Quick Web Research Strategy

What This Skill Does

Provides fast, targeted search methodology for simple questions requiring direct factual answers from authoritative sources. Implements single-pass workflow with precise query formulation and minimal citation overhead.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the research question requires:

Version lookups: "What version of React Router was released in 2025?"
Documentation finding: "Find docs for Terraform AWS provider"
Simple definitions: "What is GraphQL?"
Existence checks: "Does Next.js support Server Components?"
URL/link requests: "Link to Python asyncio documentation"

Triggers: Keywords like "what version", "find docs", "link to", "what is", "does X support", "URL for"

Instructions

Single-Pass Workflow

Objective: Execute 1-2 targeted queries, identify 1-2 authoritative sources, extract concise answer.

Step 1: Targeted Query Formulation (1-2 Queries)

Generate 1-2 highly specific queries using advanced operators:

Query Strategy:

Official Source Priority: Use
```
site:
```
operator for authoritative domains
File Type Targeting: Use
```
filetype:
```
for specific document types
Exact Phrase Matching: Use
```
"exact phrase"
```
for precision
Recent Content: Use
```
after:YYYY
```
for latest information

Examples:

Version Lookup:
- site:npmjs.com "react-router" "version"
- site:github.com "react-router" "releases" after:2025

Documentation Finding:
- site:terraform.io "aws provider" "documentation"
- site:docs.python.org "asyncio"

Simple Definition:
- site:graphql.org "what is GraphQL"
- "GraphQL definition" site:official-docs

Existence Check:
- site:nextjs.org "Server Components" "support"
- "Next.js Server Components" site:vercel.com

Step 2: Authoritative Source Identification (1-2 Sources)

Target Authoritative Sources:

Official documentation: Framework/library official sites
Package registries: npm, PyPI, Maven Central
Official GitHub repos: Releases, changelog
Peer-reviewed sources: Academic papers (rare for quick lookups)

Credibility Hierarchy:

Official docs (highest authority)
Official GitHub/package registry
Established tech publications (MDN, Smashing Magazine)
Community sources (Stack Overflow) - only if official unavailable

Step 3: Extract Concise Answer

Extract direct answer with minimal context:

Answer Format:

markdown

{Concise 1-3 sentence answer with inline citation [1]}

Optional: {1 sentence additional context if needed} [2]

Examples:

markdown

Version Lookup:
React Router v7.2.0 was released on March 15, 2025 [1]. The release introduced new data loading APIs and improved TypeScript support [1].

Documentation Finding:
The Terraform AWS Provider documentation is available at https://registry.terraform.io/providers/hashicorp/aws/latest/docs [1].

Simple Definition:
GraphQL is a query language for APIs that allows clients to request exactly the data they need [1].

Existence Check:
Yes, Next.js 14+ supports Server Components as a stable feature [1]. Server Components are enabled by default in the App Router [1].

Step 4: Minimal Citation

Provide 1-2 citations with essential information only:

Citation Format:

markdown

[1] **{Source Title}**
    - URL: {URL}
    - Author/Org: {organization}
    - Date: {YYYY-MM-DD}
    - Excerpt: "{1-sentence quote}"

Example:

markdown

[1] **React Router v7 Release Notes**
    - URL: https://github.com/remix-run/react-router/releases/tag/v7.2.0
    - Author/Org: Remix Team
    - Date: 2025-03-15
    - Excerpt: "React Router v7.2.0 introduces new data loading APIs..."

Step 5: Verify Factual Accuracy

Quick verification checklist:

Answer directly addresses the question?
Source is authoritative (official or highly credible)?
Information is recent (if time-sensitive)?
Citation includes URL for user verification?

No iteration - single pass only for quick mode.

Output Template

markdown

# Web Research Analysis (Quick Mode)

**Research Mode**: quick
**Objective**: {1-sentence: what was researched}

---

## Answer

{Concise 1-3 sentence answer with inline citations [1][2]}

---

## Source Citations

[1] **{Source Title}**
    - URL: {URL}
    - Author/Org: {author/org}
    - Date: {date}
    - Excerpt: "{quote}"

[2] **{Source Title}** (if applicable)
    - URL: {URL}
    - Author/Org: {author/org}
    - Date: {date}
    - Excerpt: "{quote}"

Examples

Example 1: Version Lookup

Scenario: "What version of React Router was released in 2025?"

Process:

Query (1):
site:github.com "react-router" "releases" "2025"

Source Identified (1):
React Router GitHub Releases [1]

Answer Extracted:
React Router v7.2.0 was released on March 15, 2025 [1].

Citation:
[1] React Router v7.2.0 Release
    - URL: https://github.com/remix-run/react-router/releases/tag/v7.2.0
    - Author/Org: Remix Team
    - Date: 2025-03-15
    - Excerpt: "v7.2.0 Release Notes..."

Verification: ✅ Authoritative (official repo), ✅ Recent, ✅ Directly answers question

Output: Quick Mode Context File with concise answer and 1 citation

Example 2: Documentation Finding

Scenario: "Find docs for Python asyncio"

Process:

Query (1):
site:docs.python.org "asyncio"

Source Identified (1):
Python Official Documentation [1]

Answer Extracted:
The Python asyncio documentation is available at https://docs.python.org/3/library/asyncio.html [1].

Citation:
[1] Python asyncio Documentation
    - URL: https://docs.python.org/3/library/asyncio.html
    - Author/Org: Python Software Foundation
    - Date: 2025-01-10 (last updated)
    - Excerpt: "asyncio is a library to write concurrent code using async/await syntax."

Verification: ✅ Official docs, ✅ Recent, ✅ Direct link

Output: Quick Mode summary with documentation URL

Example 3: Simple Definition

Scenario: "What is GraphQL?"

Process:

Queries (2):
- site:graphql.org "what is GraphQL"
- "GraphQL definition"

Sources Identified (1 primary):
GraphQL Official Site [1]

Answer Extracted:
GraphQL is a query language for APIs and a runtime for fulfilling queries with existing data [1].
It was developed by Facebook and provides a complete description of the data in your API [1].

Citations:
[1] GraphQL Introduction
    - URL: https://graphql.org/
    - Author/Org: GraphQL Foundation
    - Date: 2024-12-01 (last updated)
    - Excerpt: "GraphQL is a query language for APIs and a runtime for fulfilling those queries..."

Verification: ✅ Official source, ✅ Clear definition

Output: Quick Mode summary with definition and official citation

Example 4: Existence Check

Scenario: "Does Next.js support Server Components?"

Process:

Query (1):
site:nextjs.org "Server Components" "support"

Source Identified (1):
Next.js Official Documentation [1]

Answer Extracted:
Yes, Next.js 14+ supports Server Components as a stable feature [1]. Server Components are
enabled by default in the App Router and allow rendering components on the server [1].

Citation:
[1] Next.js Server Components Documentation
    - URL: https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/server-components
    - Author/Org: Vercel
    - Date: 2025-01-20
    - Excerpt: "Server Components are a new feature that allow you to render components on the server..."

Verification: ✅ Official docs, ✅ Recent, ✅ Confirms existence and provides context

Output: Quick Mode summary confirming Server Components support

Best Practices

Official Sources First: Always try
```
site:official-domain.com
```
before broader searches
Be Specific: Use exact version numbers, product names, specific terminology
Avoid Over-Research: 1-2 sources sufficient for factual lookups - don't overthink
Verify Recency: For technology topics, check publication/update date
Direct Answers Only: No analysis, no comparison, no deep dive - just the answer
Single Iteration: Never iterate in quick mode - if answer unclear, escalate to standard mode

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Version Lookup

Query: site:{official-repo} "{package}" "version" "release" after:YYYY
Source: GitHub releases, npm registry, official changelog
Answer: "{Package} v{X.Y.Z} released on {date} [1]"

Pattern 2: Documentation URL

Query: site:{official-docs-domain} "{topic}"
Source: Official documentation site
Answer: "Documentation available at {URL} [1]"

Pattern 3: Yes/No Existence Check

Query: site:{official-site} "{feature}" "support"
Source: Official feature documentation
Answer: "Yes/No, {product} supports {feature} [1]. {1-sentence context} [1]"

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Multiple Conflicting Versions

Check official source first (GitHub releases, official site)
Verify date (latest is correct for "current version" questions)
If user asks about specific date, note date in answer

Issue 2: No Official Documentation Found

Try package registry (npm, PyPI)
Check official GitHub repo
If still not found, note "No official documentation found; community resources available at {URL}"

Issue 3: Question More Complex Than Expected

Don't force quick mode for complex questions
Note in output: "Question requires deeper analysis; recommend /research:standard or /research:deep"
Provide best-effort answer with caveat

Integration Points

WebSearch Tool: Execute 1-2 targeted queries only
Official Sources: Prioritize
```
site:
```
operator for authoritative domains

Context Files: Persist minimal findings to

.agent/Session-{name}/context/research-web-analyst.md

No MCP Servers: Quick mode avoids external dependencies for speed

Key Terminology

Targeted Query: Highly specific search using advanced operators
Authoritative Source: Official documentation, package registry, official repo
Single-Pass: One iteration only, no refinement
Concise Answer: 1-3 sentences directly addressing question
Minimal Citation: 1-2 sources with essential metadata only

Additional Resources

Google Search Operators: https://ahrefs.com/blog/google-advanced-search-operators/
Official Documentation Sites: Language/framework official domains
Package Registries: npm (https://npmjs.com), PyPI (https://pypi.org), Maven (https://mvnrepository.com)

websearch-quick

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Quick Web Research Strategy

What This Skill Does

When to Use This Skill

Instructions

Single-Pass Workflow

Step 1: Targeted Query Formulation (1-2 Queries)

Step 2: Authoritative Source Identification (1-2 Sources)

Step 3: Extract Concise Answer

Step 4: Minimal Citation

Step 5: Verify Factual Accuracy

Output Template

Examples

Example 1: Version Lookup

Example 2: Documentation Finding

Example 3: Simple Definition

Example 4: Existence Check

Best Practices

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Version Lookup

Pattern 2: Documentation URL

Pattern 3: Yes/No Existence Check

Troubleshooting

Integration Points

Key Terminology

Additional Resources