[IMPORTANT] Use TaskCreate to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting.External Memory: For complex or lengthy work (research, analysis, scan, review), write intermediate findings and final results to a report file in plans/reports/ — prevents context loss and serves as deliverable.Evidence Gate: MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — every claim, finding, and recommendation requires file:line proof or traced evidence with confidence percentage (>80% to act, <80% must verify first).Quick Summary
Goal: Execute broad web search on a topic, collect and classify sources, build a structured source map.
Workflow:
- Define scope — Parse topic, generate 5-10 search queries from varied angles
- Execute searches — Run WebSearch for each query, collect results
- Source triage — Classify each source by Tier (1-4), filter duplicates
- Build source map — Write structured source list to working file
- Identify gaps — Note underexplored angles for deep-research
Key Rules:
- Maximum 10 WebSearch calls per invocation
- Follow source hierarchy: Official docs (Tier 1) > Peer-reviewed (Tier 2) > Industry blogs (Tier 3) > Forums (Tier 4)
- Output intermediate source map, not final report
Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).
Web Research
Step 1: Define Search Scope
Parse the user's topic and generate 5-10 search queries that cover:
- Definition/overview — "what is {topic}"
- Current state — "{topic} 2026" or "{topic} latest"
- Comparison — "{topic} vs alternatives"
- Data/statistics — "{topic} market size" or "{topic} statistics"
- Expert opinion — "{topic} expert analysis" or "{topic} review"
- Criticism/risks — "{topic} challenges" or "{topic} risks"
Step 2: Execute Searches
For each query:
- Run
WebSearchwith the query - Record: title, URL, snippet, apparent source type
- Stop at 10 WebSearch calls maximum
Step 3: Source Triage
For each result, classify by Tier:
- Tier 1:.gov,.edu, official docs, peer-reviewed
- Tier 2: Industry reports, major publications
- Tier 3: Established blogs, verified experts, Wikipedia
- Tier 4: Forums, personal blogs, social media
Filter out duplicates (same URL or same content from syndication).
Step 4: Build Source Map
Write to .claude/tmp/_sources-{slug}.md:
# Source Map: {Topic}
**Date:** {date}
**Queries executed:** {count}
**Sources found:** {count} (Tier 1: N, Tier 2: N, Tier 3: N, Tier 4: N)
## Sources
| # | Title | URL | Tier | Relevance | Notes |
| --- | ----- | --- | ---- | --------- | ------------- |
| 1 | ... | ... | 1 | High | Official docs |
## Gaps Identified
- {angle not covered}
- {topic needing deeper research}Step 5: Identify Gaps
Review source map for:
- Missing perspectives (only positive sources? need criticism)
- Missing data types (no quantitative data? need statistics)
- Recency issues (all sources old? need current data)
Note gaps for the deep-research step.
Workflow Recommendation
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS: If you are NOT already in a workflow, you MUST ATTENTION useAskUserQuestionto ask the user. Do NOT judge task complexity or decide this is "simple enough to skip" — the user decides whether to use a workflow, not you: 1. Activateresearchworkflow (Recommended) — web-research → deep-research → synthesis → review 2. Execute/web-researchdirectly — run this skill standalone
Next Steps
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS after completing this skill, you MUST ATTENTION use AskUserQuestion to present these options. Do NOT skip because the task seems "simple" or "obvious" — the user decides:
- "/deep-research (Recommended)" — Deep-dive into top sources
- "/business-evaluation" — If evaluating business viability
- "Skip, continue manually" — user decides
Closing Reminders
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION break work into small todo tasks using TaskCreate BEFORE starting. MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION validate decisions with user via AskUserQuestion — never auto-decide. MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION add a final review todo task to verify work quality.