From 7dc5f58651d30b4b3eb60a074bca1dc71c51f465 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: ciregenz <ciregenz@berkeley.edu>
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2026 19:44:44 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] [eric] browser: a composer already on the page needs no model
 to confirm it

---
 .../apps/agents/browser/browser_prestage.py   | 11 ++++++++++
 backend/tests/test_browser_prestage_opener.py | 22 +++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 33 insertions(+)

diff --git a/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_prestage.py b/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_prestage.py
index 31f3a836..0b50cf99 100644
--- a/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_prestage.py
+++ b/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_prestage.py
@@ -399,6 +399,17 @@ async def run_prestage(
             li_text, gt_text, seen_url = await perceive()
             p_t_perceive = time.monotonic() - p_t_step
             current_url = seen_url or current_url
+            # TIER 0: the box is already here, so there is nothing to discover and no reason to ask.
+            # Staged means "a composer is visible", which this perception just answered directly; the
+            # aux call below can only agree with it, and it costs 1.7-6.5s to do so. That call was
+            # the whole cost of a steps=0 run: 4.6s median where the page was ready the entire time.
+            # The model stays exactly where it belongs, as the fallback for pages that need finding.
+            if task_is_send and browser_send_parse.composer_index_in_state(li_text):
+                staged_complete = True
+                logger.info(f"[browser-prestage] READY tier-0 in "
+                            f"{int((time.monotonic() - p_t_step) * 1000)}ms: a composer is already "
+                            f"on the page, no aux call needed")
+                break
             p_t_aux = time.monotonic()
             reply = safe_resp_text(await asyncio.wait_for(
                 client.messages.create(
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_browser_prestage_opener.py b/backend/tests/test_browser_prestage_opener.py
index 7b7c5d31..33655429 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_browser_prestage_opener.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_browser_prestage_opener.py
@@ -121,3 +121,25 @@ def test_ready_on_a_page_with_nowhere_to_write_gets_one_nudge():
     from backend.apps.agents.browser.browser_send_parse import composer_index_in_state
     assert composer_index_in_state(NO_COMPOSER) is None, "the feed shape must read as no composer"
     assert composer_index_in_state(COMPOSER_PRESENT) is not None, "a staged page must read as one"
+
+
+def test_a_composer_already_on_the_page_needs_no_aux_call():
+    """Criterion 5's tier-0. Measured: a steps=0 prestage took 4.6s median, and essentially all of
+    it was one aux LLM call (1.7-6.5s) asking whether a page was ready that already was.
+
+    "Staged" means a composer is visible. The perception answers that directly, so on this path the
+    model can only agree at a cost. It stays as the fallback for pages where the box must be found.
+
+    The condition is deliberately the SAME one the READY postcondition enforces (a send task is not
+    staged until there is somewhere to write), so the fast path and the safety check can never
+    disagree about what staged means.
+    """
+    import inspect
+    from backend.apps.agents.browser import browser_prestage as pre
+    src = inspect.getsource(pre)
+    i = src.index("TIER 0")
+    block = src[i:i + 700]
+    assert "composer_index_in_state(li_text)" in block, "tier-0 must key on a visible composer"
+    assert "task_is_send" in block, "and only for a send task; a read has different staging"
+    assert block.index("staged_complete = True") < block.index("p_t_aux = time.monotonic()") \
+        if "p_t_aux = time.monotonic()" in block else True, "it must short-circuit BEFORE the aux call"