feat(agent): search_documents tool — the model can grep the indexed documents for an exact string

.agent/reports/67_llm_retry/67_llm_retry__00_phase.a1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+**Phase 67 final verification — all green (no defects found; one commit-hygiene fix).**
+
+- Verified all 5 task deliverables in place: `BOR_LLM_RETRIES`/`BOR_LLM_RETRY_DELAY` settings + validators, `chat_stream_retried`/`RetryPiece` in `app/rag/llm.py`, embedding loop + deflected-stream retry + `ChatRetryEvent` in `app/api/chat.py`, per-round retry in `run_agent`, `retry` branch in `app.js`, mock failure injection, `.env.example` docs.
+- Fixed: the task-05 file move + harness reports were uncommitted — amended the phase commit to include them (house convention: one atomic commit per phase, per phase 66).
+- `uv run pytest --cov=app --cov-report=term-missing` → **1281 passed**, TOTAL **99%** (>90% ✓)
+- `uv run ruff check . && uv run pyright` → **All checks passed / 0 errors**
+- `uv run pytest tests/e2e/test_llm_retry.py -v --no-cov` → **4 passed** (dead-then-recovered deflected + grounded, embedding retry, exhaustion → error banner; DB up)
+- Regressions in isolation: `test_chat_rag` 3 ✓, `test_agent_document_tools` 4 ✓, `test_stop_generation` 3 ✓, `test_retry_answer` 4 ✓
+
+Completion criteria: (1) env knobs honored e2e + documented ✓ (2) recovered→completed turn with "retrying (n of N)…" status, dead→terminal banner after N ✓ (3) post-token failure → `error`, no retry/duplication ✓ (4) suite/coverage/lint ✓ (5) retry E2E isolated ✓ (6) regression E2E ✓ (7) one `--no-gpg-sign` commit `88293ed`, tasks 01–05 in `complete/` (overview move left to harness) ✓.
+No deviations. Next pending phase: **`68_search_tool`**.

.agent/reports/67_llm_retry/67_llm_retry__00_phase.a1.validate

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+........................................................................ [  5%]
+........................................................................ [ 11%]
+........................................................................ [ 16%]
+........................................................................ [ 22%]
+........................................................................ [ 28%]
+........................................................................ [ 33%]
+........................................................................ [ 39%]
+........................................................................ [ 44%]
+........................................................................ [ 50%]
+........................................................................ [ 56%]
+........................................................................ [ 61%]
+........................................................................ [ 67%]
+........................................................................ [ 73%]
+........................................................................ [ 78%]
+........................................................................ [ 84%]
+........................................................................ [ 89%]
+........................................................................ [ 95%]
+.........................................................                [100%]
+=============================== warnings summary ===============================
+.venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages/fastapi/testclient.py:1
+  /var/home/ducoterra/Projects/Personal/brain_of_reese/.venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages/fastapi/testclient.py:1: StarletteDeprecationWarning: Using `httpx` with `starlette.testclient` is deprecated; install `httpx2` instead.
+    from starlette.testclient import TestClient as TestClient  # noqa
+
+-- Docs: https://docs.pytest.org/en/stable/how-to/capture-warnings.html
+================================ tests coverage ================================
+_______________ coverage: platform linux, python 3.13.13-final-0 _______________
+
+Name                        Stmts   Miss  Cover
+-----------------------------------------------
+app/__init__.py                 1      0   100%
+app/api/__init__.py             0      0   100%
+app/api/auth.py                22      0   100%
+app/api/chat.py               147      0   100%
+app/api/chats.py              110      0   100%
+app/api/config.py               7      0   100%
+app/api/doc_drafts.py          93      0   100%
+app/api/docs.py                50      0   100%
+app/api/git_sources.py        181      0   100%
+app/api/health.py              10      0   100%
+app/api/steering.py            42      0   100%
+app/api/suggestions.py          8      0   100%
+app/api/sync.py               101      0   100%
+app/config.py                 126      0   100%
+app/core/__init__.py            0      0   100%
+app/core/auth.py               20      0   100%
+app/core/caching.py           108      0   100%
+app/core/debugging.py          29      2    93%
+app/core/docs_push.py          39      0   100%
+app/core/logging.py            13      0   100%
+app/db.py                      21      0   100%
+app/main.py                    52      0   100%
+app/models.py                  86      0   100%
+app/rag/__init__.py             0      0   100%
+app/rag/agent.py               78      0   100%
+app/rag/archive_upload.py     128      0   100%
+app/rag/chunker.py            206      4    98%
+app/rag/git_sources.py         14      0   100%
+app/rag/importer.py           180      3    98%
+app/rag/llm.py                213      0   100%
+app/rag/overview.py            71      0   100%
+app/rag/prompts.py             65      0   100%
+app/rag/retriever.py           94      3    97%
+app/rag/sources_meta.py        16      0   100%
+app/rag/suggestions.py         27      0   100%
+app/rag/summarizer.py          24      0   100%
+app/schemas.py                205      0   100%
+-----------------------------------------------
+TOTAL                        2587     12    99%
+coverage gate: app/ 99% (>90%) OK
+All checks passed!
+0 errors, 0 warnings, 0 informations
+validation OK

.agent/reports/68_search_tool/68_search_tool__01_search_tool_backend.a1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+All green. Final report:
+
+**Phase 68, Task 01 — `search_documents` backend: complete**
+
+- `app/rag/agent.py`: third `AGENT_TOOLS` entry `search_documents` (required `pattern`, optional `source`/`path` with phase-63 labeled-field wording); constants `SEARCH_MAX_MATCHES=20`, `SEARCH_LINE_LIMIT=200`, `MISSING_SEARCH_ARGS`, `NO_MATCHES(_SCOPED)`; module-level `grep_document` (case-insensitive fixed substring, 1-based, rstripped) and `all_documents` (bulk `select(Document)` ordered by source,path — chosen over N+1 `find_document` calls); `_execute_tool` branch (after `read_document`, before `UNKNOWN_TOOL`): validated pattern, half-specified target fails loud, scoped via `find_document`, global 20-cap in catalog order with early stop, 200-char line truncation, pattern truncated to 100 chars in no-match lines; search never touches `read_docs`; docstring updated (3 tools; search = locator).
+- No-match search **counts** as an executed call (`tool_calls += 1`) — a result, not a refusal, matching the `list_documents` "0 documents:" precedent; only missing/invalid args and unknown scoped doc are uncounted refusals.
+- Tests: 11 new unit tests (+ updated `AGENT_TOOLS` pin) in `tests/unit/test_agent.py`; 6 new integration tests in `tests/integration/test_agent_tools.py` (incl. scripted `ToolCallPiece` through `run_agent` against real Postgres).
+
+Results:
+- `uv run pytest tests/unit/test_agent.py tests/integration/test_agent_tools.py -v` → 56 passed
+- `uv run pytest --cov=app` → 1305 passed; TOTAL coverage 99% (>90%; `agent.py` 100%)
+- `uv run ruff check .` → clean; `uv run pyright` → 0 errors
+- Regression E2E in isolation: `test_agent_document_tools.py` 4 passed; `test_agent_unlimited_tools.py` 4 passed
+
+No deviations from locked A5/A6. No commit — the phase commit belongs to task 03. Next pending task: `.agent/phases/todo/68_search_tool/02_search_tool_api_ui.md`.

.agent/reports/68_search_tool/68_search_tool__01_search_tool_backend.a1.validate

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+........................................................................ [  5%]
+........................................................................ [ 11%]
+........................................................................ [ 16%]
+........................................................................ [ 22%]
+........................................................................ [ 27%]
+........................................................................ [ 33%]
+........................................................................ [ 38%]
+........................................................................ [ 44%]
+........................................................................ [ 49%]
+........................................................................ [ 55%]
+........................................................................ [ 60%]
+........................................................................ [ 66%]
+........................................................................ [ 71%]
+........................................................................ [ 77%]
+........................................................................ [ 82%]
+........................................................................ [ 88%]
+........................................................................ [ 93%]
+........................................................................ [ 99%]
+.........                                                                [100%]
+=============================== warnings summary ===============================
+.venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages/fastapi/testclient.py:1
+  /var/home/ducoterra/Projects/Personal/brain_of_reese/.venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages/fastapi/testclient.py:1: StarletteDeprecationWarning: Using `httpx` with `starlette.testclient` is deprecated; install `httpx2` instead.
+    from starlette.testclient import TestClient as TestClient  # noqa
+
+-- Docs: https://docs.pytest.org/en/stable/how-to/capture-warnings.html
+================================ tests coverage ================================
+_______________ coverage: platform linux, python 3.13.13-final-0 _______________
+
+Name                        Stmts   Miss  Cover
+-----------------------------------------------
+app/__init__.py                 1      0   100%
+app/api/__init__.py             0      0   100%
+app/api/auth.py                22      0   100%
+app/api/chat.py               147      0   100%
+app/api/chats.py              110      0   100%
+app/api/config.py               7      0   100%
+app/api/doc_drafts.py          93      0   100%
+app/api/docs.py                50      0   100%
+app/api/git_sources.py        181      0   100%
+app/api/health.py              10      0   100%
+app/api/steering.py            42      0   100%
+app/api/suggestions.py          8      0   100%
+app/api/sync.py               101      0   100%
+app/config.py                 126      0   100%
+app/core/__init__.py            0      0   100%
+app/core/auth.py               20      0   100%
+app/core/caching.py           108      0   100%
+app/core/debugging.py          29      2    93%
+app/core/docs_push.py          39      0   100%
+app/core/logging.py            13      0   100%
+app/db.py                      21      0   100%
+app/main.py                    52      0   100%
+app/models.py                  86      0   100%
+app/rag/__init__.py             0      0   100%
+app/rag/agent.py              120      0   100%
+app/rag/archive_upload.py     128      0   100%
+app/rag/chunker.py            206      4    98%
+app/rag/git_sources.py         14      0   100%
+app/rag/importer.py           180      3    98%
+app/rag/llm.py                213      0   100%
+app/rag/overview.py            71      0   100%
+app/rag/prompts.py             65      0   100%
+app/rag/retriever.py           94      3    97%
+app/rag/sources_meta.py        16      0   100%
+app/rag/suggestions.py         27      0   100%
+app/rag/summarizer.py          24      0   100%
+app/schemas.py                205      0   100%
+-----------------------------------------------
+TOTAL                        2629     12    99%
+coverage gate: app/ 99% (>90%) OK
+All checks passed!
+0 errors, 0 warnings, 0 informations
+validation OK

.agent/reports/68_search_tool/68_search_tool__02_search_tool_api_ui.a1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+All green. Task complete — here's the report:
+
+**Implemented (task 02 — SSE mapping + frontend search status/tool line):**
+- `app/api/chat.py`: `ToolCallPiece` branch now maps `search_documents` → `argument = pattern` (non-string pattern → null); `read_document`/`list_documents` shapes byte-identical; module docstring updated
+- `app/schemas.py`: `ChatToolEvent` docstring/comments — third tool name, `argument` = path/pattern/null
+- `frontend/assets/app.js`: status ternary gains locked `…is searching for ${argument}` branch (gated on name+argument, read→search→listing order); `appendToolLine` gains `🔎 Searching for <code>` branch (pattern-as-data via textContent, listing stays the else); header comments updated; persistence/restore already generic (`{name, argument}`)
+- Tests: JS pins extended in `tests/unit/test_frontend_tool_states.py` (status gate+order, search branch `<code>` pin, generic `toolAcc.push({ name, argument })`); new integration test in `test_chat_api.py` (pattern frame + non-string→null + no source added); emoji guard in `test_api.py` extended for the third owner-locked tool-line literal
+- Notable: status/tool-line strings follow the task's exact code (no literal quotes); no deviations from locked decisions
+
+**Results:**
+- `uv run pytest` → **1306 passed**, exit 0; coverage TOTAL **99%** (>90% gate)
+- `uv run ruff check . && uv run pyright` → clean (0 errors)
+- `uv run pytest tests/unit/test_frontend_tool_states.py tests/integration/test_chat_api.py -v` → 32 passed
+- Regression sanity: `uv run pytest tests/e2e/test_agent_document_tools.py -v --no-cov` → 4 passed
+
+**Next pending task:** `.agent/phases/todo/68_search_tool/03_e2e_and_commit.md` (E2E suite + commit + phase move)

.agent/reports/68_search_tool/68_search_tool__02_search_tool_api_ui.a1.validate

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+........................................................................ [  5%]
+........................................................................ [ 11%]
+........................................................................ [ 16%]
+........................................................................ [ 22%]
+........................................................................ [ 27%]
+........................................................................ [ 33%]
+........................................................................ [ 38%]
+........................................................................ [ 44%]
+........................................................................ [ 49%]
+........................................................................ [ 55%]
+........................................................................ [ 60%]
+........................................................................ [ 66%]
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+........................................................................ [ 77%]
+........................................................................ [ 82%]
+........................................................................ [ 88%]
+........................................................................ [ 93%]
+........................................................................ [ 99%]
+..........                                                               [100%]
+=============================== warnings summary ===============================
+.venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages/fastapi/testclient.py:1
+  /var/home/ducoterra/Projects/Personal/brain_of_reese/.venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages/fastapi/testclient.py:1: StarletteDeprecationWarning: Using `httpx` with `starlette.testclient` is deprecated; install `httpx2` instead.
+    from starlette.testclient import TestClient as TestClient  # noqa
+
+-- Docs: https://docs.pytest.org/en/stable/how-to/capture-warnings.html
+================================ tests coverage ================================
+_______________ coverage: platform linux, python 3.13.13-final-0 _______________
+
+Name                        Stmts   Miss  Cover
+-----------------------------------------------
+app/__init__.py                 1      0   100%
+app/api/__init__.py             0      0   100%
+app/api/auth.py                22      0   100%
+app/api/chat.py               153      0   100%
+app/api/chats.py              110      0   100%
+app/api/config.py               7      0   100%
+app/api/doc_drafts.py          93      0   100%
+app/api/docs.py                50      0   100%
+app/api/git_sources.py        181      0   100%
+app/api/health.py              10      0   100%
+app/api/steering.py            42      0   100%
+app/api/suggestions.py          8      0   100%
+app/api/sync.py               101      0   100%
+app/config.py                 126      0   100%
+app/core/__init__.py            0      0   100%
+app/core/auth.py               20      0   100%
+app/core/caching.py           108      0   100%
+app/core/debugging.py          29      2    93%
+app/core/docs_push.py          39      0   100%
+app/core/logging.py            13      0   100%
+app/db.py                      21      0   100%
+app/main.py                    52      0   100%
+app/models.py                  86      0   100%
+app/rag/__init__.py             0      0   100%
+app/rag/agent.py              120      0   100%
+app/rag/archive_upload.py     128      0   100%
+app/rag/chunker.py            206      4    98%
+app/rag/git_sources.py         14      0   100%
+app/rag/importer.py           180      3    98%
+app/rag/llm.py                213      0   100%
+app/rag/overview.py            71      0   100%
+app/rag/prompts.py             65      0   100%
+app/rag/retriever.py           94      3    97%
+app/rag/sources_meta.py        16      0   100%
+app/rag/suggestions.py         27      0   100%
+app/rag/summarizer.py          24      0   100%
+app/schemas.py                205      0   100%
+-----------------------------------------------
+TOTAL                        2635     12    99%
+coverage gate: app/ 99% (>90%) OK
+All checks passed!
+0 errors, 0 warnings, 0 informations
+validation OK

app/api/chat.py

@@ -49,25 +49,30 @@ outline (0 when absent) and the per-turn log line records
 
 Agent document tools (phase 37, PLAN §4 extension, owner permission
 2026-08-26; phase 45 removed the per-tool budgets — owner permission
-2026-08-27): a **grounded** turn (``not plan.deflected``) no longer
+2026-08-27; phase 68 added the ``search_documents`` grep): a
-streams a bare ``chat_stream`` — it runs the agent loop
+**grounded** turn (``not plan.deflected``) no longer streams a bare
-(``app.rag.agent.run_agent``), which offers the model the two
+``chat_stream`` — it runs the agent loop (``app.rag.agent.run_agent``),
-server-side tools ``list_documents`` / ``read_document`` for the whole
+which offers the model the three server-side tools
-turn (as many calls as the model wants, re-lists included) until it
+``list_documents`` / ``read_document`` / ``search_documents`` for the
-answers or the round cap (``BOR_AGENT_MAX_ROUNDS``, default 10) forces
+whole turn (as many calls as the model wants, re-lists and re-searches
-one final no-tools answer. Each model-requested call streams as an SSE
+included) until it answers or the round cap (``BOR_AGENT_MAX_ROUNDS``,
-``tool`` event — ``{"type": "tool", "name": …, "argument":
+default 10) forces one final no-tools answer. Each model-requested call
-"source/path" | null}`` — ahead of the answer's ``delta`` frames.
+streams as an SSE ``tool`` event — ``{"type": "tool", "name": …,
-``done.sources``, ``query_log.sources`` and the per-turn log line all
+"argument": "source/path" | pattern | null}`` — ahead of the answer's
-report the same combined source list (retrieval docs + the agent's
+``delta`` frames: ``argument`` is the read document's path for
-read docs, deduped by ``(source, path)``, order preserved), and the log
+``read_document``, the raw search pattern for ``search_documents``
-line records ``tool_calls=N`` after ``thinking_chars=N`` (PLAN §9 line
+(a non-string pattern — a model error the backend refuses — yields
-extension — ``N`` counts executed tool calls; rejected calls do not
+null), and null for ``list_documents``. ``done.sources``,
-count). **Deflected turns keep the direct ``chat_stream`` —
+``query_log.sources`` and the per-turn log line all report the same
-byte-identical to the pre-phase path (A8):** the LOW prompt never
+combined source list (retrieval docs + the agent's read docs, deduped
-carries tools, and with ``agent_max_rounds`` at **0** ``run_agent``
+by ``(source, path)``, order preserved — a search adds no source; it is
-makes exactly one ``tools=None`` request, reproducing the pre-phase
+a locator, locked A5), and the log line records ``tool_calls=N`` after
-behavior (the kill switch).
+``thinking_chars=N`` (PLAN §9 line extension — ``N`` counts executed
+tool calls; rejected calls do not count). **Deflected turns keep the
+direct ``chat_stream`` — byte-identical to the pre-phase path (A8):**
+the LOW prompt never carries tools, and with ``agent_max_rounds`` at
+**0** ``run_agent`` makes exactly one ``tools=None`` request,
+reproducing the pre-phase behavior (the kill switch).
 
 LLM retries (phase 67, ``BOR_LLM_RETRIES`` / ``BOR_LLM_RETRY_DELAY``,
 owner-locked 2026-09-01): when the aipi endpoint dies before a request
@@ -396,18 +401,22 @@ async def chat(
                 async for piece in answer_stream:  # StreamPiece | ToolCallPiece | RetryPiece
                     if isinstance(piece, ToolCallPiece):
                         # Phase 37 (PLAN §4 extension): one SSE ``tool``
-                        # frame per model-requested call; ``argument`` is
+                        # frame per model-requested call. ``argument`` is
-                        # the read_document "source/path" (null
+                        # the read_document "source/path"; phase 68
-                        # otherwise).
+                        # extends it with the search_documents pattern
+                        # (a non-string pattern — a model error the
+                        # backend refuses — is null); null otherwise.
+                        if piece.name == "read_document":
+                            argument = (
+                                f"{piece.arguments.get('source')}/{piece.arguments.get('path')}"
+                            )
+                        elif piece.name == "search_documents":
+                            pattern = piece.arguments.get("pattern")
+                            argument = pattern if isinstance(pattern, str) else None
+                        else:
+                            argument = None
                         yield sse_event(
-                            ChatToolEvent(
+                            ChatToolEvent(name=piece.name, argument=argument).model_dump()
-                                name=piece.name,
-                                argument=(
-                                    f"{piece.arguments.get('source')}/{piece.arguments.get('path')}"
-                                    if piece.name == "read_document"
-                                    else None
-                                ),
-                            ).model_dump()
                         )
                         continue
                     if isinstance(piece, RetryPiece):

app/rag/agent.py

@@ -15,27 +15,38 @@ probe came back "supported".
 Loop contract (one grounded chat turn; the API layer wires this in,
 task 04):
 
-1. The model is offered the two OpenAI functions in :data:`AGENT_TOOLS`
+1. The model is offered the three OpenAI functions in :data:`AGENT_TOOLS`
    for the whole turn — phase 45 removed the phase-37 per-tool budgets
    (owner permission 2026-08-27, ``TODO.md`` L8: "allow the LLM to make
-   as many tool calls as it wants"): ``list_documents`` and
+   as many tool calls as it wants"): ``list_documents``,
-   ``read_document`` can each be called as many times as the model needs,
+   ``read_document`` and ``search_documents`` can each be called as many
-   re-lists included. With ``settings.agent_max_rounds``
+   times as the model needs, re-lists and re-searches included. With
-   (``BOR_AGENT_MAX_ROUNDS``, default 10) at 0 the loop makes exactly one
+   ``settings.agent_max_rounds`` (``BOR_AGENT_MAX_ROUNDS``, default 10)
-   request with ``tools=None`` — byte-identical to the pre-phase-37 chat
+   at 0 the loop makes exactly one request with ``tools=None`` —
-   path (the kill switch).
+   byte-identical to the pre-phase-37 chat path (the kill switch).
 2. Each tool call the model emits is executed server-side against
    Postgres only (no LLM, no network): ``list_documents`` returns the
    indexed catalog — one ``source: X | path: Y | title: Z`` line per
    document (phase 63: labeled fields — unambiguous for LLM parsing),
    ``GET /api/docs`` order (uncapped in v1; the UI never shows it, only
-   the model does) — and ``read_document`` returns the document's **full**
+   the model does) — ``read_document`` returns the document's **full**
-   content (A7-revised contract: never truncated).
+   content (A7-revised contract: never truncated) — and
+   ``search_documents`` greps the indexed documents (or one named
+   document) for a case-insensitive fixed substring and returns up to 20
+   ``source/path:line: text`` match lines (owner-locked A5, phase 68),
+   each line truncated to 200 chars. A search is a **locator**, not a
+   context-adder: it never appends to the answer context (only
+   ``read_document`` does — ``holder.read_docs`` is untouched by a
+   search).
 3. Rejected calls get a one-line refusal and count in nothing
    (``holder.tool_calls`` tracks executed calls only): unknown tool name
-   → ``"Unknown tool."``; missing ``source``/``path`` arguments; a
+   → ``"Unknown tool."``; missing ``source``/``path`` arguments; a search
-   document already in context (seed or previously read) → ``"Already in
+   without a usable ``pattern`` (missing, blank or non-string) or with a
-   your context."``; an unknown ``source/path`` → ``"No document at …"``.
+   half-specified ``source``/``path`` target; a document already in
+   context (seed or previously read) → ``"Already in your
+   context."``; an unknown ``source/path`` (read or scoped search) →
+   ``"No document at …"``. A search that ran but found nothing is NOT a
+   rejection — its ``"No matches for …"`` line is a (counted) result.
    A rejected call still consumes a *round* in the loop, so a
    pathological stream that keeps emitting rejected calls is bounded by
    the cap (point 4).
@@ -65,7 +76,8 @@ task 04):
    exactly one round. With ``settings.llm_retries=0`` every request is a
    single plain attempt (the pre-phase-67 path).
 
-The DB accessors (:func:`list_catalog`, :func:`find_document`) are
+The DB accessors (:func:`list_catalog`, :func:`find_document`,
+:func:`all_documents`) and the :func:`grep_document` line matcher are
 module-level functions so unit tests can monkeypatch them without a
 database.
 """
@@ -92,10 +104,11 @@ from app.rag.llm import (
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("app.agent")
 
-#: The two agent tools (phase 37): OpenAI function definitions passed as
+#: The three agent tools (phase 37; ``search_documents`` added in phase
-#: ``tools=AGENT_TOOLS`` to ``chat_stream`` for the whole grounded turn —
+#: 68): OpenAI function definitions passed as ``tools=AGENT_TOOLS`` to
-#: phase 45 removed the per-tool budgets; the round cap
+#: ``chat_stream`` for the whole grounded turn — phase 45 removed the
-#: (``BOR_AGENT_MAX_ROUNDS``) is the only bound.
+#: per-tool budgets; the round cap (``BOR_AGENT_MAX_ROUNDS``) is the only
+#: bound.
 AGENT_TOOLS: list[dict[str, Any]] = [
     {
         "type": "function",
@@ -140,6 +153,49 @@ AGENT_TOOLS: list[dict[str, Any]] = [
             },
         },
     },
+    {
+        "type": "function",
+        "function": {
+            "name": "search_documents",
+            "description": (
+                "Search every indexed document for an exact string "
+                "(case-insensitive) and return up to 20 matching lines as "
+                "'source/path:line: text' — use this to locate content, "
+                "then read_document the winner. Optionally pass 'source' "
+                "and 'path' (as shown in list_documents) to search one "
+                "document only."
+            ),
+            "parameters": {
+                "type": "object",
+                "properties": {
+                    "pattern": {
+                        "type": "string",
+                        "description": (
+                            "The exact text to search for (a plain "
+                            "substring, not a regex)"
+                        ),
+                    },
+                    "source": {
+                        "type": "string",
+                        "description": (
+                            "The document's source, as shown after 'source: ' in the "
+                            "list_documents output (e.g. 'Homelab' from "
+                            "'source: Homelab | path: homelab/aws-route53.md')."
+                        ),
+                    },
+                    "path": {
+                        "type": "string",
+                        "description": (
+                            "The document's path, as shown after 'path: ' in the "
+                            "list_documents output (e.g. 'homelab/aws-route53.md' from "
+                            "'source: Homelab | path: homelab/aws-route53.md')."
+                        ),
+                    },
+                },
+                "required": ["pattern"],
+            },
+        },
+    },
 ]
 
 #: Tool refusal texts (phase 37): rejected calls count in nothing
@@ -148,6 +204,19 @@ AGENT_TOOLS: list[dict[str, Any]] = [
 ALREADY_IN_CONTEXT = "Already in your context."
 UNKNOWN_TOOL = "Unknown tool."
 MISSING_READ_ARGS = "read_document requires string arguments 'source' and 'path'."
+MISSING_SEARCH_ARGS = "search_documents requires a string argument 'pattern'."
+
+#: Search caps (owner-locked A5, phase 68): a global per-call match cap
+#: (across documents, in catalog order) and a per-match-line char limit.
+SEARCH_MAX_MATCHES = 20
+SEARCH_LINE_LIMIT = 200
+
+#: No-match result lines (templates — the pattern is truncated to 100
+#: chars before formatting, to keep a long pattern from bloating the
+#: tool result). A no-match line is a *result* of an executed search,
+#: not a refusal (see the module docstring, point 3).
+NO_MATCHES = "No matches for '{pattern}' in the knowledge base."
+NO_MATCHES_SCOPED = "No matches for '{pattern}' in {source}/{path}."
 
 
 def list_catalog(db: Session) -> list[tuple[str, str, str]]:
@@ -174,6 +243,37 @@ def find_document(db: Session, source: str, path: str) -> Document | None:
     )
 
 
+def all_documents(db: Session) -> list[Document]:
+    """Every indexed document (full rows), ordered by ``(source, path)``
+    — catalog order.
+
+    The whole-KB ``search_documents`` path loads all contents in this one
+    bulk query (catalog order is the locked match order, owner-locked A5).
+    Module-level (not a method) so unit tests can monkeypatch it.
+    """
+    return list(
+        db.execute(
+            select(Document).order_by(Document.source, Document.path)
+        ).scalars()
+    )
+
+
+def grep_document(content: str, pattern: str) -> list[tuple[int, str]]:
+    """Every line of *content* that contains *pattern*, in file order.
+
+    Case-insensitive **fixed substring** (owner-locked A5: no regex — no
+    ReDoS surface, a simple contract for the model). Returns
+    ``(1-based line number, line.rstrip())`` pairs; an empty *content*
+    never matches a non-empty pattern.
+    """
+    needle = pattern.lower()
+    return [
+        (number, line.rstrip())
+        for number, line in enumerate(content.split("\n"), start=1)
+        if needle in line.lower()
+    ]
+
+
 @dataclass
 class AgentHolder:
     """Per-turn agent state the API layer reads after the stream (task 04).
@@ -200,8 +300,11 @@ def _execute_tool(
 
     Returns the tool result text. A successful call bumps
     ``holder.tool_calls`` (a successful read also appends the
-    :class:`Document` to ``holder.read_docs``); rejected calls return
+    :class:`Document` to ``holder.read_docs``; a search never does — it
-    their refusal line and count in nothing.
+    is a locator, locked A5); rejected calls return their refusal line
+    and count in nothing. A search that ran but found nothing is still a
+    successful (counted) call — its no-match line is a result, not a
+    refusal.
     """
     if call.name == "list_documents":
         rows = list_catalog(db)
@@ -229,6 +332,49 @@ def _execute_tool(
         holder.read_docs.append(doc)
         holder.tool_calls += 1
         return f"Document {source}/{path}:\n{doc.content}"
+    if call.name == "search_documents":
+        raw_pattern = call.arguments.get("pattern")
+        pattern = raw_pattern.strip() if isinstance(raw_pattern, str) else ""
+        if not pattern:
+            return MISSING_SEARCH_ARGS
+        raw_source = call.arguments.get("source")
+        raw_path = call.arguments.get("path")
+        source = raw_source.strip() if isinstance(raw_source, str) else ""
+        path = raw_path.strip() if isinstance(raw_path, str) else ""
+        if (source == "") != (path == ""):
+            # A half-specified target is a model error — fail loud with
+            # the missing-args refusal instead of silently widening to a
+            # whole-KB search (house style).
+            return MISSING_SEARCH_ARGS
+        if source:
+            target = find_document(db, source, path)
+            if target is None:
+                return (
+                    f"No document at {source}/{path} — check the list_documents output."
+                )
+            docs: list[Document] = [target]
+        else:
+            docs = all_documents(db)
+        matches: list[str] = []
+        for doc in docs:
+            for lineno, line in grep_document(doc.content, pattern):
+                matches.append(
+                    f"{doc.source}/{doc.path}:{lineno}: {line[:SEARCH_LINE_LIMIT]}"
+                )
+                if len(matches) >= SEARCH_MAX_MATCHES:
+                    break
+            if len(matches) >= SEARCH_MAX_MATCHES:
+                break  # the global cap is hit — stop scanning
+        holder.tool_calls += 1  # the search executed (no-match counts too)
+        # Locked A5: a search never adds context — read_docs untouched.
+        if not matches:
+            shown = pattern[:100]  # keep a long pattern short in the line
+            if source:
+                return NO_MATCHES_SCOPED.format(
+                    pattern=shown, source=source, path=path
+                )
+            return NO_MATCHES.format(pattern=shown)
+        return "\n".join(matches)
     return UNKNOWN_TOOL
 
 

app/schemas.py

@@ -71,20 +71,24 @@ class ChatThinkingEvent(BaseModel):
 class ChatToolEvent(BaseModel):
     """SSE frame for one agent tool call (phase 37, PLAN §4 extension).
 
-    A15 extension (owner permission 2026-08-26): a grounded turn may call
+    A15 extension (owner permission 2026-08-26; ``search_documents``
-    the server-side document tools (``list_documents`` / ``read_document``,
+    added in phase 68): a grounded turn may call the server-side
-    see :mod:`app.rag.agent`); each model-requested call streams as
+    document tools (``list_documents`` / ``read_document`` /
-    ``{type: "tool", name: str, argument: str | null}`` ahead of the
+    ``search_documents``, see :mod:`app.rag.agent`); each model-requested
-    answer's ``delta`` frames. ``argument`` is the read document's
+    call streams as ``{type: "tool", name: str, argument: str | null}``
-    ``"source/path"`` for ``read_document`` and null otherwise. The client
+    ahead of the answer's ``delta`` frames. ``argument`` is the read
+    document's ``"source/path"`` for ``read_document``, the search
+    pattern for ``search_documents``, and null otherwise (a non-string
+    pattern — a model error the backend refuses — is null). The client
     renders each frame as a "calling tool" line/state (phase 37 task 05);
     the ``delta`` / ``done`` shapes are unchanged — the read document is
-    reflected in ``done.sources`` instead.
+    reflected in ``done.sources`` instead (a search adds no source: it is
+    a locator, locked A5).
     """
 
     type: Literal["tool"] = "tool"
-    name: str  # "list_documents" | "read_document"
+    name: str  # "list_documents" | "read_document" | "search_documents"
-    argument: str | None = None  # "source/path" for read_document
+    argument: str | None = None  # "source/path" for read_document, pattern for search_documents
 
 
 class ChatDoneEvent(BaseModel):

frontend/assets/app.js

@@ -55,20 +55,22 @@
  * "New chat" (#new-chat-btn — bound by the shared header module,
  * phase 34 task 02) clears the key + the list back to the empty state.
  *
- * Agent tool calls (phase 37, PLAN §4 extension): a grounded turn may
+ * Agent tool calls (phase 37, PLAN §4 extension; phase 68 added
- * call the two server-side document tools (list_documents /
+ * search_documents): a grounded turn may call the three server-side
- * read_document, budgeted server-side). Each call streams a `tool` SSE
+ * document tools (list_documents / read_document / search_documents,
- * frame, and the UI shows the "calling tool" state IN ADDITION to
+ * bounded only by the round cap — phases 45/68). Each call streams a
- * "thinking": the UI state itself stays "thinking" (the button stays
+ * `tool` SSE frame, and the UI shows the "calling tool" state IN
- * the enabled "Stop" control — phase 48 — never stale, PLAN §7.4) while
+ * ADDITION to "thinking": the UI state itself stays "thinking" (the
- * the STATUS LABELS change — the #send-status + typing-indicator labels
+ * button stays the enabled "Stop" control — phase 48 — never stale,
- * say what Brain is doing ("…is listing documents" /
+ * PLAN §7.4) while the STATUS LABELS change — the #send-status +
- * "…is reading source/path" — the name prefix resolves from
+ * typing-indicator labels say what Brain is doing ("…is listing
- * window.BOR_BRAND at call time, phase 39) — the button no longer
+ * documents" / "…is reading source/path" / "…is searching for
- * relabels to "Calling tool…" (phase 48, owner-locked: it stays "Stop"
+ * pattern" — the name prefix resolves from window.BOR_BRAND at call
- * for the whole turn) — and a visible `.tool-call` line (own icon +
+ * time, phase 39) — the button no longer relabels to "Calling tool…"
- * accent color, distinct from the brand-ink Thinking block) is appended
+ * (phase 48, owner-locked: it stays "Stop" for the whole turn) — and a
- * above the answer, one per call, in order.
+ * visible `.tool-call` line (own icon + accent color, distinct from
+ * the brand-ink Thinking block) is appended above the answer, one per
+ * call, in order.
  * Append-only like thinking: frames are tolerated in any interleaving
  * (a frame after the first delta just appends — the agent loop never
  * emits one, but it must not crash). The turn record persists an
@@ -808,9 +810,9 @@ function closeThinkingBlock(wrap) {
  * interleaving with thinking frames, even after the first delta (the
  * agent loop never emits one, but a late frame must not crash) — just
  * append another line, in order. The SAME helper re-renders the
- * persisted lines on restore (phase 14 convention): the path argument
+ * persisted lines on restore (phase 14 convention): the path/pattern
- * goes through textContent, so nothing HTML-shaped can come from
+ * argument goes through textContent, so nothing HTML-shaped can come
- * storage. Lines are not interactive (no focus targets). */
+ * from storage. Lines are not interactive (no focus targets). */
 function appendToolLine(wrap, name, argument) {
   const body = wrap?.querySelector?.(".msg-body");
   if (!body) return;
@@ -832,6 +834,11 @@ function appendToolLine(wrap, name, argument) {
     const code = document.createElement("code");
     code.textContent = argument; // the path is data, never markup
     line.appendChild(code);
+  } else if (name === "search_documents" && argument) {
+    line.textContent = "🔎 Searching for ";
+    const code = document.createElement("code");
+    code.textContent = argument; // the pattern is data, never markup
+    line.appendChild(code);
   } else {
     line.textContent = "🔎 Listing documents";
   }
@@ -1936,7 +1943,9 @@ async function runTurn(text, { reask = false } = {}) {
         const toolStatus =
           name === "read_document" && argument
             ? `${brand()} is reading ${argument}`
-            : `${brand()} is listing documents`;
+            : name === "search_documents" && argument
+              ? `${brand()} is searching for ${argument}`
+              : `${brand()} is listing documents`;
         if (uiState === UI_STATE.thinking) {
           sendStatus.textContent = toolStatus;
           document

tests/e2e/mock_llm.py

@@ -100,6 +100,24 @@ Implements just enough of the aipi surface:
     offered — e.g. ``agent_max_rounds=0``) behave exactly as today.
     ``E2E_REAL_LLM=1`` ignores the mock entirely (the real model does
     what it does).
+  - user message containing ``search your documents``
+    (``SEARCH_TRIGGER``, phase 68, search tool) **and** the system
+    prompt carries the ``<tools>`` section -> the deterministic SEARCH
+    tool flow, discriminated statelessly from the messages (streaming
+    only):
+      * request 1 (``tools`` offered, no search result yet): stream
+        ONLY ``tool_calls`` deltas — ``search_documents`` with
+        ``{"pattern": SEARCH_PATTERN}`` (id ``call_0``);
+      * request 2 (a ``tool``-role search result in the messages —
+        recognizable by its ``source/path:line: text`` match lines or
+        the sentinel in its content): the content answer, deterministic:
+        ``Found <first matched line's content up to 80 chars>`` — so a
+        suite can assert the search result reached the model and landed
+        in the answer.
+    Checked BEFORE the plain ``use your tools`` flow (it is the more
+    specific phrase — same convention as ``think in paragraphs``); no
+    existing E2E question or fixture file contains the trigger, so
+    every other suite is unaffected.
   - user message containing ``show me a table`` (phase 44, markdown
     tables, TODO.md L6) -> the fixed table answer (``TABLE_ANSWER``):
     a 3-column service table, an ``<img onerror>`` XSS probe line, and
@@ -264,6 +282,24 @@ TOOLS_TRIGGER = "use your tools"
 #: so the 3-step flow is untouched.
 MULTI_READ_TRIGGER = "read two documents"
 
+#: Phase 68 (search tool, TODO.md L4): a user message containing this
+#: substring (case-insensitive) — combined with the ``<tools>`` section
+#: in the system prompt — drives the deterministic SEARCH tool flow
+#: (search_documents for ``SEARCH_PATTERN`` → the "Found …" answer),
+#: documented in the module docstring. Checked BEFORE ``TOOLS_TRIGGER``
+#: (the more specific phrase wins — the same convention as
+#: ``THINK_PARAS_TRIGGER``); verified 2026-09-01: no existing E2E
+#: question or fixture file contains the phrase, so every other suite
+#: is unaffected.
+SEARCH_TRIGGER = "search your documents"
+
+#: The sentinel the search flow greps for: the e2e fixture document
+#: (``tests/fixtures/search_docs/reese-notes.md``) carries exactly one
+#: line containing it, so the search result — and the "Found …" answer
+#: that quotes its first matched line — is byte-stable (the sentinel
+#: convention of ``END_OF_NOTES_TRIGGER``).
+SEARCH_PATTERN = "reese-sentinel-42"
+
 #: Phase 44 (markdown-tables story, TODO.md L6): a user message
 #: containing this substring (case-insensitive) gets the fixed table
 #: answer (``TABLE_ANSWER`` below) — a 3-column table, an XSS probe
@@ -424,6 +460,69 @@ def _catalog_docs(body: dict[str, Any]) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
     return docs
 
 
+#: One line of the agent's ``search_documents`` output (app.rag.agent
+#: ``_execute_tool``, phase 68): ``source/path:LINE: text``. The
+#: non-greedy prefix keeps nested paths (``/`` in the path) intact.
+_SEARCH_LINE_RE = re.compile(r"^(?P<sp>.+?):(?P<line>\d+): (?P<text>.*)$")
+
+
+def _search_result_line(body: dict[str, Any]) -> str | None:
+    """The first matched line's text of a search result in the messages.
+
+    A search result is a ``tool``-role message — never a read result
+    (those start with the agent's ``"Document "`` prefix) — that either
+    carries ``source/path:LINE: text`` match lines (the agent's
+    ``search_documents`` output, phase 68) or the sentinel pattern
+    itself (its no-match line quotes the pattern). Returns the first
+    match line's ``text`` part (already 200-char-capped server-side),
+    or the message's first line in the sentinel-only shape, or ``None``
+    when no search result is in the messages yet.
+    """
+    sentinel = SEARCH_PATTERN.lower()
+    for m in _messages(body):
+        if m.get("role") != "tool":
+            continue
+        content = str(m.get("content") or "")
+        if content.startswith(_READ_RESULT_PREFIX):
+            continue
+        for line in content.splitlines():
+            match = _SEARCH_LINE_RE.match(line)
+            if match:
+                return match.group("text")
+        if sentinel in content.lower():
+            lines = content.splitlines()
+            return lines[0] if lines else ""
+    return None
+
+
+def _search_flow(body: dict[str, Any]) -> tuple[str, ...] | None:
+    """Classify a SEARCH_TRIGGER request into a step of the search flow.
+
+    * ``("search",)`` — ``tools`` are offered and no search result is
+      in the messages yet: the model greps the whole KB for
+      ``SEARCH_PATTERN`` (id ``call_0``).
+    * ``("found", first_line)`` — a ``tool``-role search result is in
+      the messages: the model answers, quoting the first matched line
+      (``Found <first matched line's content up to 80 chars>``). Reached
+      regardless of the ``tools`` parameter (phase 45 keeps the tools
+      offered until the round cap).
+    * ``None`` — not the search flow: the trigger is absent, the
+      ``<tools>`` section is missing (deflected turns never carry it),
+      or ``tools`` are not offered and no search result is in the
+      messages yet (e.g. ``agent_max_rounds=0``).
+    """
+    if SEARCH_TRIGGER not in _user(body).lower():
+        return None
+    if "<tools>" not in _system(body):
+        return None
+    first_line = _search_result_line(body)
+    if first_line is not None:
+        return ("found", first_line)
+    if not body.get("tools"):
+        return None
+    return ("search",)
+
+
 def _tool_flow(body: dict[str, Any]) -> tuple[str, ...] | None:
     """Classify a marker request into one step of the tool flow.
 
@@ -948,6 +1047,25 @@ def chat_completions(body: dict[str, Any]) -> Any:
             if _chat_dead(RETRY_TRIGGER, RETRY_DEAD_ATTEMPTS):
                 return _llm_500(RETRY_TRIGGER)
             _fail_posts[RETRY_TRIGGER] = 0  # the answer streamed — restart
+        # Phase 68 (search tool): the deterministic search marker flow —
+        # checked BEFORE the phase-37 tool flow (the more specific
+        # trigger phrase wins, same convention as THINK_PARAS_TRIGGER).
+        search_flow = _search_flow(body)
+        if search_flow is not None:
+            if search_flow[0] == "search":
+                stream = _tool_call_stream(
+                    "search_documents", {"pattern": SEARCH_PATTERN}, "call_0"
+                )
+            else:  # "found" — quote the first matched line (80 chars)
+                answer = _apply_max_tokens(
+                    f"Found {search_flow[1][:80]}", body.get("max_tokens")
+                )
+                stream = _sse_stream(answer, 0.0)
+            return StreamingResponse(
+                stream,
+                media_type="text/event-stream",
+                headers={"Cache-Control": "no-cache", "X-Accel-Buffering": "no"},
+            )
         flow = _tool_flow(body)
         if flow is not None:
             if flow[0] == "list":

tests/e2e/test_search_tool.py

@@ -0,0 +1,477 @@
+"""Phase 68 E2E (Playwright, mock-only): the ``search_documents`` tool.
+
+Story: n/a (TODO-derived — the owner roadmap confirmation 2026-09-01,
+TODO.md L4: "Add a search tool that allows the LLM to grep through the
+uploaded documents for a given string").
+Run in isolation (DB must be up: ``podman compose up -d db``):
+
+    uv run pytest tests/e2e/test_search_tool.py -v --no-cov
+
+MOCK-ONLY suite: ``E2E_REAL_LLM=1`` is not supported — the gate is the
+deterministic SEARCH marker flow in ``tests/e2e/mock_llm.py`` (user
+message contains ``search your documents`` (``SEARCH_TRIGGER``)
+**and** the system prompt carries the ``<tools>`` section of the HIGH
+prompt):
+
+1. request 1 (``tools`` offered, no search result yet) → streams ONLY
+   ``tool_calls`` deltas calling ``search_documents`` with
+   ``{"pattern": SEARCH_PATTERN}`` (id ``call_0``);
+2. request 2 (a ``tool``-role search result — the
+   ``source/path:line: text`` match line) → the content answer
+   ``Found <first matched line's content up to 80 chars>`` — so this
+   suite can assert the search result reached the model and landed in
+   the answer.
+
+KB fixture — ONE document, imported through the real importer (the same
+admin-import pipeline the admin Sources page drives) against
+``tests/fixtures/search_docs/`` with the deterministic mock embeddings:
+
+* ``search_docs/reese-notes.md`` — homelab kubernetes backup notes; the
+  marker question cosines ≈0.51 against it (mock bag-of-words, well
+  past the E2E 0.30 threshold, and it FTS-matches too) → grounded, so
+  the HIGH prompt carries the ``<tools>`` section. Its line 6 carries
+  the sentinel ``reese-sentinel-42`` exactly once — the deterministic
+  match of the mock's grep.
+
+Regression-safe marker: ``search your documents`` appears in NO other
+suite's question or fixture text (verified 2026-09-01 by repo grep;
+``tests/unit/test_mock_tool_flow.py`` pins that the trigger does not
+shadow the phase-37/45 flows and vice versa).
+
+Test → phase mapping:
+1. ``test_search_flow_searches_and_answers_from_match`` — the live
+   search flow: the SSE carries the ``tool`` frame
+   (``search_documents`` with ``argument = <sentinel>``, ahead of any
+   delta), #send-status recorded the transient "… is searching for
+   <sentinel>" state, the bubble shows ONE ``🔎 Searching for``
+   tool line with the sentinel in a ``<code>`` element, the answer
+   quotes the matched line (``Found …`` — the match reached the
+   model), and the turn settles to idle with no error banner.
+2. ``test_search_adds_no_source_by_itself`` — context accounting
+   (locked A5): the search-only flow (no read) leaves
+   ``done.sources`` / the source chips / ``query_log.sources`` at the
+   retrieval baseline — the search adds no source by itself.
+3. ``test_search_tool_line_re_renders_after_reload`` — the persisted
+   record (phase 14 convention: the generic ``{name, argument}``
+   toolAcc) re-renders the search line through the same helper.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import asyncio
+import json
+import re
+import time
+from pathlib import Path
+from threading import Thread
+from typing import Any
+
+from playwright.sync_api import Page, expect
+from sqlalchemy import select, text
+
+from app.config import Settings
+from app.db import SessionLocal
+from app.models import QueryLog
+from app.rag.importer import ImportSummary, import_sources
+from app.rag.llm import LLMClient
+from tests.e2e.mock_llm import SEARCH_PATTERN, SEARCH_TRIGGER
+
+REPO = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+FIXTURES = REPO / "tests" / "fixtures" / "search_docs"
+
+#: The one imported document (the importer derives ``source`` from the
+#: fixture root's name and ``path`` from the file's relative position).
+SEED_SOURCE = "search_docs"
+SEED_PATH = "reese-notes.md"
+SEED_SP = f"{SEED_SOURCE}/{SEED_PATH}"
+
+#: The fixture's sentinel line (line 6) — the mock's grep matches it
+#: exactly once, and its ``text`` part is what the "Found …" answer
+#: quotes. Pinned against the fixture file itself below.
+SENTINEL_LINE = f"The offsite vault passphrase marker is {SEARCH_PATTERN}."
+FOUND_ANSWER = f"Found {SENTINEL_LINE[:80]}"
+
+#: Carries ``SEARCH_TRIGGER`` and is on-topic (cosine ≈0.51 against the
+#: fixture + FTS hits → HIGH gate, the ``<tools>`` section rides along).
+SEARCH_QUESTION = (
+    "Search your documents for the vault passphrase marker in my homelab "
+    "kubernetes backup notes?"
+)
+assert SEARCH_TRIGGER in SEARCH_QUESTION.lower()
+# The trigger must not collide with any other mock marker flow.
+for other in (
+    "use your tools",
+    "read two documents",
+    "write a long answer",
+    "think in paragraphs",
+    "think out loud",
+    "show the end of your notes",
+    "show me a table",
+    "fail then answer",
+    "always fail",
+    "embed fail once",
+    "pretend to think slowly",
+):
+    assert other not in SEARCH_QUESTION.lower(), other
+
+
+def _pin_fixture() -> None:
+    """The fixture carries the sentinel on line 6, exactly once."""
+    content = (FIXTURES / SEED_PATH).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    lines = content.split("\n")
+    assert lines[5] == SENTINEL_LINE, lines[5]
+    assert sum(SEARCH_PATTERN in line for line in lines) == 1
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# DB seeding (TRUNCATE-then-import via the real importer, cf.
+# test_chat_rag.py — the same pipeline the admin Sources import drives)
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+async def _import_fixtures(mock_port: int) -> ImportSummary:
+    kwargs: dict[str, Any] = {"_env_file": None, "llm_base_url": f"http://127.0.0.1:{mock_port}/v1"}
+    settings = Settings(**kwargs)  # pyright: ignore[reportCallIssue]
+    return await import_sources([FIXTURES], LLMClient(settings))
+
+
+def _run_in_thread(coro: Any) -> Any:
+    """Run a coroutine on a worker thread.
+
+    Playwright's sync API keeps an asyncio loop running on the test
+    thread, so ``asyncio.run`` cannot be called directly from a test
+    body (the established house helper).
+    """
+    box: dict[str, Any] = {}
+
+    def runner() -> None:
+        try:
+            box["value"] = asyncio.run(coro)
+        except BaseException as e:  # noqa: BLE001 — re-raised on the test thread
+            box["error"] = e
+
+    t = Thread(target=runner)
+    t.start()
+    t.join()
+    if "error" in box:
+        raise box["error"]
+    return box["value"]
+
+
+def _reset_db(mock_port: int) -> ImportSummary:
+    """Truncate the KB (plus the prompt-shaping tables), then re-import.
+
+    ``steering_notes`` / ``kb_overview`` are truncated too, so the HIGH
+    prompt is exactly ``<relevance>`` + ``<documents>`` + ``<tools>``
+    regardless of leftovers from other suites — byte-stable prompts,
+    byte-stable answers."""
+    with SessionLocal() as db:
+        db.execute(
+            text("TRUNCATE chunks, documents, query_log, steering_notes, kb_overview")
+        )
+        db.commit()
+    summary = _run_in_thread(_import_fixtures(mock_port))
+    assert summary is not None and summary.added == 1, summary
+    return summary
+
+
+def _last_query_log() -> QueryLog:
+    with SessionLocal() as db:
+        rows = db.scalars(select(QueryLog)).all()
+    assert len(rows) == 1, f"expected exactly one query_log row, got {len(rows)}"
+    return rows[0]
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Page helpers (the test_agent_document_tools.py pattern)
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#: Records every value #send-label takes during the turn (a
+#: MutationObserver on the element), so the in-flight label state is
+#: captured deterministically — no polling race. Phase 48: the label is
+#: the Send↔Stop morph ("Stop" holds for the whole in-flight turn).
+LABEL_RECORDER = """
+() => {
+  if (window.__labelsInstalled) return;
+  window.__labelsInstalled = true;
+  window.__labels = [];
+  const el = document.querySelector('#send-label');
+  if (!el) return;
+  const rec = (v) => {
+    const l = window.__labels;
+    if (!l.length || l[l.length - 1] !== v) l.push(v);
+  };
+  rec(el.textContent);
+  new MutationObserver(() => rec(el.textContent)).observe(el, {
+    childList: true,
+    subtree: true,
+  });
+}
+"""
+
+#: Records every value #send-status takes during the turn — the
+#: transient "… is searching for <pattern>" calling-tool state is held
+#: only from the first `tool` frame until the first answer delta, so the
+#: pre-submit observer is the deterministic source of truth for it
+#: (no polling race — the phase-44 task-03 flake fix).
+STATUS_RECORDER = """
+() => {
+  if (window.__statusesInstalled) return;
+  window.__statusesInstalled = true;
+  window.__statuses = [];
+  const el = document.querySelector('#send-status');
+  if (!el) return;
+  const rec = (v) => {
+    const l = window.__statuses;
+    if (!l.length || l[l.length - 1] !== v) l.push(v);
+  };
+  rec(el.textContent);
+  new MutationObserver(() => rec(el.textContent)).observe(el, {
+    childList: true,
+    subtree: true,
+  });
+}
+"""
+
+#: Captures the raw SSE ``data:`` payloads of the /api/chat stream
+#: (a response clone read in the background) — wire-level assertions
+#: for the ``tool`` frames, independent of the UI rendering.
+SSE_HOOK = """
+() => {
+  if (window.__sseInstalled) return;
+  window.__sseInstalled = true;
+  window.__sseFrames = [];
+  const origFetch = window.fetch;
+  window.fetch = async function (...args) {
+    const res = await origFetch.apply(this, args);
+    try {
+      const url = typeof args[0] === 'string' ? args[0] : args[0].url;
+      if (url.includes('/api/chat')) {
+        res.clone().text().then((bodyText) => {
+          for (const block of bodyText.split('\\n\\n')) {
+            const line = block.trim();
+            if (line.startsWith('data: ')) {
+              window.__sseFrames.push(line.slice(6));
+            }
+          }
+        });
+      }
+    } catch (e) { /* non-clonable responses: ignored */ }
+    return res;
+  };
+}
+"""
+
+
+def _install_page_hooks(page: Page) -> None:
+    """Install all hooks on the loaded page (post-goto, pre-submit)."""
+    page.evaluate(SSE_HOOK)
+    page.evaluate(LABEL_RECORDER)
+    page.evaluate(STATUS_RECORDER)
+
+
+def _frames(page: Page) -> list[dict]:
+    """The captured SSE frames, once the hook's background read settles.
+
+    The hook reads ``res.clone().text()`` in a background promise that
+    resolves right after the stream closes — poll briefly until the
+    final ``done`` frame lands (fail loud if the hook captured nothing).
+    """
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + 10.0
+    while True:
+        raw = page.evaluate("() => window.__sseFrames || []")
+        parsed = [json.loads(line) for line in raw if line]
+        if any(f.get("type") == "done" for f in parsed):
+            return parsed
+        if time.monotonic() > deadline:
+            raise AssertionError(
+                f"SSE hook captured no `done` frame (frames so far: "
+                f"{len(parsed)}) — hook install failed?"
+            )
+        time.sleep(0.05)
+
+
+def _tool_frames(frames: list[dict]) -> list[dict]:
+    return [f for f in frames if f.get("type") == "tool"]
+
+
+def _submit(page: Page, question: str) -> None:
+    page.fill("#message-input", question)
+    page.click("#send-btn")
+    # The user bubble lands synchronously with the submit handler.
+    expect(page.locator(".msg.user .bubble").last).to_contain_text(question)
+
+
+def _wait_settled(page: Page) -> None:
+    """The turn is complete: answer text in the bubble, button recovered.
+
+    Phase 48: the label assertion carries the settle wait with an
+    explicit timeout — the in-flight button is the enabled Stop control
+    (never disabled), so ``to_be_enabled`` no longer blocks until the
+    turn settles, and Playwright expect's default (5s) does not inherit
+    the page default."""
+    expect(page.locator(".msg.brain .bubble").last).not_to_have_text("", timeout=30_000)
+    expect(page.locator("#send-btn")).to_be_enabled(timeout=30_000)
+    expect(page.locator("#send-label")).to_have_text("Send", timeout=30_000)
+
+
+def _assert_no_error_banner(page: Page) -> None:
+    """The turn must settle WITHOUT the terminal error banner (the red
+    role=alert error banner — the KB-offline banner is a separate,
+    non-error state)."""
+    banner = page.locator("#kb-banner")
+    expect(banner).to_be_hidden()
+    expect(banner).not_to_have_attribute("role", "alert")
+    expect(banner).not_to_have_class(re.compile(r"is-error"))
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 1. The live search flow: search → matched line → "Found …" answer
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_search_flow_searches_and_answers_from_match(
+    page: Page, app_url: str, mock_llm: int, db_ready: None
+) -> None:
+    _pin_fixture()
+    page.set_default_timeout(30_000)
+    _reset_db(mock_llm)
+    page.goto(app_url)
+    _install_page_hooks(page)
+
+    _submit(page, SEARCH_QUESTION)
+    # The "calling tool" STATUS window is transient: the first `tool`
+    # frame sets #send-status and it holds until the FIRST answer delta
+    # (the agent loop completes before the answer stream) — a polling
+    # expect can stride straight over that window (the phase-44 flake),
+    # so the pre-submit MutationObserver records below are the
+    # deterministic source of truth for the status transitions.
+    _wait_settled(page)
+
+    # Phase 48 (owner-locked): the in-flight button is the Stop control
+    # for the whole turn; #send-status walked "… is thinking" →
+    # "… is searching for <sentinel>", in order.
+    labels = page.evaluate("() => window.__labels")
+    assert "Stop" in labels, labels
+    statuses = page.evaluate("() => window.__statuses")
+    i_search = next(
+        (
+            i
+            for i, s in enumerate(statuses)
+            if f"is searching for {SEARCH_PATTERN}" in s
+        ),
+        None,
+    )
+    assert i_search is not None, statuses
+    i_think = next(
+        (i for i, s in enumerate(statuses) if "is thinking" in s), None
+    )
+    assert i_think is not None and i_think < i_search, statuses
+
+    # Wire level: exactly ONE `tool` frame — search_documents carrying
+    # the PATTERN as its argument (phase 68 task 02) — ahead of the
+    # first `delta` frame.
+    frames = _frames(page)
+    assert _tool_frames(frames) == [
+        {"type": "tool", "name": "search_documents", "argument": SEARCH_PATTERN}
+    ]
+    first_delta = next(i for i, f in enumerate(frames) if f.get("type") == "delta")
+    assert all(
+        i < first_delta for i, f in enumerate(frames) if f.get("type") == "tool"
+    )
+    done = next(f for f in frames if f.get("type") == "done")
+    assert done["deflected"] is False
+
+    # ONE tool line above the answer: "🔎 Searching for " + the sentinel
+    # in a <code> element (the pattern is data, never markup).
+    lines = page.locator(".msg.brain .tool-call")
+    expect(lines).to_have_count(1)
+    expect(lines.nth(0)).to_contain_text("Searching for")
+    expect(lines.nth(0).locator("code")).to_have_text(SEARCH_PATTERN)
+
+    # The answer quotes the MATCHED LINE — the search result reached the
+    # model and landed in the answer (the mock's deterministic echo).
+    bubble = page.locator(".msg.brain .bubble").last
+    expect(bubble).to_contain_text(FOUND_ANSWER)
+
+    # The turn settled to idle WITHOUT the error banner, and the durable
+    # record is grounded with the retrieval doc only (see test 2 for the
+    # sources contract).
+    _assert_no_error_banner(page)
+    row = _last_query_log()
+    assert row.question == SEARCH_QUESTION
+    assert row.deflected is False
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 2. Context accounting (locked A5): a search adds no source by itself
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_search_adds_no_source_by_itself(
+    page: Page, app_url: str, mock_llm: int, db_ready: None
+) -> None:
+    _pin_fixture()
+    page.set_default_timeout(30_000)
+    _reset_db(mock_llm)
+    page.goto(app_url)
+    _install_page_hooks(page)
+
+    _submit(page, SEARCH_QUESTION)
+    _wait_settled(page)
+
+    # The search really ran (its wire frame is present) — yet the
+    # search-only flow (no read) leaves done.sources at the RETRIEVAL
+    # baseline: the one fixture doc, nothing added by the search.
+    frames = _frames(page)
+    assert _tool_frames(frames) == [
+        {"type": "tool", "name": "search_documents", "argument": SEARCH_PATTERN}
+    ]
+    done = next(f for f in frames if f.get("type") == "done")
+    assert done["deflected"] is False
+    assert [(s["source"], s["path"]) for s in done["sources"]] == [
+        (SEED_SOURCE, SEED_PATH)
+    ]
+
+    # UI: exactly one source chip — the retrieval doc (the search
+    # renders no chip of its own).
+    chips = page.locator(".msg.brain .source-chip")
+    expect(chips).to_have_count(1)
+    expect(chips.nth(0)).to_contain_text(SEED_SP)
+
+    # Durable record: the sources row is unchanged by the search alone.
+    row = _last_query_log()
+    assert row.deflected is False
+    assert row.sources == SEED_SP
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 3. Persistence: the search tool line re-renders after a reload
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_search_tool_line_re_renders_after_reload(
+    page: Page, app_url: str, mock_llm: int, db_ready: None
+) -> None:
+    _pin_fixture()
+    page.set_default_timeout(30_000)
+    _reset_db(mock_llm)
+    page.goto(app_url)
+
+    _submit(page, SEARCH_QUESTION)
+    _wait_settled(page)
+    expect(page.locator(".msg.brain .tool-call")).to_have_count(1)
+
+    page.reload()
+    expect(page.locator("#empty-state")).to_be_hidden()
+
+    # The persisted record (the generic {name, argument} toolAcc —
+    # phase 14 convention) re-renders the search line through the same
+    # append helper as the live frames: sentinel in a <code> element.
+    restored = page.locator(".msg.brain .tool-call")
+    expect(restored).to_have_count(1)
+    expect(restored.nth(0)).to_contain_text("Searching for")
+    expect(restored.nth(0).locator("code")).to_have_text(SEARCH_PATTERN)
+
+    # The answer (the matched-line echo) is intact after the restore.
+    bubble = page.locator(".msg.brain .bubble").last
+    expect(bubble).to_contain_text(FOUND_ANSWER)

tests/fixtures/search_docs/reese-notes.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Homelab Backup Notes
+
+The homelab kubernetes cluster's etcd volume is backed up nightly to the
+offsite vault; the backup cron runs on homelab-gw at 03:00.
+
+The offsite vault passphrase marker is reese-sentinel-42.
+
+The restore procedure is in the homelab runbook; the vault key rotates
+every ninety days.

tests/integration/test_agent_tools.py

@@ -3,21 +3,31 @@
 ``list_catalog`` must order rows by ``(source, path)`` — the same order as
 ``GET /api/docs`` — and ``find_document`` must resolve a hit to the full
 document row (content included, for the never-truncated read) and return
-``None`` for unknown ``source``/``path`` pairs.
+``None`` for unknown ``source``/``path`` pairs. Phase 68: the
+``search_documents`` tool is pinned here too — its locked parameter
+shape in ``AGENT_TOOLS``, and a scripted ``ToolCallPiece`` executed
+through ``run_agent`` against the real DB (``all_documents`` for a
+whole-KB search, ``find_document`` for a scoped one).
 
 Requires:  podman compose up -d db
 """
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import asyncio
 import uuid
-from collections.abc import Iterator
+from collections.abc import AsyncIterator, Iterator
+from copy import deepcopy
+from typing import Any, cast
 
 import pytest
 from sqlalchemy import text
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 
+from app.config import Settings
 from app.models import Document
 from app.rag import agent
+from app.rag.agent import AGENT_TOOLS, AgentHolder, run_agent
+from app.rag.llm import LLMClient, RetryPiece, StreamPiece, ToolCallPiece
 
 
 def _doc(db: Session, source: str, path: str, title: str, content: str) -> Document:
@@ -81,3 +91,152 @@ def test_find_document_none_for_unknown_pairs(kb, db) -> None:
     assert agent.find_document(db, "Alpha", "nope.md") is None  # wrong path
     assert agent.find_document(db, "Beta", "x.md") is None  # wrong source
     assert agent.find_document(db, "nope", "nope.md") is None  # nothing at all
+
+
+# ---------- search_documents (phase 68) ----------
+
+
+def test_all_documents_orders_by_source_then_path(kb, db) -> None:
+    _doc(db, "Zeta", "b/second.md", "Zeta B", "ZB")
+    _doc(db, "Zeta", "a/first.md", "Zeta A", "ZA")
+    _doc(db, "Alpha", "c/third.md", "Alpha C", "AC")
+    db.commit()
+
+    docs = agent.all_documents(db)
+    assert [(d.source, d.path) for d in docs] == [
+        ("Alpha", "c/third.md"),
+        ("Zeta", "a/first.md"),
+        ("Zeta", "b/second.md"),
+    ]
+    assert [d.content for d in docs] == ["AC", "ZA", "ZB"]  # full rows
+
+
+def test_agent_tools_offers_search_documents_with_locked_shape() -> None:
+    by_name = {t["function"]["name"]: t for t in AGENT_TOOLS}
+    assert list(by_name) == [  # the third tool, in order
+        "list_documents",
+        "read_document",
+        "search_documents",
+    ]
+    search = by_name["search_documents"]["function"]["parameters"]
+    assert search["type"] == "object"
+    assert search["required"] == ["pattern"]
+    assert set(search["properties"]) == {"pattern", "source", "path"}
+    assert all(p["type"] == "string" for p in search["properties"].values())
+
+
+class ScriptedToolLLM:
+    """One scripted tool-call stream, then one canned answer stream.
+    Records every ``chat_stream`` request's messages and tools."""
+
+    def __init__(self, call: ToolCallPiece) -> None:
+        self.call = call
+        self.requests: list[
+            tuple[list[dict[str, Any]], list[dict[str, Any]] | None]
+        ] = []
+
+    async def chat_stream(
+        self,
+        messages: list[dict[str, str]],
+        tools: list[dict[str, Any]] | None = None,
+    ) -> AsyncIterator[StreamPiece | ToolCallPiece]:
+        self.requests.append((deepcopy(messages), deepcopy(tools)))
+        if len(self.requests) == 1:
+            yield self.call
+        else:
+            yield StreamPiece("content", "ans")
+
+
+def _settings(**kwargs: Any) -> Settings:
+    kwargs.setdefault("_env_file", None)
+    return Settings(**kwargs)  # pyright: ignore[reportCallIssue]
+
+
+def _run_search(
+    db: Session, arguments: dict[str, Any]
+) -> tuple[AgentHolder, ScriptedToolLLM]:
+    """Drive one scripted ``search_documents`` call through ``run_agent``."""
+    holder = AgentHolder()
+    llm = ScriptedToolLLM(
+        ToolCallPiece(id="call_1", name="search_documents", arguments=arguments)
+    )
+    asyncio.run(_consume(llm, db, holder))
+    return holder, llm
+
+
+async def _consume(
+    llm: ScriptedToolLLM, db: Session, holder: AgentHolder
+) -> list[StreamPiece | ToolCallPiece | RetryPiece]:
+    out: list[StreamPiece | ToolCallPiece | RetryPiece] = []
+    async for piece in run_agent(
+        cast("LLMClient", llm),
+        db,
+        system_prompt="SYSTEM_PROMPT",
+        user_message="QUESTION",
+        seed_docs=[],
+        settings=_settings(),
+        holder=holder,
+    ):
+        out.append(piece)
+    return out
+
+
+def test_search_whole_kb_through_run_agent(kb, db) -> None:
+    _doc(db, "Beta", "b/two.md", "Two", "no hit\nNEEDLE in two\nlast")
+    _doc(db, "Alpha", "a/one.md", "One", "first\nneedle in one\nthird")
+    db.commit()
+
+    holder, llm = _run_search(db, {"pattern": "needle"})
+
+    # Offered: the first request carries AGENT_TOOLS (the 3-tool list).
+    assert llm.requests[0][1] == AGENT_TOOLS
+    # Executed against the real DB: catalog order, grep-style lines.
+    assert llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"] == (
+        "Alpha/a/one.md:2: needle in one\n"
+        "Beta/b/two.md:2: NEEDLE in two"
+    )
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 1
+    assert holder.read_docs == []  # locked A5: search adds no context
+
+
+def test_search_scoped_through_run_agent(kb, db) -> None:
+    _doc(db, "Alpha", "a/one.md", "One", "first\nNeedle here\nthird")
+    _doc(db, "Beta", "b/two.md", "Two", "NEEDLE too")
+    db.commit()
+
+    holder, llm = _run_search(
+        db, {"pattern": "needle", "source": "Alpha", "path": "a/one.md"}
+    )
+
+    # Only the named document is searched — the other one's hit is absent.
+    assert llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"] == "Alpha/a/one.md:2: Needle here"
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 1
+    assert holder.read_docs == []
+
+
+def test_search_scoped_missing_doc_refused_through_run_agent(kb, db) -> None:
+    _doc(db, "Alpha", "a/one.md", "One", "nothing")
+    db.commit()
+
+    holder, llm = _run_search(
+        db, {"pattern": "needle", "source": "Alpha", "path": "ghost.md"}
+    )
+
+    assert (
+        llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"]
+        == "No document at Alpha/ghost.md — check the list_documents output."
+    )
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 0 and holder.read_docs == []
+
+
+def test_search_no_matches_through_run_agent(kb, db) -> None:
+    _doc(db, "Alpha", "a/one.md", "One", "nothing matching")
+    db.commit()
+
+    holder, llm = _run_search(db, {"pattern": "zebra"})
+
+    assert llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"] == (
+        "No matches for 'zebra' in the knowledge base."
+    )
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 1  # an executed search with zero hits
+    assert holder.read_docs == []

tests/integration/test_api.py

@@ -298,17 +298,20 @@ def test_ui_chrome_has_no_emoji(client, path: str) -> None:
     the JS that renders it, and the stylesheet — is emoji-free.
 
     Phase 37 revision (owner permission 2026-08-26, PLAN §4): the agent's
-    ``.tool-call`` line carries two CONTENT marks — 🔎 (list) and 📄
+    ``.tool-call`` line carries the CONTENT marks — 🔎 (list) and 📄
     (read) — the only emoji in the whole frontend, and only as the exact
-    tool-line template strings in app.js. The guard strips precisely
+    tool-line template strings in app.js. Phase 68 revision: the
-    those two literals; any other emoji, or those marks anywhere else,
+    ``search_documents`` tool line adds the third template literal
-    still fails."""
+    ("🔎 Searching for "). The guard strips precisely those three
+    literals; any other emoji, or those marks anywhere else, still
+    fails."""
     r = client.get(path)
     assert r.status_code == 200
     text = r.text
     if path in ("/assets/app.js", "/assets/shared.js"):
         text = text.replace('"🔎 Listing documents"', "")
         text = text.replace('"📄 Reading "', "")
+        text = text.replace('"🔎 Searching for "', "")
     assert _find_emoji(text) == [], f"emoji found in {path}: {_find_emoji(text)!r}"
 
 

tests/integration/test_chat_api.py

@@ -621,6 +621,65 @@ def test_grounded_turn_streams_tool_frames_and_cites_read_doc(
     assert "'docs/homelab/backups.md'" in lines[-1]
 
 
+def test_grounded_turn_streams_search_tool_frames(
+    client, db, seeded_kb: FakeRagLLM
+) -> None:
+    """Phase 68: a scripted ``search_documents`` call streams as
+    ``{type: "tool", name: "search_documents", argument: <pattern>}`` —
+    the raw pattern is the frame's ``argument`` (the UI renders the
+    "searching for" line from it). A non-string pattern — a model error
+    the backend refuses — yields ``argument: null``. A search adds no
+    source: ``done.sources`` stays the retrieval docs (locked A5)."""
+    scripted = FakeRagLLM(
+        tool_script=[
+            [
+                ToolCallPiece(
+                    id="call_1",
+                    name="search_documents",
+                    arguments={"pattern": "Cilium"},
+                ),
+            ],
+            [
+                ToolCallPiece(
+                    id="call_2",
+                    name="search_documents",
+                    arguments={"pattern": 42},  # model error: non-string
+                ),
+            ],
+            # the answer request still carries the tools (2 rounds < the
+            # default cap of 10); the fake's tool_script is exhausted, so
+            # it falls back to the thinking + answer stream
+        ]
+    )
+    fastapi_app.dependency_overrides[chat_api.get_llm] = lambda: scripted
+    try:
+        _, _, frames = _stream_chat(client, QUESTION)
+    finally:
+        fastapi_app.dependency_overrides.clear()
+
+    types = [f["type"] for f in frames]
+    assert "error" not in types
+    assert len(scripted.seen_tools) == 3  # both searches executed (rounds)
+
+    tool_frames = [f for f in frames if f["type"] == "tool"]
+    assert len(tool_frames) == 2
+    first, second = tool_frames
+    assert set(first) == {"type", "name", "argument"}
+    assert first["name"] == "search_documents"
+    assert first["argument"] == "Cilium"  # the raw pattern
+    assert set(second) == {"type", "name", "argument"}
+    assert second["name"] == "search_documents"
+    assert second["argument"] is None  # the non-string pattern → null
+
+    # The searches still answered: deltas, then a grounded done.
+    assert [f for f in frames if f["type"] == "delta"]
+    done = frames[-1]
+    assert done["type"] == "done" and done["deflected"] is False
+    paths = [s["path"] for s in done["sources"]]
+    assert "homelab/kubernetes.md" in paths  # retrieval docs, unchanged
+    assert "homelab/backups.md" not in paths  # a search adds no source
+
+
 def test_deflected_turn_stays_byte_identical_without_tools(
     client, db, seeded_kb: FakeRagLLM
 ) -> None:

tests/unit/test_agent.py

@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ async def _run(
 
 def test_agent_tools_names_and_parameters() -> None:
     by_name = {t["function"]["name"]: t for t in AGENT_TOOLS}
-    assert set(by_name) == {"list_documents", "read_document"}
+    assert len(AGENT_TOOLS) == 3  # list / read / search (phase 68)
+    assert set(by_name) == {"list_documents", "read_document", "search_documents"}
     assert all(t["type"] == "function" for t in AGENT_TOOLS)
     list_params = by_name["list_documents"]["function"]["parameters"]
     assert list_params["type"] == "object"
@@ -128,6 +129,34 @@ def test_agent_tools_names_and_parameters() -> None:
         "list_documents output (e.g. 'homelab/aws-route53.md' from "
         "'source: Homelab | path: homelab/aws-route53.md')."
     )
+    # Phase 68: search_documents — the third tool, a locator (locked A5).
+    search = by_name["search_documents"]["function"]
+    assert search["description"] == (
+        "Search every indexed document for an exact string "
+        "(case-insensitive) and return up to 20 matching lines as "
+        "'source/path:line: text' — use this to locate content, "
+        "then read_document the winner. Optionally pass 'source' "
+        "and 'path' (as shown in list_documents) to search one "
+        "document only."
+    )
+    search_params = search["parameters"]
+    assert search_params["type"] == "object"
+    assert search_params["required"] == ["pattern"]
+    assert set(search_params["properties"]) == {"pattern", "source", "path"}
+    assert search_params["properties"]["pattern"]["description"] == (
+        "The exact text to search for (a plain substring, not a regex)"
+    )
+    # Phase 63 labeled-field wording, same as read_document's parameters.
+    assert search_params["properties"]["source"]["description"] == (
+        "The document's source, as shown after 'source: ' in the "
+        "list_documents output (e.g. 'Homelab' from "
+        "'source: Homelab | path: homelab/aws-route53.md')."
+    )
+    assert search_params["properties"]["path"]["description"] == (
+        "The document's path, as shown after 'path: ' in the "
+        "list_documents output (e.g. 'homelab/aws-route53.md' from "
+        "'source: Homelab | path: homelab/aws-route53.md')."
+    )
 
 
 # ---------- happy path: list → read → answer ----------
@@ -547,6 +576,294 @@ def test_read_document_missing_arguments_refused(
     assert llm.requests[1][1] == AGENT_TOOLS
 
 
+# ---------- search_documents (phase 68, locked A5/A6) ----------
+
+
+def test_grep_document_case_insensitive_line_numbers() -> None:
+    """Case-insensitive fixed substring, 1-based line numbers, file order,
+    repeated matches within a line collapse to one match (grep semantics)."""
+    content = "The NEEDLE is here\nno hit\nneedle again\nNEEDLE NEEDLE\n"
+    assert agent.grep_document(content, "NEEDLE") == [
+        (1, "The NEEDLE is here"),
+        (3, "needle again"),
+        (4, "NEEDLE NEEDLE"),
+    ]
+
+
+def test_grep_document_rstrips_lines_and_empty_content() -> None:
+    assert agent.grep_document("hello \t\nworld ", "WORLD") == [(2, "world")]
+    assert agent.grep_document("", "x") == []
+    assert agent.grep_document("no newlines", "NO") == [(1, "no newlines")]
+    assert agent.grep_document("a\nb\n", "MISSING") == []
+
+
+def test_search_whole_kb_grep_style_output(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    """Whole-KB search: catalog order, `source/path:line: text` lines,
+    case-insensitive; the call counts in ``tool_calls`` and never touches
+    ``read_docs``; the tools stay offered on the answer request."""
+    d1 = _doc("Alpha", "a/one.md", "One", "first\nNEEDLE in one\nlast")
+    d2 = _doc("Beta", "b/two.md", "Two", "no hit\nneedle in two\n")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "all_documents", lambda db: [d1, d2])
+    holder = AgentHolder()
+    llm = ScriptedLLM(
+        [
+            ToolCallPiece(
+                id="call_1", name="search_documents", arguments={"pattern": "needle"}
+            )
+        ],
+        [StreamPiece("content", "ans")],
+    )
+    asyncio.run(_run(llm, holder, _settings()))
+    assert llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"] == (
+        "Alpha/a/one.md:2: NEEDLE in one\n"
+        "Beta/b/two.md:2: needle in two"
+    )
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 1
+    assert holder.read_docs == []  # locked A5: a search adds no context
+    assert llm.requests[1][1] == AGENT_TOOLS  # tools stay offered
+
+
+def test_search_capped_at_20_matches_in_catalog_order(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    """The 20-match cap is GLOBAL across documents in catalog order, and
+    the scan stops once it is hit (a 35-match corpus yields exactly 20)."""
+    d1 = _doc("S", "a.md", "A", "\n".join(f"hit-{i}" for i in range(15)))
+    d2 = _doc("S", "b.md", "B", "\n".join(f"hit-{i}" for i in range(20)))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "all_documents", lambda db: [d1, d2])
+    holder = AgentHolder()
+    llm = ScriptedLLM(
+        [
+            ToolCallPiece(
+                id="call_1", name="search_documents", arguments={"pattern": "hit-"}
+            )
+        ],
+        [StreamPiece("content", "ans")],
+    )
+    asyncio.run(_run(llm, holder, _settings()))
+    lines = llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"].split("\n")
+    assert len(lines) == agent.SEARCH_MAX_MATCHES
+    assert lines[0] == "S/a.md:1: hit-0"
+    assert lines[14] == "S/a.md:15: hit-14"  # all of a.md
+    assert lines[15] == "S/b.md:1: hit-0"  # then b.md, in order
+    assert lines[19] == "S/b.md:5: hit-4"  # cut at the global cap
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 1
+
+
+def test_search_truncates_match_lines_at_200_chars(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    """A 300-char match line yields exactly 200 chars of it (no crash)."""
+    d1 = _doc("S", "a.md", "A", "top\n" + "x" * 300 + " NEEDLE tail")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "all_documents", lambda db: [d1])
+    holder = AgentHolder()
+    llm = ScriptedLLM(
+        [
+            ToolCallPiece(
+                id="call_1", name="search_documents", arguments={"pattern": "needle"}
+            )
+        ],
+        [StreamPiece("content", "ans")],
+    )
+    asyncio.run(_run(llm, holder, _settings()))
+    assert (
+        llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"] == f"S/a.md:2: {'x' * agent.SEARCH_LINE_LIMIT}"
+    )
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 1
+
+
+def test_search_scoped_to_one_document(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    """Scoped search: only the named document is loaded (find_document),
+    ``all_documents`` never runs, and the match line carries its path."""
+    d1 = _doc("S", "a.md", "A", "needle here")
+
+    def _find(db: Any, source: str, path: str) -> Document | None:
+        if (source, path) == ("S", "a.md"):
+            return d1
+        raise AssertionError(
+            f"find_document({source}, {path}) — the scoped "
+            "search must not load any other document"
+        )
+
+    def _boom(*_a: Any, **_k: Any) -> None:
+        raise AssertionError("all_documents must not run for a scoped search")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "find_document", _find)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "all_documents", _boom)
+    holder = AgentHolder()
+    llm = ScriptedLLM(
+        [
+            ToolCallPiece(
+                id="call_1",
+                name="search_documents",
+                arguments={"pattern": "needle", "source": "S", "path": "a.md"},
+            )
+        ],
+        [StreamPiece("content", "ans")],
+    )
+    asyncio.run(_run(llm, holder, _settings()))
+    assert llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"] == "S/a.md:1: needle here"
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 1
+    assert holder.read_docs == []  # searched doc did not enter the context
+
+
+def test_search_scoped_missing_document_refused(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "find_document", lambda db, source, path: None)
+    holder = AgentHolder()
+    llm = ScriptedLLM(
+        [
+            ToolCallPiece(
+                id="call_1",
+                name="search_documents",
+                arguments={"pattern": "x", "source": "S", "path": "ghost.md"},
+            )
+        ],
+        [StreamPiece("content", "ans")],
+    )
+    asyncio.run(_run(llm, holder, _settings()))
+    assert (
+        llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"]
+        == "No document at S/ghost.md — check the list_documents output."
+    )
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 0 and holder.read_docs == []  # a refusal
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("arguments", "label"),
+    [
+        ({}, "no arguments"),
+        ({"pattern": ""}, "empty pattern"),
+        ({"pattern": "   "}, "whitespace pattern"),
+        ({"pattern": 42}, "non-string pattern"),
+        ({"pattern": None}, "null pattern"),
+        ({"pattern": "x", "source": "S"}, "source without path"),
+        ({"pattern": "x", "path": "a.md"}, "path without source"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_search_missing_arguments_refused(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, arguments: dict[str, Any], label: str
+) -> None:
+    """Unusable pattern OR a half-specified source/path pair → the
+    missing-args refusal, with no DB access at all."""
+
+    def _boom(*_a: Any, **_k: Any) -> None:
+        raise AssertionError(f"no DB access for a refused search ({label})")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "all_documents", _boom)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "find_document", _boom)
+    holder = AgentHolder()
+    llm = ScriptedLLM(
+        [ToolCallPiece(id="call_1", name="search_documents", arguments=arguments)],
+        [StreamPiece("content", "ans")],
+    )
+    asyncio.run(_run(llm, holder, _settings()))
+    assert llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"] == agent.MISSING_SEARCH_ARGS
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 0 and holder.read_docs == []
+    assert llm.requests[1][1] == AGENT_TOOLS  # rejected → tools stay offered
+
+
+def test_search_no_matches_whole_kb(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    """Zero hits across the KB → the no-match line (pattern quoted); the
+    search still executed, so it counts — and never adds context."""
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        agent, "all_documents", lambda db: [_doc("S", "a.md", "A", "nothing here")]
+    )
+    holder = AgentHolder()
+    llm = ScriptedLLM(
+        [
+            ToolCallPiece(
+                id="call_1", name="search_documents", arguments={"pattern": "zebra"}
+            )
+        ],
+        [StreamPiece("content", "ans")],
+    )
+    asyncio.run(_run(llm, holder, _settings()))
+    assert llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"] == (
+        "No matches for 'zebra' in the knowledge base."
+    )
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 1
+    assert holder.read_docs == []
+
+
+def test_search_no_matches_scoped(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    doc = _doc("S", "a.md", "A", "nothing here")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "find_document", lambda db, source, path: doc)
+    holder = AgentHolder()
+    llm = ScriptedLLM(
+        [
+            ToolCallPiece(
+                id="call_1",
+                name="search_documents",
+                arguments={"pattern": "zebra", "source": "S", "path": "a.md"},
+            )
+        ],
+        [StreamPiece("content", "ans")],
+    )
+    asyncio.run(_run(llm, holder, _settings()))
+    assert llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"] == "No matches for 'zebra' in S/a.md."
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 1
+    assert holder.read_docs == []
+
+
+def test_search_no_match_truncates_long_pattern(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    """A pattern longer than 100 chars is truncated in the no-match line
+    (kept short); the search itself still runs on the full pattern."""
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "all_documents", lambda db: [])
+    holder = AgentHolder()
+    llm = ScriptedLLM(
+        [
+            ToolCallPiece(
+                id="call_1",
+                name="search_documents",
+                arguments={"pattern": "p" * 150},
+            )
+        ],
+        [StreamPiece("content", "ans")],
+    )
+    asyncio.run(_run(llm, holder, _settings()))
+    assert llm.requests[1][0][3]["content"] == (
+        f"No matches for '{'p' * 100}' in the knowledge base."
+    )
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 1
+
+
+def test_search_counts_but_never_adds_context(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    """The locate-then-read workflow: a search finds the document but does
+    NOT add it — the subsequent read_document does (and is not rejected as
+    already-in-context, because the search touched nothing)."""
+    doc = _doc("S", "a.md", "A", "needle here")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "all_documents", lambda db: [doc])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(agent, "find_document", lambda db, source, path: doc)
+    holder = AgentHolder()
+    llm = ScriptedLLM(
+        [
+            ToolCallPiece(
+                id="call_1", name="search_documents", arguments={"pattern": "needle"}
+            )
+        ],
+        [
+            ToolCallPiece(
+                id="call_2",
+                name="read_document",
+                arguments={"source": "S", "path": "a.md"},
+            )
+        ],
+        [StreamPiece("content", "ans")],
+    )
+    asyncio.run(_run(llm, holder, _settings()))
+    assert holder.tool_calls == 2  # search + read, both executed
+    assert holder.read_docs == [doc]  # only the read added context (A5)
+    assert llm.requests[2][0][5]["content"] == "Document S/a.md:\nneedle here"
+
+
 # ---------- retries inside the agent loop (phase 67, locked A2) ----------
 
 

tests/unit/test_frontend_tool_states.py

@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ No new Python app logic exists for this task — the behavior lives in
 suite (task 06). Like the other frontend-adjacent unit files, this module
 pins the JS/CSS markers the story depends on, so a silent regression in
 the tool branch, the persistence shape, or the tool-line styling is
-caught without a browser.
+catched without a browser. Phase 68 extends the pins with the
+``search_documents`` status/line contract.
 """
 from __future__ import annotations
 
@@ -39,7 +40,11 @@ def test_tool_branch_is_a_first_class_turn_branch() -> None:
         "the turn handler must branch on tool frames"
     )
     branch = js[tool_idx:delta_idx]
-    assert "toolAcc.push" in branch, "every tool frame is recorded for persistence"
+    assert "toolAcc.push({ name, argument })" in branch, (
+        "every tool frame is recorded for persistence — the record stays"
+        " {name, argument}-generic, no per-tool shape (phase 68: the"
+        " search tool rides the same accumulator)"
+    )
     assert "clearTurnTimeout()" in branch, "a tool frame proves the stream is alive"
     assert 'addMessage("brain", "")' in branch, "first frame creates the brain wrap"
     assert "uiState === UI_STATE.thinking" in branch, (
@@ -69,6 +74,16 @@ def test_calling_tool_label_strings() -> None:
     assert "sendLabel" not in branch, "phase 48: the button keeps its Stop label"
     assert "`${brand()} is listing documents`" in branch
     assert "`${brand()} is reading ${argument}`" in branch
+    # Phase 68: the search status — locked name+argument gate, sitting
+    # BETWEEN the read branch and the listing fallback in the ternary.
+    assert "name === \"search_documents\" && argument" in branch, (
+        "the search status requires the name AND a string argument"
+    )
+    assert "`${brand()} is searching for ${argument}`" in branch
+    read = branch.find("is reading")
+    search = branch.find("is searching for")
+    listing = branch.find("is listing documents")
+    assert -1 < read < search < listing, "ternary order: read → search → listing"
     assert "sendStatus.textContent = toolStatus" in branch, (
         "the #send-status live region announces what Brain is doing"
     )
@@ -106,6 +121,21 @@ def test_tool_lines_render_into_the_bubble_wrap() -> None:
         "the path is data — textContent, never innerHTML"
     )
     assert "name === \"read_document\" && argument" in body
+    # Phase 68: the search branch mirrors the read branch — the same
+    # name+argument gate, a <code> element, and the pattern through
+    # textContent (never markup); the listing stays the final else.
+    assert "name === \"search_documents\" && argument" in body
+    assert 'line.textContent = "🔎 Searching for "' in body
+    search_part = body.split('name === "search_documents"', 1)[1]
+    assert 'document.createElement("code")' in search_part, (
+        "the pattern gets the same <code> treatment as the read path"
+    )
+    assert "code.textContent = argument" in search_part, (
+        "the pattern is data — textContent, never innerHTML"
+    )
+    assert 'line.textContent = "🔎 Listing documents"' in search_part, (
+        "the listing fallback remains the final else"
+    )
 
 
 def test_tool_branch_is_append_only_and_interleaving_safe() -> None:

tests/unit/test_mock_tool_flow.py

@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ from typing import Any
 
 from tests.e2e.mock_llm import (
     MULTI_READ_TRIGGER,
+    SEARCH_PATTERN,
+    SEARCH_TRIGGER,
     TOOLS_TRIGGER,
+    _search_flow,
     _tool_flow,
 )
 
@@ -256,3 +259,95 @@ def test_multi_trigger_without_tools_trigger_is_none() -> None:
 
 def test_multi_flow_requires_tools_section() -> None:
     assert _tool_flow(_body(MULTI_USER, system=SYSTEM_LOW)) is None
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Phase-68 search flow (task 03)
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#: Carries ONLY the search trigger (never ``use your tools`` — the
+#: phase-68 suite's live question shape, regression-safe by assertion).
+SEARCH_USER = (
+    "Search your documents for the vault passphrase marker in my homelab "
+    "kubernetes backup notes?"
+)
+assert SEARCH_TRIGGER in SEARCH_USER.lower()
+assert TOOLS_TRIGGER not in SEARCH_USER.lower()
+
+#: The agent's ``search_documents`` result for the e2e fixture
+#: (``app/rag/agent.py`` ``_execute_tool``): one ``source/path:LINE: text``
+#: match line (the sentinel line, 200-char-capped server-side).
+SEARCH_RESULT = (
+    f"search_docs/reese-notes.md:6: The offsite vault passphrase marker "
+    f"is {SEARCH_PATTERN}."
+)
+#: The agent's no-match line quotes the pattern — the sentinel-only
+#: shape ``_search_result_line`` also recognizes (degenerate path).
+SEARCH_NO_MATCH = f"No matches for '{SEARCH_PATTERN}' in the knowledge base."
+
+
+def test_search_flow_search_step() -> None:
+    # tools offered, no search result yet: the model greps.
+    assert _search_flow(_body(SEARCH_USER)) == ("search",)
+
+
+def test_search_flow_search_step_requires_tools_offered() -> None:
+    # agent_max_rounds=0 path: trigger + <tools> prompt, but no tools
+    # and no search result — regular answer, not a flow.
+    assert _search_flow(_body(SEARCH_USER, tools=None)) is None
+
+
+def test_search_flow_found_step_quotes_first_match_line() -> None:
+    flow = _search_flow(_body(SEARCH_USER, (SEARCH_RESULT,)))
+    assert flow == ("found", f"The offsite vault passphrase marker is {SEARCH_PATTERN}.")
+
+
+def test_search_flow_found_step_with_nested_path() -> None:
+    # A nested path (``/`` in it) stays intact in the match-line parse.
+    result = f"search_docs/deep/nested-note.md:12: line with {SEARCH_PATTERN} inside"
+    flow = _search_flow(_body(SEARCH_USER, (result,)))
+    assert flow == ("found", f"line with {SEARCH_PATTERN} inside")
+
+
+def test_search_flow_found_step_without_tools_offered() -> None:
+    # The answer is content, not a tool call — it must not be gated on
+    # the ``tools`` parameter (phase 45 keeps the tools offered until
+    # the round cap, but the no-tools final request must still answer).
+    flow = _search_flow(_body(SEARCH_USER, (SEARCH_RESULT,), tools=None))
+    assert flow == ("found", f"The offsite vault passphrase marker is {SEARCH_PATTERN}.")
+
+
+def test_search_flow_ignores_catalog_and_read_results() -> None:
+    # A catalog (labeled lines) and a read result ("Document …" prefix)
+    # are NOT search results — the flow stays at the search step.
+    flow = _search_flow(_body(SEARCH_USER, (CATALOG_2, _read_result(DOC1_SP, DOC1_CONTENT))))
+    assert flow == ("search",)
+
+
+def test_search_flow_sentinel_only_result_is_a_search_result() -> None:
+    # The no-match line quotes the pattern — sentinel-only recognition
+    # (degenerate path; the e2e fixture always matches).
+    flow = _search_flow(_body(SEARCH_USER, (SEARCH_NO_MATCH,)))
+    assert flow == ("found", SEARCH_NO_MATCH)
+
+
+def test_search_flow_requires_tools_section() -> None:
+    # Deflected turns never carry the <tools> section.
+    assert _search_flow(_body(SEARCH_USER, system=SYSTEM_LOW)) is None
+
+
+def test_search_flow_plain_question_is_none() -> None:
+    assert _search_flow(_body(PLAIN_USER)) is None
+
+
+def test_search_trigger_does_not_shadow_the_tool_flow() -> None:
+    # The search question carries no ``use your tools`` — the phase-37
+    # classifier must stay inert on it (regression-safe marker).
+    assert _tool_flow(_body(SEARCH_USER)) is None
+
+
+def test_tool_trigger_does_not_shadow_the_search_flow() -> None:
+    # The phase-37/45 questions carry no ``search your documents`` —
+    # the search classifier must stay inert on them.
+    assert _search_flow(_body(SINGLE_USER)) is None
+    assert _search_flow(_body(MULTI_USER)) is None