research

name	research
description	Content topic research and competitor analysis. Activate when user asks to find topics, research competitors, analyze trending content, or generate content ideas for Chinese social media (Xiaohongshu, Douyin, WeChat).

Research

Executor skill. Searches trending topics, analyzes competitor content, and saves topics locally.

Research Mode

AutoCrew research is now browser-first:

1. Prefer the user's own logged-in browser session through the host runtime's CDP / browser tools.
2. Use API providers like TikHub only as fallback.
3. If neither is available, degrade to manual/web search based research.

Do not assume TikHub is the default data source anymore.

Inputs

Parameter	Source	Required	Description
topic_count	Message	No	Number of topics to generate (default: 3)
direction	Message	No	Specific topic direction or theme
user_requirements	Message	No	Additional constraints

Steps

1. Read MEMORY.md (if exists at ~/.autocrew/MEMORY.md). Extract: industry, platforms, audience, content style, competitor accounts (Competitor Accounts section).

   • IF MEMORY.md is empty or industry is missing THEN ask user for their niche/industry before proceeding.

2. Check for XHS competitor accounts in MEMORY.md.

   • IF no XHS competitors THEN go to Step 3C (degraded mode).
   • IF XHS competitors exist THEN go to Step 3A (normal mode).

3A. Normal mode / browser-first

Use host-provided browser/CDP capabilities first:

• open the user's logged-in platform session
• inspect competitor recent notes/videos
• inspect platform hot lists
• inspect creator center or search result pages when relevant

Only if browser access is blocked should you drop to Step 3B.

3B. Fallback mode / API provider

If browser-first is unavailable, use TikHub or other structured providers when configured:

• fetch competitor recent posts
• fetch platform content detail when available
• keep a note that results came from fallback API mode

3C. Free mode — 纯公开搜索 + 爆款评分引擎:

使用 autocrew_research tool 的 free mode：

{
  "action": "discover",
  "keyword": "AI 编程",
  "platform": "xiaohongshu",
  "mode": "free",
  "search_results": [/* 由 web_search 提供 */]
}

Free 引擎流程：

1. 调用方先用 web_search 搜索 3-5 条查询（引擎会生成推荐查询）
2. 将搜索结果传入 search_results 参数
3. 引擎自动评分（标题吸引力 + 话题热度 + 用户匹配度）
4. 风格校准过滤（排除触碰 styleBoundaries.never 的选题）
5. 返回排序后的候选选题

推荐搜索查询模板（由 free-engine 的 buildSearchQueries 生成）：

• {industry} {keyword} 内容选题
• {industry} 热门话题 {当前月份}
• {keyword} 爆款内容 分析
• {keyword} {平台名} 爆款
• {keyword} 最新趋势 {年份}

3D. Manual degraded mode — 无任何数据源:

Use web_search only:

• Search: {industry} 内容选题 小红书
• Search: {industry} 热门话题 {current_month}
• Search: {industry} 爆款内容 分析

4. Generate topics. For each topic:

   • Title: ≤20 characters, specific angle (not generic)
   • Description: WHY this topic has potential + cite the data source
   • Tags: 3-5 relevant tags
   • Source: where the idea came from (competitor name, trend, hot list)

   Prefer using the autocrew_research tool in browser-first mode when available:

   {
     "action": "discover",
     "keyword": "AI 编程",
     "platform": "xiaohongshu",
     "topic_count": 5
   }
   

5. Quality gate — before saving, each topic must pass:

   • Has a specific, non-obvious angle (not "AI工具推荐" but "AI工具用了3个月，这5个我删了")
   • Description cites a concrete data point or evidence
   • Answers "why now" — what makes this timely

6. Save topics using autocrew_topic tool:

   { "action": "create", "title": "...", "description": "...", "tags": [...]   
   

Error Handling

Failure	Action
Browser session unavailable	Fall back to API provider mode, then degraded mode
TikHub unavailable	Continue with browser-first or degraded mode
All searches fail	Use general knowledge to generate topics. Note in description that no live data was available.
Topic save fails	Log error, continue saving remaining topics.

Changelog

• 2026-03-31: v1 — Adapted from Qingmo research.md. Removed backend API dependency, uses autocrew_topic tool. TikHub optional, web_search as primary data source.
• 2026-03-31: v2 — Strategy shifted to browser-first research using user-managed login sessions. TikHub moved to fallback provider role.
• 2026-04-01: v3 — Added Free mode (Step 3C) using free-engine.ts. Auto mode now falls back to free engine before manual degradation. New search_results parameter for pre-fetched web search data.