Web Researchv1.0.0featured
Research a question across several independent, reliable web sources and return a sourced answer with confidence notes. Use when the user asks to look into a topic, verify a claim, compare viewpoints, or needs citations - not for a single quick fact (use web-search for that).
- Author
- Velonx
- License
- MIT
- Updated
- Sep 25, 2026
Overview
A repeatable procedure for answering open questions from the web: plan the searches, read primary sources, cross-check claims, and report what is known, what is disputed and where each fact came from.
When to Use
- "Research…", "look into…", "what's the current state of…", "is it true that…"
- The answer needs more than one source, or the user will act on it.
- The user asks for citations, a comparison of viewpoints, or a recent development.
Do not use for a single lookup ("what year was X founded") — that is web-search.
Installation
velonx install web-researchGet the skill folder
The skill isgit clone --depth 1 https://github.com/velonx/agent-skills.gitagent-skills/skills/web-research/. Or open it on GitHub and download the files.Give SKILL.md to your agent as instructions
Add it to the system prompt, custom instructions or rules file your agent reads. Keep the rest of the folder next to it if the skill refers to examples or scripts.Ask for the task in your own words
The agent follows the skill when your request matches it. You can also name it: “use web-research”.
Get the skill folder
The skill isgit clone --depth 1 https://github.com/velonx/agent-skills.gitagent-skills/skills/web-research/. Or open it on GitHub and download the files.Claude Code: copy it into a skills folder
Usecp -R agent-skills/skills/web-research ~/.claude/skills/.claude/skills/inside a project instead to share it with your team through git.Claude apps: upload it
Zip the folder and upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.Ask for the task in your own words
The agent follows the skill when your request matches it. You can also name it: “use web-research”.
Get the skill folder
The skill isgit clone --depth 1 https://github.com/velonx/agent-skills.gitagent-skills/skills/web-research/. Or open it on GitHub and download the files.ChatGPT: add it to a GPT or project
PasteSKILL.mdinto the instructions, and upload files from the folder as knowledge if the skill uses them.API: send it as instructions
UseSKILL.mdas the system / developer message, or as agent instructions in your SDK.Ask for the task in your own words
The agent follows the skill when your request matches it. You can also name it: “use web-research”.
Get the skill folder
The skill isgit clone --depth 1 https://github.com/velonx/agent-skills.gitagent-skills/skills/web-research/. Or open it on GitHub and download the files.Gemini app: create a Gem
PasteSKILL.mdinto the Gem’s instructions.Gemini CLI or API
Add the contents to your project’sGEMINI.md, or pass it as thesystem_instructionin the API.Ask for the task in your own words
The agent follows the skill when your request matches it. You can also name it: “use web-research”.
Get the skill folder
The skill isgit clone --depth 1 https://github.com/velonx/agent-skills.gitagent-skills/skills/web-research/. Or open it on GitHub and download the files.Add it as a project rule
Create.cursor/rules/web-research.mdcand paste the body ofSKILL.md. Use the skill’s description as the rule description so the agent applies it when relevant.Keep the folder in your repo
Only needed if the skill refers to examples or scripts.Ask for the task in your own words
The agent follows the skill when your request matches it. You can also name it: “use web-research”.
Agents move these settings between versions — if a path doesn’t match, check your agent’s docs.
Usage
- Restate the question in one sentence and list 2–4 sub-questions it depends on.
- Plan searches. For each sub-question write 1–2 queries. Vary wording; include one query aimed at a primary source (official site, paper, dataset, filing, standard).
- Collect sources. Aim for at least 3 independent sources for any key claim. Prefer, in order: primary sources → reputable institutions and journals → established news outlets → everything else. Note the publication date of each; flag anything older than the question needs.
- Read, don't skim snippets. Open the page. Quote only short passages; paraphrase the rest.
- Cross-check. For each key claim record: sources that agree, sources that disagree, and why they might differ (date, method, incentive).
- Write the answer in this shape:
- Answer — 2–4 sentences, direct.
- Key findings — bullets, each ending with a citation like
[2]. - Disagreements / uncertainty — what is contested and why.
- Sources — numbered list: title, publisher, date, URL.
- State confidence (high / medium / low) and what would change it.
Examples
Prompt: "Is intermittent fasting better than calorie restriction for weight loss?"
The agent splits it into: effect size in RCTs, adherence, populations studied. It searches for meta-analyses first, then individual trials, then public-health guidance, and reports that most trials find similar weight loss when calories are matched — with the disagreement being about adherence.
A full sample answer is in examples/sample-answer.md.
Requirements & compatibility
Your agent needs
- Web access — search and open pages
Written for
- Web search and the ability to open pages.
Limitations
- Cannot read paywalled content; says so rather than guessing what it contains.
- Search results skew toward English and recent content.
- The agent can still misread a source — citations let the user check.
Files
Changelog
- 1.0.0 — Initial release.
Contributing
This skill lives in velonx/agent-skills. Improvements go through a pull request, reviewed by maintainers.