Claude Researcher Skill

Overview

The Claude Researcher skill provides authoritative answers about Claude Code by fetching and analyzing official documentation from code.claude.com. Instead of relying on potentially outdated knowledge or assumptions, this skill retrieves current, accurate information directly from the source.

Core Capabilities

1. Fetch Official Documentation - Retrieve content from code.claude.com documentation pages using WebFetch
2. Multi-Page Analysis - Cross-reference multiple documentation pages for comprehensive understanding
3. Authoritative Answers - Provide accurate information with source citations
4. Feature Explanation - Explain Claude Code features, configurations, and best practices
5. Code Examples - Extract and present official code examples from documentation
6. Specification Details - Retrieve technical specifications, YAML formats, and API details
7. Best Practices - Share recommended approaches from official guides
8. Discovery - Find relevant documentation pages based on user queries

Key Documentation Resources

The skill primarily accesses these official documentation sections:

• Skills: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills
• Commands: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/commands
• Slash Commands: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/slash-commands
• Subagents: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sub-agents
• Hooks: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/hooks
• Hooks Guide: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/hooks-guide
• Plugins: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins
• Plugins Reference: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins-reference
• Plugin Marketplaces: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugin-marketplaces
• Output Styles: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/output-styles
• Documentation Map: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code/claude_code_docs_map.md

Additional pages are discovered and accessed as needed based on the query.

Methodology

Step 1: Query Analysis

Identify what the user is asking about:

• Feature type (skill, command, subagent, hook, plugin)
• Specific aspect (creation, configuration, best practices, examples)
• Level of detail needed (overview, specification, troubleshooting)

Step 2: Documentation URL Selection

Determine which documentation page(s) to fetch:

• Start with the most relevant primary page
• Identify related pages for cross-referencing
• Consider the docs map for discovery if unsure

Step 3: Content Retrieval

Use WebFetch to retrieve documentation:

WebFetch: {
  url: "https://code.claude.com/docs/en/[topic]",
  prompt: "Extract information about [specific query aspect]"
}

Step 4: Information Synthesis

Analyze fetched content:

• Extract relevant sections
• Identify key specifications and requirements
• Find code examples and patterns
• Note best practices and warnings

Step 5: Response Formation

Provide comprehensive answer:

• Direct answer to the user's question
• Relevant specifications or configurations
• Code examples when applicable
• Source citations (URLs)
• Related information or warnings

Step 6: Verification

If information seems incomplete:

• Fetch additional related pages
• Cross-reference specifications
• Check for updates or additional details

Examples

Example 1: Understanding Subagents

User Query: "How do subagents work in Claude Code?"

Skill Action:

1. Fetch https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sub-agents
2. Extract key information about:
   • What subagents are
   • When to use them
   • YAML frontmatter format
   • System prompt structure
   • Tool inheritance
3. Provide comprehensive answer with citations

Expected Response Pattern:

Subagents in Claude Code are specialized agents that handle delegated sub-tasks
with isolated context windows. Here's how they work:

[Key information from docs]

YAML Format:
---
name: agent-identifier
description: When and why to delegate
tools: Read, Grep, Bash
model: sonnet|opus|haiku
---

[Additional details and examples]

Source: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sub-agents

Example 2: Hook Configuration

User Query: "What are the best practices for creating hooks?"

Skill Action:

1. Fetch https://code.claude.com/docs/en/hooks-guide
2. Extract security requirements and best practices
3. Provide practical guidance with examples

Example 3: Skill Creation

User Query: "Show me how to create a skill with the correct YAML format"

Skill Action:

1. Fetch https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills
2. Extract YAML specification
3. Provide complete format with field explanations
4. Include description best practices

Example 4: Plugin Structure

User Query: "How do I package commands in a Claude Code plugin?"

Skill Action:

1. Fetch https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins
2. Extract plugin structure information
3. Provide directory layout and registration details

Example 5: Multi-Page Research

User Query: "What's the difference between skills, commands, and subagents?"

Skill Action:

1. Fetch all three documentation pages
2. Extract key differentiators
3. Create comparison with citations
4. Provide decision guidance

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Always Cite Sources

Every answer should include the source URL(s):

According to the official documentation:
[Information]

Source: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/[page]

Pattern 2: Fetch Before Answering

Never guess or rely on outdated knowledge when documentation is available:

Let me check the official documentation...
[WebFetch call]
Based on the official docs: [answer]

Pattern 3: Cross-Reference for Completeness

For complex questions, fetch multiple pages:

Let me check both the skills and subagents documentation...
[Multiple WebFetch calls]
Here's the complete picture: [synthesized answer]

Pattern 4: Extract Code Examples

When docs include examples, extract and present them:

Here's the official example from the documentation:

[Code block from docs]

This shows [explanation].

Pattern 5: Identify Updates

If documentation seems different from known patterns:

Note: The official documentation shows [current approach], which may differ
from older patterns.

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Documentation Page Not Found

Symptom: 404 error or redirect Solution:

• Try the docs map page to find correct URL
• Check for alternative page names
• Search for related pages

Issue 2: Information Seems Outdated

Symptom: Conflicts with known behavior Solution:

• Fetch documentation anyway (it may be updated)
• Note discrepancies in response
• Suggest testing/verification

Issue 3: Too Much Information

Symptom: Documentation page is very long Solution:

• Use specific prompts in WebFetch to focus extraction
• Fetch multiple times with different prompts
• Summarize key points relevant to query

Issue 4: Missing Specific Details

Symptom: Docs don't cover exact scenario Solution:

• Fetch related pages for additional context
• Combine information from multiple sources
• Provide best interpretation with caveats

Best Practices

1. Fetch First, Answer Second - Always retrieve current documentation before responding
2. Cite All Sources - Include URLs for transparency and user follow-up
3. Use Specific Prompts - Target WebFetch prompts to extract relevant information efficiently
4. Cross-Reference - Fetch multiple pages for comprehensive answers
5. Extract Examples - Code examples from docs are highly valuable
6. Note Discrepancies - If docs conflict with known patterns, mention it
7. Stay Current - Documentation is the source of truth for current behavior
8. Provide Context - Explain not just "what" but "why" and "when"
9. Link Related Topics - Help users discover related documentation
10. Verify Understanding - If docs are unclear, fetch additional pages or ask clarifying questions

When to Activate

This skill should activate for queries like:

• "How do I create a [skill/command/subagent/hook/plugin]?"
• "What's the YAML format for [artifact]?"
• "Show me the official documentation for [feature]"
• "What are best practices for [Claude Code feature]?"
• "How does [feature] work in Claude Code?"
• "What tools can [artifact] access?"
• "Check the Claude Code docs for [topic]"
• "What does the official documentation say about [feature]?"
• "code.claude.com says [something] - explain this"
• "I need the specification for [artifact]"
• "What's the difference between [feature A] and [feature B]?"

Integration with Other Skills

This skill complements existing plugin skills:

• artifact-advisor - Provides decision framework, this provides specifications
• artifact-validator - Validates against patterns, this retrieves official specs
• skill-builder - Guides creation, this provides official requirements
• claude-expert - Has curated knowledge, this fetches current docs

Use claude-researcher when official, current documentation is needed to augment or verify the guidance from other skills.