Web Research Skill

Goal

Conduct comprehensive web research with a clear plan, delegated subtopics, and a concise synthesis with sources.

Workflow

1) Plan first

• •Create a short research plan with 2-5 non-overlapping subtopics.
• •Use write_todos to track progress.
• •Save a plan file at research_[topic_name]/research_plan.md using write_file (the file tool can create the folder if needed).

Plan template:

# Research Plan: <topic>

Main question:
- <question>

Subtopics:
1) <subtopic>
2) <subtopic>
3) <subtopic>

Expected outputs:
- <what you need to answer>

2) Delegate to subagents

Use the task tool to spawn 2-3 subagents in parallel. Each subagent:

• •Runs 3-5 internet_search queries max
• •Saves findings to research_[topic_name]/findings_[subtopic].md via write_file
• •Includes key facts, quotes (short), and source URLs

Subagent prompt template:

Research: <specific subtopic>. Use internet_search only.
Save findings to research_<topic>/findings_<subtopic>.md.
Include: key facts, short quotes, source URLs, and any gaps.
Limit to 3-5 searches.

3) Synthesize

• •Use ls and read_file to review findings files.
• •Produce a concise response with:
  • •Direct answer to the main question
  • •Integrated insights from all subtopics
  • •Citations (URLs) for key claims
  • •Gaps/uncertainties if any

Best Practices

• •Prefer recent sources and primary documentation.
• •Avoid over-researching; stop when you can answer confidently.
• •Highlight conflicts between sources.