SearchLog: A Web Browser Extension for Capturing Search Logs in Laboratory Studies
For researchers studying search behavior, this tool provides a reusable method to collect detailed interaction logs in controlled experiments.
SearchLog is a browser extension that captures natural search logs in lab studies, recording structured interaction data across mouse, keyboard, search activity, and browser state. It enables analysis of measures like query reformulation, dwell time, and exposure to AI-generated content.
Natural search logs are valuable for studying search behavior in information seeking settings. We present SearchLog, an easy-to-install web browser extension for collecting natural search logs during lab-based studies. SearchLog allows participants to search the open web using a browser while recording structured interaction data across mouse, keyboard, search activity, and browser state modules. The extension captures clicks, scrolling, hovered text, typed words, search queries, result rankings, AI-generated summaries when available, tab activity, and window changes. A local Flask backend stores each session as an ordered JSON event stream, with HTML snapshots and preprocessed search result data for later analysis. These logs can be used to derive measures such as query reformulation, page visits, dwell time, scroll behavior, tab switching, search path complexity, and exposure to AI-generated search content. By supporting natural browser-based search with structured experimental metadata, SearchLog provides a reusable resource to study search behavior across traditional and AI-enhanced search interfaces.