| name | tool-scout |
| description | Find current external tools, services, libraries, MCP servers, APIs, or models that could solve a concrete task faster than building from scratch. Use when the user needs ecosystem research before spending build time or money. |
Tool Scout
Metadata
- Trigger when: the real question is “what already exists for this?” rather than “how do we implement it ourselves?”.
- Do not use when: the job is obviously smaller than the cost of a tool hunt.
Skill Purpose
Research the current tool landscape, verify finalists at primary sources, and recommend the smallest honest option set without padding weak candidates into the answer.
Instructions
- Clarify the concrete task, constraints, and whether a tool hunt is even justified. If the job is truly trivial, say that and recommend custom code instead of performing fake research theater.
- Browse the current landscape using primary sources first, with GitHub, official docs, pricing pages, and other relevant discovery sources. Use
/Users/nick/.codex/skills/tool-scout/references/search-patterns.md for search patterns and /Users/nick/.codex/skills/tool-scout/references/evaluation-matrix.md for the comparison frame only when needed.
- Compare only the strongest 3-6 candidates, dedupe repeated discoveries, and end with a recommendation:
Try first, Avoid for now, or Build it ourselves instead when that is honestly the best call.
Non-Negotiable Acceptance Criteria
- Always browse for this skill; tool ecosystems are time-sensitive.
- Finalists are verified at their own primary sources, not just blog posts or reposts.
- Archived or obviously stale tools are clearly flagged.
- The answer does not inflate weak tools just to hit a list length.
Output
- A short comparison table covering tool, type, maturity/signals, why it fits, limits, and link.
- A clear recommendation section:
Try first, Avoid for now, or Build it ourselves instead.
- If architecture or vendor lock-in risk is material, a note that the choice deserves
$product-council or $adr-log.
Next skill options (only if needed): $product-council — debate a high-impact or ambiguous tool choice; $adr-log — record the chosen tool and rejected alternatives durably; $spec-bundle — turn the chosen tool into contracts, boundaries, and implementation tasks.
