| name | web-research |
| description | Research a topic by searching the web, fetching the most relevant pages as markdown, and producing a well-structured summary with citations. Use when the user asks to research, investigate, find information about, or look into a topic. |
Web Research
When to use
The user wants to learn about something that requires up-to-date information from multiple sources. Examples:
- "Research the latest changes to X"
- "What's the current state of Y?"
- "Find me information about Z"
Steps
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Plan — break the topic into 2-4 specific search queries that cover different angles. Don't search the same thing multiple ways.
-
Search — run web_search for each query (one at a time). Aim for 5-10 results each. Skim the snippets to identify the most authoritative sources.
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Read — for the 3-5 most promising results, call browser_markdown to get the full content. Prefer official docs, well-known publications, and primary sources over aggregators or content farms.
When deciding which sources to trust, consult references/source-trust-heuristics.md (use read_skill_resource with path: "references/source-trust-heuristics.md"). It lists high/medium/low trust tiers and red flags.
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Synthesise — write a structured summary that:
- Opens with a 1-2 sentence direct answer to the user's question
- Has 3-5 sections covering the key aspects
- Cites specific sources inline using markdown links:
[Source Title](url)
- Notes any conflicts or uncertainty between sources
- Ends with "Sources" listing all URLs used
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Offer next steps — use offer_choices to suggest follow-ups like "Dig deeper into X", "Compare with Y", "Find recent updates", or "Save this research as a file".
Style
- Be concise. Aim for 200-400 words of summary, not a wall of text.
- Use bullet points and short paragraphs.
- Cite as you go, not in a single block at the end (unless that's all the user wants).
- If sources disagree, say so explicitly — don't paper over it.
What not to do
- Don't make up facts. If a search returns nothing useful, say so and ask for clarification.
- Don't quote large blocks from sources — paraphrase and link.
- Don't assume one source is authoritative without checking another.
