network-request-auditing

Network Request Auditing

Deep-dive network health using the cursor-ide-browser MCP. This skill focuses on browser_network_requests — not just “any 500s” but patterns that indicate bugs, waste, or security issues.

How it works

1. Drive the app in the browser (navigate, click, submit forms) so real requests fire.
2. Call browser_network_requests after meaningful interactions (and after navigation settles).
3. Classify and report findings using the criteria below.

Follow cursor-ide-browser workflow rules: use browser_snapshot before structural interactions; after actions that change the page, take a fresh snapshot before the next interaction.

Audit checklist

Failures

• 4xx / 5xx — list method, URL (path + query), status, and whether the UI handled the error.
• CORS or network errors — often misconfigured origins or mixed content.

Performance

• Slow requests — flag requests with high latency (e.g. > 500 ms server time if timings are visible; otherwise note unusually large waterfalls).
• Duplicate calls — same URL + method fired multiple times in one user action (often a React effect or missing deduplication).
• Oversized payloads — responses that look huge for what the UI needs (suggest pagination, field selection, or compression).

Security and privacy

• Sensitive data in URLs — tokens or PII in query strings.
• Missing auth — API calls that should send credentials or bearer tokens but do not (compare with adjacent authenticated calls).

Correctness

• Unexpected hosts — calls to third parties not documented for the feature (trackers, accidental leaks).
• Preflight storms — excessive OPTIONS requests may indicate wrong CORS caching or too many distinct origins.

Steps

1. Start from a clean navigation — browser_navigate to the target URL (or use an existing tab via browser_tabs).

2. Exercise the feature — interactions that trigger API usage (filters, infinite scroll, form save, modal open).

3. Fetch network log — browser_network_requests after each logical step if the page does multiple round-trips.

4. Report — structured output:

   • Summary counts (failed, slow, duplicate groups).
   • Table or bullet list of issues with URL pattern (not necessarily full secrets), status, category (failure / perf / security / correctness).
   • Recommended next code changes or investigations.

Notes

• Iframe traffic may not appear in the same log — note if the feature runs inside an iframe.
• Compare against expected API design; a 404 might be correct for “optional resource not found” if handled in UI.
• Pair with browser_console_messages for errors that do not surface as failed HTTP (e.g. parse errors after 200).