SearchLog: A Web Browser Extension for Capturing Search Logs in Laboratory Studies
2026-06-03 • Information Retrieval
Information Retrieval
AI summaryⓘ
The authors created SearchLog, a simple browser tool to collect detailed data on how people search the web during lab studies. It records actions like typing, clicking, scrolling, and tab switching while users do real searches, also capturing AI-generated summaries when available. The data is saved in an organized way to help researchers analyze behaviors such as changing queries, time spent on pages, and interaction with AI content. This tool aims to help study how people use both regular and AI-enhanced search engines naturally.
search logsweb browser extensionuser interaction dataquery reformulationdwell timescroll behaviortab switchingAI-generated summariessearch behaviorJSON event stream
Authors
Jiaman He, Riccardo Xia, Dana McKay, Damiano Spina, Johanne R. Trippas
Abstract
Natural search logs are valuable for studying search behavior in information seeking settings. We present SearchLog, an easy-to-install web browser extension for collecting natural search logs during lab-based studies. SearchLog allows participants to search the open web using a browser while recording structured interaction data across mouse, keyboard, search activity, and browser state modules. The extension captures clicks, scrolling, hovered text, typed words, search queries, result rankings, AI-generated summaries when available, tab activity, and window changes. A local Flask backend stores each session as an ordered JSON event stream, with HTML snapshots and preprocessed search result data for later analysis. These logs can be used to derive measures such as query reformulation, page visits, dwell time, scroll behavior, tab switching, search path complexity, and exposure to AI-generated search content. By supporting natural browser-based search with structured experimental metadata, SearchLog provides a reusable resource to study search behavior across traditional and AI-enhanced search interfaces.