reddit-researching

name	reddit-researching
version	1.0.1
description	MUST invoke before any mcp__plugin_reddit-research_reddit-buddy__* tool call, when the user asks to research, search, or investigate anything on Reddit (phrases like "reddit research", "check reddit", "reddit says"), when reddit-buddy results already appear in the conversation, or when web research is prompted (skill asks once whether to include Reddit). Provides the structured scoping / search / drill / synthesis workflow — a 3–6 call budget and truncation-aware interpretation are non-optional; reddit-buddy primitives without this workflow produce noisy, over-truncated, or misattributed findings.
allowed-tools	["mcp__plugin_reddit-research_reddit-buddy__search_reddit","mcp__plugin_reddit-research_reddit-buddy__browse_subreddit","mcp__plugin_reddit-research_reddit-buddy__get_post_details","mcp__plugin_reddit-research_reddit-buddy__user_analysis","AskUserQuestion"]

Reddit Research

Structured Reddit research via reddit-buddy MCP. Anonymous access; the server is rate-limited to ~10 calls/minute, which is why this workflow enforces a rigid 3–6 call budget per research question.

Consult references/tool-constraints.md before interpreting any response — reddit-buddy silently truncates content and has field-name collisions that cause common misreadings.

Prerequisite Check

Verify at least one mcp__plugin_reddit-research_reddit-buddy__* tool is available. If none are found, tell the user Reddit research is unavailable (the reddit-buddy MCP server is not running) and stop. Do not substitute WebFetch on reddit.com — Reddit blocks direct LLM access.

Mode Detection

Decide which branch applies before any research work:

• Explicit Reddit — The user asked for Reddit research, or reddit-buddy results already appear in the conversation → proceed to Phase 1.
• Generic web research — The user asked for web research without mentioning Reddit → ask the user once via AskUserQuestion whether to include Reddit. Remember the answer for the session. No → exit. Yes → Phase 1.
• Tool-call guardrail — Claude is about to call a reddit-buddy tool and this skill has not yet been entered → run Phase 1 before the call proceeds.

Workflow

Track the running reddit-buddy call count from here onward; the deliverable requires it.

Phase 1: Scope

State the research question in one sentence, then ask: can a decisive answer fit within 3–6 reddit-buddy calls? If not, the scope is too broad — decompose into tighter sub-questions and pick one. Never raise the budget; the rate limit makes it rigid.

Phase 2: Search

Start with search_reddit. Build a tight, distinctive query — "claude plugin marketplace add" not "plugin marketplace" (Reddit search is loose keyword matching, not semantic).

Pick sort and time by intent:

• Current consensus → sort: top, time: month
• Breaking news → sort: new
• Exact-phrase hunts → sort: relevance (default)

Pass subreddits when the target community is known. For community-pulse queries ("what is r/X discussing right now"), skip search_reddit and call browse_subreddit instead.

Sequence every call — never parallelize reddit-buddy tools. Each response should shape the next query. Keep default limit, comment_limit, comment_depth, and max_top_comments values; overriding them burns quota for marginal signal.

Phase 3: Drill

Scan search hits by title and preview, then classify each:

• Clearly relevant → call get_post_details. Pass subreddit together with post_id, or pass url. Omitting subreddit triggers an extra internal lookup and doubles the API cost.
• Uncertain → skip. Do not spend calls exploring maybes.

For credibility checks on a poster, call user_analysis with time_range: year or all. The month default is a 30-day window that hides long-term patterns.

Never call reddit_explain — it is a static dictionary with tiny coverage; training knowledge is strictly better.

Phase 4: Synthesize

Every Reddit finding is a claim, not a fact. Reddit is opinions and self-reports — attribution is mandatory, not decorative.

Do	Don't
"One Reddit post (r/sub, u/user, 2026-03-12) claims X"	"Reddit confirms X"
"The post opens by claiming X" (when content was truncated)	"The post argues X" (unverifiable past the truncation cap)
Attribute to specific post, user, subreddit, and date	Present unattributed summaries

Deliverable

Produce a research summary containing:

• Each finding attributed to a specific post — subreddit, user, and date.
• Each finding framed as a claim with source, never as established fact.
• Truncation flagged wherever it affects interpretation.
• Total reddit-buddy call count disclosed at the end.