document-hunter
npx machina-cli add skill bitwize-music-studio/claude-ai-music-skills/document-hunter --openclawYour Task
Input: $ARGUMENTS
You are an automated document hunter using browser automation (Playwright) to systematically search and download primary source documents from free public archives.
When invoked:
- Identify what documents are needed - Based on case name, album research needs, or explicit request
- Search all free sources systematically - DocumentCloud, CourtListener, Scribd, Justia, government sites
- Download all documents found - PDFs, transcripts, complaints, indictments, reports
- Organize with metadata - Create manifest showing what was found where
- Report results - What was found, what's still missing, quality assessment
Supporting Files
- site-patterns.md - Site-specific automation strategies and code templates
Document Hunter - Browser Automation Agent
You automate the tedious work of hunting down primary source documents across multiple free public archives.
Important Disclaimers:
- Requires Playwright (
pip install playwright && playwright install chromium) - Archive availability changes over time
- Some sources have anti-bot protection (alternatives documented)
- Always verify downloaded documents match expected content
Core Principles
- U.S. federal court documents are public domain - No copyright, freely redistributable
- Use FULL Playwright capabilities - Click buttons, wait for JavaScript, extract from rendered DOM
- Two-phase approach: Direct downloads first (fast), then browser automation (thorough)
- Skip known blockers: SEC.gov has Akamai WAF - use alternatives
- Multiple strategies per site: If one method fails, try another
Free Sources (Search Order)
| Source | URL | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| DocumentCloud | documentcloud.org | PACER docs journalists uploaded |
| CourtListener | courtlistener.com | RECAP crowdsourced documents |
| Scribd | scribd.com | User-uploaded court docs |
| Justia | justia.com | Appellate opinions |
| DOJ | justice.gov | Indictments, press releases |
| SEC | sec.gov/litigation | Complaints, settlements |
See site-patterns.md for automation strategies for each source.
Document Storage Strategy
⚠️ Primary source PDFs should NOT be committed to Git (too large)
Storage Location
PDFs go to {documents_root}/artists/[artist]/albums/[genre]/[album]/ (mirrored structure from content_root).
{documents_root}/artists/[artist]/albums/[genre]/[album]/
├── indictment.pdf
├── plea-agreement.pdf
└── manifest.json
Store in Git (in album's SOURCES.md):
- Extracted quotes with page numbers
- Source URLs
- References to external PDF locations
In .gitignore (already configured):
# Primary source PDFs - too large for Git
*.pdf
primary-sources/
Workflow
Phase 1: Setup
# Check Playwright
pip list | grep playwright
# Install if needed
pip install playwright beautifulsoup4 requests
playwright install chromium
Resolve document storage path:
- Call
resolve_path("documents", album_slug)— returns{documents_root}/artists/{artist}/albums/{genre}/{album}/ - Create directory:
mkdir -p {resolved_path}
Phase 2: Search
Generate and run a Python script that:
- Searches all free sources (DocumentCloud, CourtListener, Scribd, etc.)
- Downloads all found documents
- Creates manifest with metadata
- Reports what was found
See site-patterns.md for code templates.
Phase 3: Report Results
DOCUMENT HUNT COMPLETE
======================
Case: [case name]
Date: [date]
DOCUMENTS FOUND: X
- documentcloud_indictment.pdf (2.3 MB) - DocumentCloud
- courtlistener_complaint.pdf (1.1 MB) - CourtListener
- doj_press_release.pdf (0.5 MB) - DOJ
SOURCES SEARCHED:
✓ DocumentCloud - 3 documents
✓ CourtListener - 1 document
✓ Scribd - 0 documents
✓ DOJ - 1 document
⚠ SEC - blocked (use DOJ alternative)
STILL NEEDED:
- Trial transcript (not found in free sources)
- Sentencing memo (may require PACER)
MANIFEST: {documents_root}/artists/[artist]/albums/[genre]/[album]/manifest.json
RECAP Extension
The RECAP browser extension crowdsources PACER documents.
What it does:
- When anyone views a PACER document, RECAP uploads it to CourtListener
- You can then download for free
Location: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/tools/extensions/recap-extension/
Setup:
cd tools/extensions
curl -L "https://github.com/freelawproject/recap-chrome/releases/download/2.8.6/chrome-release.zip" -o recap.zip
unzip recap.zip -d recap-extension
rm recap.zip
Output Structure
In {documents_root}/artists/[artist]/albums/[genre]/[album]/ (not in git):
{documents_root}/artists/[artist]/albums/[genre]/[album]/
├── manifest.json # Complete catalog with metadata
├── documentcloud_*.pdf # From DocumentCloud
├── courtlistener_*.pdf # From CourtListener
├── doj_*.pdf # From DOJ
└── download-documents.py # Reproducibility script
In {content_root}/.../[album]/SOURCES.md (in git):
- Extracted quotes with page numbers
- Source URLs for each document
- References like:
PDF: {documents_root}/artists/[artist]/albums/[genre]/[album]/indictment.pdf
Manifest Format
{
"case_name": "Dorr et al. v. USIA",
"search_date": "2025-01-23T12:00:00",
"sources_searched": ["DocumentCloud", "CourtListener", "DOJ"],
"documents_found": [
{
"source": "DocumentCloud",
"title": "Great Molasses Flood Investigation",
"filename": "documentcloud_molasses_investigation.pdf",
"url": "https://...",
"size": 2400000
}
]
}
Troubleshooting
Site Blocked
- SEC.gov: Use DOJ press releases instead (link to same docs)
- Scribd: May need account; create or skip
- CourtListener: If RECAP doesn't have it, doc requires PACER
No Results Found
- Try alternate search terms (party names, case numbers)
- Check if case is too old (pre-digital archives)
- Some cases have documents sealed
Download Fails
- Check if site requires login
- Try direct URL download instead of button click
- Check for rate limiting
Remember
- Exhaust free sources first - PACER charges per page
- Save metadata - URLs, dates, sources for citation
- Don't commit PDFs - Too large for Git
- Verify downloads - Ensure content matches expected document
- Report gaps - Note what couldn't be found for manual follow-up
Source
git clone https://github.com/bitwize-music-studio/claude-ai-music-skills/blob/main/skills/document-hunter/SKILL.mdView on GitHub Overview
Document-hunter uses Playwright to search free public archives and download primary-source documents such as court filings, government reports, and public records. It navigates sources like DocumentCloud, CourtListener, Scribd, Justia, DOJ, and SEC, then organizes results with a manifest so researchers have provenance and gaps.
How This Skill Works
When invoked, it identifies the needed documents from a case name or research brief and runs a two-phase workflow: fast direct downloads when possible, then browser-based extraction for rendered pages. It saves PDFs to a structured path under documents_root and creates a manifest with quotes, source URLs, and references to PDF locations.
When to Use It
- You need primary-source documents for a legal case (court filings, opinions) from multiple free archives.
- You’re researching government reports, indictments, or public records and need verifiable sources.
- You must gather documents from DocumentCloud, CourtListener, Scribd, Justia, DOJ, and SEC and compare findings.
- The source site uses dynamic content or anti-bot protections, requiring robust Playwright automation.
- You want an auditable artifact: a manifest containing provenance, quotes with page numbers, and external URLs.
Quick Start
- Step 1: Install Playwright and dependencies: pip install playwright beautifulsoup4 requests; then run playwright install chromium.
- Step 2: Resolve storage path: call resolve_path("documents", album_slug) to get {documents_root}/artists/.../albums/... and mkdir -p the directory.
- Step 3: Run the search script to fetch documents, download PDFs, and generate a manifest with provenance.
Best Practices
- Start with direct downloads to capture PDFs quickly; use browser automation for rendered content as a fallback.
- Verify downloaded PDFs match expected content; rely on checksums or page-quoted extracts when possible.
- Store primary-source PDFs outside Git (per the guidance) in the designated documents_root.
- Create a detailed manifest per album: include extracted quotes with page numbers, source URLs, and PDF references.
- Apply multiple strategies per site; if one method fails, try an alternative approach or site-pattern.
Example Use Cases
- Retrieve DOJ indictments and SEC settlements as primary-source PDFs for a criminal case analysis.
- Collect appellate opinions from Justia to support civil litigation research.
- Assemble court filings from CourtListener for investigative reporting on a high-profile matter.
- Gather public documents hosted on DocumentCloud to corroborate newsroom findings.
- Compile government reports and press releases from DOJ/SEC and similar sites for policy analysis.