| name | squall-deep-research |
| description | Deep research via Codex web search and optionally Gemini deep research. Use when asked to 'deep research', 'squall deep research', 'research deeply', or when a question needs web-sourced evidence. Single-agent, not a swarm. (project) |
| one_liner | Codex searches the web, Gemini goes deep — real sources for real questions. |
| activation_triggers | ["squall deep research","deep research","research deeply","web research","When user needs web-sourced evidence for a question","When user wants deep investigation with real sources"] |
| related_skills | ["[squall-research](../squall-research/SKILL.md) (for multi-agent swarm research)","[squall-review](../squall-review/SKILL.md) (for code review, not research)"] |
Squall Deep Research
TL;DR - QUICK REFERENCE
| Concept | Translation |
|---|
| Codex web search | clink with model codex, timeout 600s — proven path, 20+ web searches per query |
| Gemini deep research | clink with model gemini — standard search works, deep research needs GEMINI_API_KEY |
| Prompt engineering | Frame as research question with "search the web for...", "cite sources", "include URLs" |
| Output persistence | Write results to .squall/research/<topic>.md so they survive context compaction |
Entry criteria:
- User needs web-sourced evidence, specifications, or current information
- Question goes beyond what's in the codebase or Claude's training data
- User says "deep research", "web research", or "research deeply"
Single-agent deep research using Squall's CLI model dispatch. Codex performs multi-step
web searches and synthesizes sourced reports. Gemini adds depth when available. This is
NOT a multi-agent swarm — for parallel team research, use /squall-research instead.
Workflow
- Check memory — call
memory category "patterns" to see if prior research exists on this topic. Call memory category "tactics" for prompt engineering insights that improve Codex/Gemini research quality.
- Frame the research question — Convert the user's request into a specific, searchable research prompt
- Dispatch via Squall
clink — Send to Codex (primary) and optionally Gemini (secondary)
- Persist results — Write to
.squall/research/<topic>.md
- Synthesize and memorize — Summarize key findings for the user with source attribution. Call
memorize with category "pattern" for insights worth remembering across sessions.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DEEP RESEARCH WORKFLOW │
│ │
│ Check ──► Frame ──► Craft ──► clink(codex) ──► Persist │
│ memory question prompt │ │ │
│ └──► clink(gemini) ──────────┘ │
│ (optional) ▼ │
│ .squall/research/ │
│ <topic>.md │
│ ▼ │
│ Memorize findings │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Key Principles
Principle 1: Codex Web Search is the Primary Path
Codex CLI performs real web searches — not just LLM recall. A single query triggers 20+
searches, opens pages, extracts data, and synthesizes. Proven at ~93s for detailed topics
producing 82K input tokens of sourced material. This is the reliable, working-today path.
Principle 2: Prompt Engineering Drives Quality
Research quality depends entirely on how you frame the prompt. Codex responds to specific
triggers that activate its search behavior. Vague prompts get vague answers. Specific,
data-oriented prompts with explicit search instructions get sourced reports.
Principle 3: Persist Everything
MCP tool results are ephemeral — they vanish during context compaction. Always write
research output to .squall/research/. The file path survives in compaction summaries,
so Claude can Read the file to recover full details later.
Dispatching Research
Primary: Codex Web Search
Use Squall's clink tool:
Tool: clink
Arguments:
model: "codex"
prompt: "<research prompt — see Prompt Engineering below>"
timeout: 600
Codex needs time for multi-step web searches. The 600s timeout prevents premature cutoff.
Typical research queries complete in 60-120s.
Optional: Gemini
Tool: clink
Arguments:
model: "gemini"
prompt: "<research prompt>"
timeout: 600
Gemini CLI has standard search capabilities via OAuth. For deeper investigation, the
Gemini deep research extension requires GEMINI_API_KEY (paid tier) — see Limitations.
Combining Both
Run Codex and Gemini as parallel clink calls with different angles:
- Codex: Breadth — cast a wide net with web search, gather many sources
- Gemini: Depth — analyze, synthesize, find patterns across findings
Example: researching "Rust async runtimes"
- Codex prompt: "Search the web for comprehensive comparisons of Rust async runtimes in 2025-2026. Include benchmarks, adoption numbers, and ecosystem compatibility. Cite all sources with URLs."
- Gemini prompt: "Analyze the tradeoffs between tokio, async-std, and smol for building MCP servers. Focus on cancellation safety, memory overhead, and real-world production experience."
Prompt Engineering for Research
What triggers Codex's search behavior
| Prompt pattern | Effect |
|---|
| "Search the web for..." | Activates web search mode |
| "Cite sources" / "Include URLs" | Produces attributed results |
| "Find recent..." / "What's the latest..." | Targets current information |
| Specific data points (numbers, specs, versions) | Gets precise answers |
| "Compare X and Y with evidence" | Multi-source synthesis |
Template: Research Prompt
Search the web for [specific topic]. I need:
1. [Specific data point or question]
2. [Another specific question]
3. [Comparison or analysis needed]
Requirements:
- Cite all sources with URLs
- Include specific numbers, dates, and version information
- Distinguish between confirmed facts and claims
- Note any contradictions between sources
Template: Persist Results
After receiving clink output, write to disk:
File: .squall/research/<topic-slug>.md
# <Topic>
> Deep research via Squall/Codex — <date>
## Key Findings
<synthesized summary>
## Sources
<URLs and attributions from Codex output>
## Raw Output
<full Codex response>
Then memorize reusable insights:
Tool: memorize
Arguments:
category: "pattern"
content: "<key finding worth remembering across sessions>"
tags: ["research", "<topic-tag>"]
Reference Tables
| Scenario | Model(s) | Timeout | Notes |
|---|
| Quick fact check | Codex | 300s | Single specific question |
| Detailed research | Codex | 600s | Multi-faceted topic, many sources |
| Dual-perspective | Codex + Gemini | 600s each | Parallel calls, different angles |
| API/library research | Codex | 600s | "Search the web for X documentation" |
| Model | Strength | Typical Time | Token Usage |
|---|
| Codex | Web search breadth, 20+ searches, sourced reports | 60-120s | ~82K input |
| Gemini | Analysis depth, synthesis, standard search | 30-90s | Varies |
Anti-Patterns
| Don't | Do Instead |
|---|
| Set timeout below 300s for Codex | Use 600s — Codex needs time for web searches |
| Use vague prompts ("tell me about X") | Be specific: "Search the web for X. Include URLs, dates, version numbers." |
| Use this for code review | Use /squall-review — different tool, different purpose |
| Expect Gemini deep research without API key | Use Codex as primary; Gemini is supplementary |
| Leave results only in context | Always persist to .squall/research/<topic>.md |
| Use this for parallel multi-vector research | Use /squall-research for swarm-based investigation |
| Frame as a code generation task | Frame as a research question — "search", "find", "compare" |
| Start research without checking memory | Call memory first — prior research or patterns may already exist |
| Finish without memorizing findings | Call memorize for insights worth preserving across sessions |
Examples
Example 1: Single-Topic Research
User asks: "What are the current rate limits for the xAI Grok API?"
Tool: clink
Arguments:
model: "codex"
prompt: "Search the web for xAI Grok API rate limits as of 2026. I need:
1. Rate limits per tier (free, paid, enterprise)
2. Token limits per request
3. Any recent changes to rate limits
Cite all sources with URLs."
timeout: 600
Then persist the output to .squall/research/xai-grok-rate-limits.md.
Example 2: Dual-Model Comparative Research
User asks: "Research how other MCP servers handle streaming responses"
Run in parallel:
Tool: clink (call 1)
Arguments:
model: "codex"
prompt: "Search the web for MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers that implement
streaming responses. Find GitHub repos, blog posts, and documentation.
Include implementation approaches and any limitations. Cite all sources."
timeout: 600
Tool: clink (call 2)
Arguments:
model: "gemini"
prompt: "Analyze the MCP specification's support for streaming responses.
What are the protocol-level mechanisms? How do existing implementations
handle partial results? What are the tradeoffs?"
timeout: 600
Combine outputs into .squall/research/mcp-streaming-responses.md.
Limitations
- Gemini deep research requires
GEMINI_API_KEY (paid tier) — not currently configured
- Codex deep research model (
o4-mini-deep-research) requires OPENAI_API_KEY — not available
- Codex normal web search is the reliable path today — uses existing ChatGPT auth
- Results quality depends heavily on prompt engineering — be specific, ask for sources
- No structured output — research results are free-form text, not JSON
Related Skills
- squall-research - Multi-agent swarm research with parallel team members investigating different vectors
- squall-review - Code review via Squall's review tool, not for research
Session Learnings Archive
Insights captured during skill execution:
(Add learnings here as they occur, using this format:)
YYYY-MM-DD: Brief Title
Origin: What triggered this learning
Core insight: The key learning
Harvested → [Link to where it was integrated] OR "Pending harvest"
