface probes.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub debug_surfaces: bool,
+    /// Opt in to active hover probing: the extension moves the real cursor
+    /// over a bounded set of controls to discover hover-only menus and
+    /// tooltips.
+    ///
+    /// Off by default. Probing costs seconds of wall clock, mutates the live
+    /// page, and pays off only on pages whose content is genuinely hidden
+    /// behind hover. Request it when a static observation looks like it is
+    /// missing hover-revealed structure.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub probe_hover: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
@@ -102,6 +113,17 @@ pub struct ObserveDebug {
     pub surface_probes: Vec<SurfaceProbeDebug>,
 }
 
+/// Reports what active hover probing did during an observation, so the agent
+/// can judge how far the live page may have drifted from the returned text.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
+pub struct HoverProbeReport {
+    /// The real cursor was moved over page content during this observation.
+    pub performed: bool,
+    /// Hovering surfaced content the static tree does not contain, so the page
+    /// reacts to the cursor and may not have fully reverted.
+    pub revealed_content: bool,
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
 pub struct ObserveResult {
     /// Semantic VOM observation text. Refs are rendered as `@e<N>` so
@@ -118,6 +140,9 @@ pub struct ObserveResult {
     pub truncated: bool,
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Vec::is_empty")]
     pub dialogs: Vec<JavaScriptDialogInfo>,
+    /// Present only when `probe_hover` was requested and probing actually ran.
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub hover_probe: Option<HoverProbeReport>,
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub debug: Option<ObserveDebug>,
 }
@@ -308,6 +333,7 @@ mod tests {
             tab_id: 42,
             truncated: false,
             dialogs: Vec::new(),
+            hover_probe: None,
             debug: None,
         };
         let v = serde_json::to_value(&r).unwrap();
@@ -315,4 +341,30 @@ mod tests {
         let round: ObserveResult = serde_json::from_value(v).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(round, r);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn observe_params_default_to_no_hover_probing() {
+        let params: ObserveParams =
+            serde_json::from_value(serde_json::json!({ "session_id": "s1" })).unwrap();
+        assert!(!params.probe_hover);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn observe_result_round_trips_with_hover_probe_report() {
+        let r = ObserveResult {
+            text: "@vom 1\n".into(),
+            ref_count: 0,
+            tab_id: 42,
+            truncated: false,
+            dialogs: Vec::new(),
+            hover_probe: Some(HoverProbeReport {
+                performed: true,
+                revealed_content: true,
+            }),
+            debug: None,
+        };
+        let v = serde_json::to_value(&r).unwrap();
+        let round: ObserveResult = serde_json::from_value(v).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(round, r);
+    }
 }

packages/i18n/src/locales/en-US/extension.json

@@ -6,27 +6,27 @@
       "disconnected": "Disconnected",
       "connecting": "Connecting…",
       "connected": "Connected",
-      "version_skew": "Protocol mismatch",
+      "version_skew": "Connected",
       "disabled": "Connection off"
     },
     "stateDetail": {
       "disconnected": "Open BrowserSkill to connect.",
       "connecting": "Connecting to BrowserSkill…",
       "connected": "Ready for automation tasks.",
-      "version_skew": "Some features may be unavailable."
+      "version_skew": "Protocol versions differ. Please upgrade."
     },
     "stateBadge": {
       "disconnected": "Standby",
       "connecting": "Igniting",
       "connected": "Ready",
-      "version_skew": "Action needed",
+      "version_skew": "Upgradable",
       "disabled": "Off"
     },
     "connectionToggleTitle": "BrowserSkill connection",
     "controlHintsToggleTitle": "Control hints",
     "controlHintsToggleHint": "Show the status pill and orange glow while the Agent controls a page.",
     "controlHintsInfoLabel": "About control hints",
-    "versionSkewWarning": "Extension protocol v{{extensionProtocol}}, daemon v{{daemonProtocol}}.",
+    "versionSkewWarning": "Extension protocol v{{extensionProtocol}}, CLI protocol v{{cliProtocol}}. Protocol versions differ — please upgrade.",
     "upgradeAvailable": "Upgradable",
     "launcher": {
       "title": "Quick actions"

packages/i18n/src/locales/zh-CN/extension.json

@@ -6,27 +6,27 @@
       "disconnected": "未连接",
       "connecting": "连接中…",
       "connected": "已连接",
-      "version_skew": "协议不一致",
+      "version_skew": "已连接",
       "disabled": "连接已关闭"
     },
     "stateDetail": {
       "disconnected": "请先打开 BrowserSkill。",
       "connecting": "正在连接 BrowserSkill…",
       "connected": "可接收自动化任务。",
-      "version_skew": "部分能力可能不可用。"
+      "version_skew": "协议版本不同，请及时升级。"
     },
     "stateBadge": {
       "disconnected": "Standby",
       "connecting": "Igniting",
       "connected": "Ready",
-      "version_skew": "Action needed",
+      "version_skew": "可升级",
       "disabled": "Off"
     },
     "connectionToggleTitle": "BrowserSkill 连接",
     "controlHintsToggleTitle": "控制提示",
     "controlHintsToggleHint": "Agent 控制页面时显示提示条和橙色闪光。",
     "controlHintsInfoLabel": "控制提示说明",
-    "versionSkewWarning": "扩展协议 v{{extensionProtocol}}，daemon 协议 v{{daemonProtocol}}。",
+    "versionSkewWarning": "扩展协议 v{{extensionProtocol}}，CLI 协议 v{{cliProtocol}}。协议版本不同，请及时升级。",
     "upgradeAvailable": "可升级",
     "launcher": {
       "title": "快捷功能"

skill/SKILL.md

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Drive the user's **real Chromium browser** (with their logins and cookies) throu
 ## Prerequisites
 
 1. `bsk` on `PATH` (Rust CLI from browser-skill)
-2. browser-skill **extension** loaded in Chromium and connected (popup shows green)
+2. browser-skill **extension** loaded in Chromium and connected (popup shows green, or an upgrade reminder — still connected; continue)
 3. Any `bsk` command auto-starts background services as needed; use `bsk doctor` if anything fails
 
 ## Mandatory workflow
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ Write operations only affect tabs in the **Agent Window** (or tabs you **borrowe
 
 ```
 bsk navigate <url> --session <id>
-bsk observe --session <id>           → primary semantic VOM view; reveals hover/focus surfaces
+bsk observe --session <id>           → primary semantic VOM view
 bsk snapshot --session <id>          → static aria tree fallback when VOM is insufficient
 bsk hover @e3 --session <id>          → reveal hover-triggered menus before re-observing/clicking
 bsk click @e4 --session <id>          → or bsk fill, bsk select, bsk press
@@ -78,16 +78,19 @@ bsk observe --session <id>             → again after navigation / DOM change
 
 Prefer `@eN` refs from the latest snapshot over raw CSS selectors. Use `--ref` / `--selector` when ambiguous (`bsk click --help`).
 
-When VOM renders `[hover first: …]` on an element, the listed items are not currently clickable refs. Run `bsk hover <that-ref> --session <id>`, then immediately run `bsk snapshot` or `bsk observe` again and click the newly visible menu item ref. Do not click the trigger itself unless the user explicitly wants the trigger action.
+When VOM marks a control `[has-submenu]` or `[expanded]`, its menu items are not in the observation yet. Run `bsk hover <that-ref> --session <id>`, then immediately run `bsk snapshot` or `bsk observe` again and click the newly visible menu item ref. Do not click the trigger itself unless the user explicitly wants the trigger action. `[hover first: …]` means the same thing and additionally lists what that trigger revealed.
+
+`bsk observe` does not hover the page on its own. Reach for `--probe-hover` when a control you have good reason to expect is absent from the observation **and** no `[has-submenu]` marker points at a trigger — that combination is what a CSS-only hover menu looks like from here. Try it before falling back to `bsk get-html` or `bsk screenshot`. It hovers a bounded set of likely triggers to surface hover-only menus and tooltips; it costs a few seconds and touches the live page, so once you know which element hides the menu, `bsk hover <ref>` is cheaper and more precise.
 
 ## Observation priority
 
-Start with `bsk observe` to understand page structure, text, controls, element refs, and conditional hover/focus surfaces. Use `bsk snapshot` only when you need the stricter static accessibility tree or VOM is insufficient. Only escalate to raw HTML or screenshots when the latest observation cannot answer the question:
+Start with `bsk observe` to understand page structure, text, controls, and element refs. Use `bsk snapshot` only when you need the stricter static accessibility tree or VOM is insufficient. Only escalate to raw HTML or screenshots when the latest observation cannot answer the question:
 
-1. `bsk observe` — primary semantic VOM observation; may run bounded perception probes such as hover-surface discovery
-2. `bsk snapshot` — strict static accessibility tree fallback
-3. `bsk get-html` — when hidden DOM, metadata, or markup details are required
-4. `bsk screenshot` — when visual layout, canvas/image content, or styling cannot be inferred from the observation. Use `--ref @eN` (from the latest snapshot/observe) to crop to one element; omit `--ref` for the full visible tab.
+1. `bsk observe` — primary semantic VOM observation
+2. `bsk observe --probe-hover` — re-run once when an expected control is missing and nothing marks a hover trigger
+3. `bsk snapshot` — strict static accessibility tree fallback
+4. `bsk get-html` — when hidden DOM, metadata, or markup details are required
+5. `bsk screenshot` — when visual layout, canvas/image content, or styling cannot be inferred from the observation. Use `--ref @eN` (from the latest snapshot/observe) to crop to one element; omit `--ref` for the full visible tab.
 
 Do **not** call `bsk get-html` or `bsk screenshot` first just to inspect a page.
 
@@ -172,7 +175,7 @@ bsk emulate --session <id> --off
 | Command | Summary |
 |---------|---------|
 | `bsk snapshot` | First-choice static page understanding: accessibility tree with `@eN` element refs |
-| `bsk observe` | Semantic VOM observation with bounded perception probes for conditional surfaces |
+| `bsk observe` | Semantic VOM observation; `--probe-hover` adds bounded active hover probing for conditional surfaces |
 | `bsk get-html` | Raw HTML dump after snapshot is insufficient (high token cost) |
 | `bsk screenshot` | PNG capture after snapshot is insufficient: full visible tab, or `--ref @eN` to crop to one element (`--out` path optional) |
 
@@ -299,7 +302,7 @@ bsk record stop [--output trace]   # terminal fallback if the browser panel is u
 | `2` | Protocol / transport — service unreachable, IPC failure | `bsk doctor`; check extension connected; retry the command |
 | `3` | Browser / CDP execution failed | Retry; simplify selector; check tab still open |
 | `4` | Timeout | Increase `--timeout`; try `--wait-until domcontentloaded` |
-| `5` | Version skew (CLI vs extension) | Upgrade/reinstall matching versions |
+| `5` | Unknown RPC method | This command is not implemented in the current build. Continue the task with other commands. If a newly added command is missing, suggest `bsk update`. |
 
 Human errors print `error:` + `hint:` on stderr; `--json` includes `code`, `message`, `hint`, `exit_code`.
 
@@ -319,7 +322,7 @@ Always **`bsk session stop <id>`** in a `finally`-style path so the Agent Window
 2. **No long borrow** — do not leave a user's personal tab in the Agent Window across unrelated tasks.
 3. **No skip stop** — always `bsk session stop <id>`; never assume idle timeout will clean up.
 4. **No post-success control** — once the user’s goal (or last trace step) is met, do not keep operating the page; stop the session unless they asked to keep it open.
-5. **No raw observe escalation before snapshot/observe** — use `bsk snapshot` first; use `bsk observe` when VOM semantics or conditional surfaces help. Only use `bsk get-html` or `bsk screenshot` when snapshot/observe is insufficient. Element screenshots (`--ref @eN`) still require a fresh snapshot/observe ref — never skip observation just to grab a visual.
+5. **No raw observe escalation before snapshot/observe** — use `bsk snapshot` first; use `bsk observe` when VOM semantics help. Only use `bsk get-html` or `bsk screenshot` when snapshot/observe is insufficient. Element screenshots (`--ref @eN`) still require a fresh snapshot/observe ref — never skip observation just to grab a visual.
 6. **`evaluate` is powerful and risky** — use only when snapshot + click/fill/select cannot suffice; never on credential surfaces.
 
 ---