Conduct exhaustive, citation-rich research on any topic using all available tools: web search, browser automation, documentation APIs, and codebase exploration. Use when asked to "research X", "find out about Y", "investigate Z", "deep dive into...", "what's the current state of...", "compare options for...", "fact-check this...", or any request requiring comprehensive, accurate information from multiple sources. Prioritizes accuracy over speed, cross-references claims across sources, identifies conflicts, and provides full citations. Outputs structured findings with confidence levels and source quality assessments.
View on GitHubskills/deep-research/SKILL.md
February 5, 2026
Select agents to install to:
npx add-skill https://github.com/petekp/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/deep-research/SKILL.md -a claude-code --skill deep-researchInstallation paths:
.claude/skills/deep-research/# Deep Research Systematic methodology for conducting exhaustive, accurate research using all available tools. Prioritizes correctness over speed. ## Core Principles 1. **Multiple sources required** — Never rely on a single source for important claims 2. **Cross-reference everything** — Verify facts appear consistently across independent sources 3. **Citation mandatory** — Every claim must have a source; no unsourced assertions 4. **Acknowledge uncertainty** — When sources conflict or are weak, say so explicitly 5. **Prefer primary sources** — Official docs > blog posts > forum answers > AI-generated content ## Available Research Tools Use these tools in combination based on the research topic: | Tool | Best For | Limitations | |------|----------|-------------| | **WebSearch** | Current events, recent information, broad topic discovery | Results may be outdated, SEO-influenced | | **WebFetch** | Reading specific URLs, extracting detailed content | Requires known URL | | **Playwright browser** | Interactive sites, paywalled content (if logged in), complex navigation | Slower, requires more tokens | | **Context7/MCP docs** | Library/framework documentation | Only indexed libraries | | **OpenAI docs MCP** | OpenAI API specifics | OpenAI only | | **Grep/Glob/Read** | Codebase research, finding implementations | Local files only | ## Research Workflow ### Phase 1: Scope Definition Before researching, clarify: 1. **Core question** — What specific question(s) need answering? 2. **Required depth** — Surface overview or exhaustive deep-dive? 3. **Recency requirements** — Is timeliness critical? (API versions, current events, etc.) 4. **Authoritative sources** — What would count as a definitive answer? Ask clarifying questions if scope is ambiguous. Use AskUserQuestion for structured choices when multiple research directions are possible. ### Phase 2: Source Discovery Cast a wide net to find relevant sources: ``` 1. WebSearch with multiple query variations -