web-research-external

name	web-research-external
model	sonnet
description	Produces structured research documents or implementation handoffs by searching external sources — library docs, web, APIs — for a given topic. Use when: 'research how to use a library', 'find best practices for a topic', 'compare options', 'look up API or framework documentation'. NOT for codebase exploration (use project-exploration for that).
category	continuous-learning
triggers	["research how to use a library","find best practices for","compare options","look up API documentation","look up framework documentation"]
tier	1
agents	["primary"]
tool_dependencies	["web_tools","file_system"]
inputs	[{"name":"topic","type":"string","description":"The library, concept, or question to research","required":true},{"name":"focus","type":"string","description":"Research mode — \"library\" (API docs), \"best-practices\" (recommended approaches), or \"general\" (all sources)","required":false},{"name":"depth","type":"string","description":"Search depth — \"shallow\" (essentials only) or \"thorough\" (multi-source, examples, edge cases)","required":false},{"name":"output_format","type":"string","description":"Output type — \"chat\" (summary in conversation), \"doc\" (write research file), or \"handoff\" (implementation-ready context)","required":false}]
outputs	[{"name":"research_output","type":"ref","format":"cas-ref","description":"Research document (markdown) or implementation handoff (YAML) with findings, code examples, best practices, pitfalls, and sources"}]

Web Research External

Researches external sources — library documentation, web search, API references — and produces structured findings for decisions or implementation.

Description

Covers three research modes: library (API docs and usage patterns for a specific package), best-practices (recommended approaches, comparisons, anti-patterns via web search), and general (all available sources for comprehensive coverage). Output is either a chat summary, a dated research document, or an implementation handoff ready for a coding agent. This skill is distinct from project-exploration (local codebase) and research-synthesis (processing existing notes).

When to Use

• Looking up how to use a library or framework (npm, PyPI, crates.io, Go modules)
• Finding current best practices for a technology decision
• Comparing two or more approaches or tools
• Building implementation context before writing code
• Producing a research document to share with teammates or agents

Do not use for local codebase exploration — use project-exploration for that.

Workflow

Step 1: Clarify Intent

If focus, topic, or depth are not provided, guide the user through:

Research type:

• "How to use a library/package" → library focus
• "Best practices for a task" → best-practices focus
• "General topic research" → general focus
• "Compare options/alternatives" → best-practices with comparison framing

Topic: The specific library, concept, or question (e.g., "Prisma ORM connection pooling", "error handling in Python async").

Depth:

• "Quick answer" → shallow (essentials only)
• "Thorough research" → thorough (multiple sources, examples, edge cases)

Output format:

• "Summary in chat" → chat
• "Research document" → doc (write to file)
• "Handoff for implementation" → handoff (structured YAML for coding agent)

Show a confirmation summary before executing:

Focus: library | Topic: "Prisma ORM" | Depth: thorough | Output: doc
Proceed?

Step 2: Execute Research by Focus