Product Discovery

You have access to a product search script that queries a catalog of millions of products across thousands of retailers. Use it whenever you need real product data to answer a user's question.

Prerequisites

API key: This skill requires a CHANNEL3_API_KEY environment variable. Get a free key at trychannel3.com.
Dependencies: curl and jq must be installed.

Search Script

Location: product-discovery/scripts/search.sh (relative to the skill root)

Run it via the shell. The script requires curl and jq.

Usage

search.sh [OPTIONS] "query text"

Options

Flag	Description	Example
`-n NUM`	Number of results (default: 5, max: 30)	`-n 10`
`-p MAX_PRICE`	Maximum price in dollars	`-p 100`
`--min-price MIN`	Minimum price in dollars	`--min-price 50`
`-g GENDER`	Gender filter (male/female/unisex)	`-g male`
`-c CONDITION`	Product condition (new/refurbished/used)	`-c new`
`-a AGE`	Comma-separated age groups (newborn/infant/toddler/kids/adult)	`-a "kids,toddler"`
`--availability STATUS`	Comma-separated availability statuses (InStock/OutOfStock/PreOrder/BackOrder/LimitedAvailability/SoldOut/Discontinued)	`--availability "InStock"`
`-i IMAGE_URL`	Search by image (visual similarity)	`-i "https://example.com/photo.jpg"`
`-b BRAND_IDS`	Comma-separated brand IDs to include	`-b "brand_abc,brand_def"`
`-w WEBSITE_IDS`	Comma-separated website IDs to include	`-w "website_abc"`
`--categories IDS`	Comma-separated category IDs to include	`--categories "cat_abc"`
`--exclude-brands IDS`	Comma-separated brand IDs to exclude	`--exclude-brands "brand_xyz"`
`--exclude-websites IDS`	Comma-separated website IDs to exclude	`--exclude-websites "website_xyz"`
`--exclude-categories IDS`	Comma-separated category IDs to exclude	`--exclude-categories "cat_xyz"`
`--keyword-only`	Use exact keyword matching instead of semantic search	`--keyword-only`
`--next TOKEN`	Pagination token from a previous search	`--next "tok_abc..."`

The query argument is optional when using -i for image-only search. Text and image can be combined.

Examples

# Basic text search
search.sh "wireless noise cancelling headphones"

# Price-filtered search
search.sh -p 100 -n 10 "running shoes"

# Price range search
search.sh --min-price 50 -p 200 "winter boots"

# Gendered search
search.sh -g female -p 200 "winter jacket"

# Condition filter
search.sh -c used "macbook pro"

# Kids products
search.sh -a kids -p 50 "sneakers"

# Only in-stock products
search.sh --availability "InStock" "yoga mat"

# Image-based visual similarity search
search.sh -i "https://example.com/dress.jpg"

# Combined text + image search
search.sh -i "https://example.com/jacket.jpg" "similar but in blue"

# Keyword-only (exact match, no semantic search)
search.sh --keyword-only "Nike Air Max 90"

# Paginate for more results
search.sh --next "tok_abc123..." "running shoes"

Output Format

The script outputs structured text, not raw JSON. Each product includes its ID, brands, and all merchant offers with prices and buy links:

Found 5 products (next_page: tok_abc123)

1. Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 41
   ID: prod_abc123
   Brands: Nike
   Offers:
     - nordstrom.com: $89.99 (InStock) https://buy.trychannel3.com/...
     - nike.com: $94.99 (InStock) https://buy.trychannel3.com/...

2. Adidas Ultraboost Light
   ID: prod_def456
   Brands: Adidas
   Offers:
     - adidas.com: $97.00 (InStock) https://buy.trychannel3.com/...

If no results are found, the output is: No products found.

If the API key is missing or invalid, the script prints instructions on how to get one.

Workflow Patterns

Find products

User asks "find me running shoes under $100":

Run: search.sh -p 100 "running shoes"
Present the results as a clean numbered list with product name, price, merchant, and buy link.

Compare products

User asks "compare AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM5":

Run two searches: search.sh -n 3 "AirPods Pro" and search.sh -n 3 "Sony WF-1000XM5"
Build a markdown comparison table with columns for product, price, merchants, and availability.

Best option under a budget

User asks "what's the best laptop under $800":

Run: search.sh -p 800 -n 10 "laptop"
Review the results and recommend the top picks, explaining why based on the product details.

Image-based search

User shares an image URL and says "find me something like this":

Run: search.sh -i "IMAGE_URL"
Present visually similar products with prices and links.

Get more results

If the user wants more results after an initial search:

Copy the next_page token from the previous output.
Run: search.sh --next "TOKEN" "original query"
Present the additional results.

How to Present Results to the User

Synthesize the script output into a clean response. Do NOT paste the raw script output.
Present products as a numbered list or markdown table — whichever fits the question better.
Always include: product name, price, merchant name, and the buy link URL.
For comparisons, use a markdown table with columns like Product, Price, Merchant, and Link.
If multiple merchants sell the same product at different prices, highlight the cheapest option.
Keep it concise — the user wants recommendations, not a data dump.

About This Skill

This skill queries the Channel3 product catalog API (api.trychannel3.com). Search queries and any image URLs you provide are sent to this third-party API. Product buy links point to buy.trychannel3.com, which redirects to merchant sites with affiliate tracking. Avoid sending sensitive or private information in search queries.

API docs: docs.trychannel3.com
Source: github.com/channel3-ai/skills
Provider: Channel3 (trychannel3.com)