Updating Knowledge
Core Principles
- Systematic > ad-hoc - Follow research methodology, don't scatter searches randomly
- Cross-validate - Verify claims across multiple independent sources
- Confidence tracking - Explicitly flag single-source claims and gaps
- Concise output - Present findings efficiently, introspection in thinking blocks
Preflight Check
CRITICAL: This skill requires web_search tool access.
Before proceeding:
- Verify web_search tool is available in tool set
- If NOT available:
- Immediately inform user: "I need web search enabled for research tasks. Please toggle on 'Web search' in the feature menu." - DO NOT attempt research without web_search - DO NOT proceed with workflow
If web_search is unavailable, fail fast—don't waste context attempting workarounds.
Imperative Triggers
Use this skill when:
- User says "Research", "Investigate", "What's current on", "Latest info on", "Find out about"
- Query requires synthesizing multiple authoritative sources
- Topic likely changed since training cutoff
- Technical/product questions where documentation is essential
- Contradictory information needs resolution
- Building comprehensive understanding for ongoing work
Note: Avoid triggering on generic action verbs like "update" (which could mean file/code changes). Focus on explicit knowledge-gathering requests.
Research Workflow
1. Scope Definition (internal)
Identify in thinking block:
- What specifically needs investigation
- Current knowledge baseline
- Known gaps
- Required depth (overview vs comprehensive)
2. Source Gathering (2-10 tool calls)
Source priority:
- Official documentation, project repos, company announcements
- Academic papers, technical blogs with clear expertise
- Community discussions (for ecosystem context only)
Tool selection:
web_search- Find authoritative sourcesweb_fetch- Extract complete content from any URL (no prior search required)- Internal tools (GitHub, Drive, etc.) - Company/personal context
- Multiple tool types as needed
Gather 3-5 diverse sources minimum for cross-validation.
3. Synthesis (internal)
In thinking block:
- Cross-validate major claims across sources
- Note contradictions explicitly
- Track publication dates
- Assess source credibility
- Identify remaining gaps
4. Output (concise)
Present findings concisely:
## [Topic]
**Key findings:**
[2-3 sentence summary with most important updates]
**Current state:**
[Concise description of what's true now]
**Changes since cutoff:**
[Only if relevant - what's different]
**Gaps:**
[Only if user needs to know - what wasn't found]
Sources: [URLs]Confidence indicators:
- State explicitly when claims are single-source
- Note contradictions between sources
- Flag unverified information
- Quantify confidence (high/medium/low) when uncertain
Quality Standards
Minimum requirements:
- 3+ independent sources consulted
- Major claims cross-validated
- Explicit confidence assessment
- Remaining gaps identified when relevant
Avoid:
- Single-source claims presented as definitive
- Ignoring publication dates
- Marketing language as fact
- Verbose deliberation in final output (use thinking blocks)
- Over-explaining research process to user
Tool Usage Notes
web_fetch capabilities:
- Can fetch ANY URL directly - doesn't require prior search results
- Use for complete documentation pages, technical articles
- Effective for deep content extraction after search identifies sources
web_search patterns:
- Start specific, broaden if needed
- Never repeat similar queries - make each unique
- Use current date context when relevant (November 2025)
Internal tools:
- Prioritize for company/personal data
- Combine with web tools for comparative analysis
Output Efficiency
DO:
- Present findings concisely
- Use thinking blocks for deliberation
- Lead with key takeaways
- State confidence explicitly when low
- Cite sources inline
DON'T:
- Narrate research process unless asked
- Include verbose phase descriptions
- Over-explain methodology
- Repeat information across sections
- Document internal reasoning in output
Example Outputs
Technical documentation inquiry:
TypeScript 5.3 (Nov 2023) added import attributes for JSON modules. The syntax uses `with` instead of deprecated `assert`. Runtime performance unchanged—validation happens at parse time.
Gap: No official benchmarks comparing validation overhead across bundlers.
Sources: [TS release notes, GitHub issue #54242, esbuild docs]Conflicting information:
React Server Components ship in Next.js 13.4+ (stable) and Remix 2.0 (experimental).
Contradiction: Meta's blog claims "production-ready" while Remix docs flag "breaking changes expected." Cross-validation shows Meta refers to Next.js implementation only.
Confidence: High on Next.js status, medium on Remix timeline.
Sources: [Next.js changelog, Remix docs, React.dev]Avoid narrating process:
❌ "After conducting extensive research and cross-validating multiple authoritative sources..."
✓ Just present findings with source attribution