Web Research Skill

This skill provides a structured approach to conducting comprehensive web research using the @web-search-researcher subagents. It emphasizes planning, efficient delegation, and systematic synthesis of findings.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Research complex topics requiring multiple information sources
• Gather and synthesize current information from the web
• Conduct comparative analysis across multiple subjects
• Produce well-sourced research reports with clear citations

Research Process

Step 1: Create and Save Research Plan

Before delegating to subagents, you MUST:

1. Create a research folder - Organize all research files in a dedicated folder relative to the current working directory:

• Filename: .sandbox/research/YYYY-MM-DD-[topic_name]/
  • YYYY-MM-DD is today's date
  • [topic_name] is a brief kebab-case description of the research topic
• This keeps files organized and prevents clutter in the working directory.
• Examples:
  • .sandbox/research/2025-01-08-authentication-flow/

2. Analyze the research question - Break it down into distinct, non-overlapping subtopics

3. Write a research plan file - Use the write_file tool to create .sandbox/research/YYYY-MM-DD-[topic_name]/research_plan.md containing:

   • The main research question
   • 2-5 specific subtopics to investigate
   • Expected information from each subtopic
   • How results will be synthesized

Planning Guidelines:

• Simple fact-finding: 1-2 subtopics
• Comparative analysis: 1 subtopic per comparison element (max 3)
• Complex investigations: 3-5 subtopics

Step 2: Delegate to Research Subagents

For each subtopic in your plan:

1. Use the @web-search-researcher subagent to spawn a research subagent with:

   • Clear, specific research question (no acronyms)
   • Instructions to write findings to a file: .sandbox/research/YYYY-MM-DD-[topic_name]/findings_[subtopic].md
   • Budget: 3-5 web searches maximum

2. Run up to 3 subagents in parallel for efficient research

Subagent Instructions Template:

Research [SPECIFIC TOPIC]. Use the web_search tool to gather information.
After completing your research, use write_file to save your findings to .sandbox/research/YYYY-MM-DD-[topic_name]/findings_[subtopic].md.
Include key facts, relevant quotes, and source URLs.
Use 3-5 web searches maximum.

Step 3: Synthesize Findings

After all subagents complete:

1. Review the findings files that were saved locally:

   • First run list_files .sandbox/research/YYYY-MM-DD-[topic_name] to see what files were created
   • Then use read_file with the file paths (e.g., .sandbox/research/YYYY-MM-DD-[topic_name]/findings_*.md)
   • Important: Use read_file for LOCAL files only, not URLs

2. Synthesize the information - Create a comprehensive response that:

   • Directly answers the original question
   • Integrates insights from all subtopics
   • Cites specific sources with URLs (from the findings files)
   • Identifies any gaps or limitations

3. Write final report (optional) - Use write_file to create .sandbox/research/YYYY-MM-DD-[topic_name]/research_report.md if requested

Note: If you need to fetch additional information from URLs, use the fetch_url tool, not read_file.

Available Tools

You have access to:

• write_file: Save research plans and findings to local files
• read_file: Read local files (e.g., findings saved by subagents)
• list_files: See what local files exist in a directory
• fetch_url: Fetch content from URLs and convert to markdown (use this for web pages, not read_file)

Research Subagent Configuration

Each subagent you spawn will have access to:

• web_search: Search the web using Tavily (parameters: query, max_results, topic, include_raw_content)
• write_file: Save their findings to the filesystem

Best Practices

• Plan before delegating - Always write research_plan.md first
• Clear subtopics - Ensure each subagent has distinct, non-overlapping scope
• File-based communication - Have subagents save findings to files, not return them directly
• Systematic synthesis - Read all findings files before creating final response
• Stop appropriately - Don't over-research; 3-5 searches per subtopic is usually sufficient