squall-deep-research

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

1. 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.
2. Frame the research question — Convert the user's request into a specific, searchable research prompt
3. Dispatch via Squall clink — Send to Codex (primary) and optionally Gemini (secondary)
4. Persist results — Write to .squall/research/<topic>.md
5. 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"

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