deep-researcher

Deep Researcher Skill

Purpose

Gather comprehensive, well-sourced information on a topic and produce a structured research brief. The output of this skill is not written to Obsidian directly — it is a markdown document handed off to the obsidian-writer skill.

Workflow

Step 1 — Clarify Scope (only if needed)

If the topic is ambiguous or very broad, ask one focused question:

• What angle or subtopics matter most?
• Is this conceptual understanding, practical how-to, or comparison?

Skip this step if the topic and intent are clear.

Step 2 — Search

Run 3–5 targeted WebSearch queries covering:

• Core concept / definition
• How it works (internals / mechanism)
• Common patterns, best practices, or use cases
• Pitfalls, gotchas, or limitations
• Any recent developments (if the topic evolves quickly)

Step 3 — Fetch and Extract

For the top 3–5 most relevant URLs from search results:

• Call WebFetch to retrieve the page content
• Extract only the signal: definitions, explanations, code snippets, diagrams descriptions, key facts
• Discard nav, ads, boilerplate

Step 4 — Synthesise

Produce a Research Brief in this exact format:

# Research Brief: {Topic}

## Summary
2–4 sentences. What is this? Why does it matter?

## Key Concepts
- **Concept A**: one-line definition
- **Concept B**: one-line definition
(list all essential concepts; no padding)

## How It Works
Explain the core mechanism. Use numbered steps if sequential.
Use a code block if a minimal example clarifies better than prose.

## Subtopics
List 3–6 subtopics worth their own Obsidian notes, with a one-line description each:
- **Subtopic A** — what this covers
- **Subtopic B** — what this covers

## Gotchas and Pitfalls
- Bullet list of non-obvious issues, edge cases, or common mistakes

## Sources
- [Title](URL) — one-line summary of what this source contributed

Output Rules

• The Research Brief is the only output. No preamble, no trailing commentary.
• Every claim must trace to a source in the ## Sources section.
• Hard limit: 1000 words for the brief. Compress aggressively.
• If a subtopic is large enough to deserve its own deep dive, flag it explicitly in the Subtopics section with (deep dive warranted).