| 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:
