Agent skill

Search First

Research-before-coding workflow. An agent skill from affaan-m/ECC.

MITAuto-check passedDevelopment

Install Search First

skills CLI

$ npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill search-first -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install affaan-m/ECC search-first --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.kiro/skills/search-first .claude/skills/search-first && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "search-first" agent skill from https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC/tree/main/.kiro/skills/search-first into .claude/skills/search-first/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "search-first", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC/tree/main/.kiro/skills/search-first

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill search-first -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install affaan-m/ECC search-first --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.kiro/skills/search-first .agents/skills/search-first && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "search-first" agent skill from https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC/tree/main/.kiro/skills/search-first into .agents/skills/search-first/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "search-first", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill search-first -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install affaan-m/ECC search-first --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.kiro/skills/search-first .cursor/skills/search-first && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "search-first" agent skill from https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC/tree/main/.kiro/skills/search-first into .cursor/skills/search-first/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "search-first", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC.git --path .kiro/skills/search-first

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill search-first -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install affaan-m/ECC search-first --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.kiro/skills/search-first .gemini/skills/search-first && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "search-first" agent skill from https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC/tree/main/.kiro/skills/search-first into .gemini/skills/search-first/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "search-first", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install affaan-m/ECC search-first

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill search-first -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.kiro/skills/search-first .github/skills/search-first && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "search-first" agent skill from https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC/tree/main/.kiro/skills/search-first into .github/skills/search-first/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "search-first", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill search-first -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install affaan-m/ECC search-first --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.kiro/skills/search-first .opencode/skills/search-first && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "search-first" agent skill from https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC/tree/main/.kiro/skills/search-first into .opencode/skills/search-first/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "search-first", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: search-first
GitHub stars: 276k
Token cost: ~1.7k tokens
SKILL.md length: 528 words
Files: 1
Skills in repo: 683
Repo updated: Oct 10, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

Research-before-coding workflow. An agent skill from affaan-m/ECC.

Works in 5 steps: Does this already exist in the repo? →… → Is this a common problem? → Search… → Is there an MCP for this? → Check MCP… → …
Starting new features
SKILL.md covers Trigger, Scope and Approval Rules, Workflow and Decision Matrix, plus 6 more sections
Calls go

What it does

Search First is an agent skill from affaan-m/ECC. Research-before-coding workflow. Search for existing tools, libraries, and patterns before writing custom code. Systematizes the "search for existing solutions before implementing" approach. Use when starting new features or adding functionality.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.7k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Development, covering Linting and formatting. It works with Model Context Protocol. The repository describes itself as: The agent harness performance optimization system. Skills, instincts, memory, security, and research-first development for Claude Code, Codex, Opencode, Cursor and beyond. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

Starting new features
Adding functionality

Example prompts

“search for existing solutions before implementing”
“/search-first”

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

Does this already exist in the repo? → Search through relevant modules/tests first
Is this a common problem? → Search npm/PyPI
Is there an MCP for this? → Check MCP configuration and search
Is there a skill for this? → Check available skills
Is there a GitHub implementation/template? → Run GitHub code search for maintained OSS before writing net-new code

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 4eb71d9. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
- go
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Search First loads about 1.7k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 65 tokens; SKILL.md has 528 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~65
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~1.7k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from affaan-m/ECC at commit 4eb71d9, republished under its MIT licence (© affaan-m). 528 words, ~1,723 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/search-first/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).

name: search-first
description: Research-before-coding workflow. Search for existing tools, libraries, and patterns before writing custom code. Systematizes the "search for existing solutions before implementing" approach. Use when starting new features or adding functionality.
metadata.origin: ECC

/search-first — Research Before You Code

Systematizes the "search for existing solutions before implementing" workflow.

Trigger

Use this skill when:

Starting a new feature that likely has existing solutions
Adding a dependency or integration
The user asks "add X functionality" and you're about to write code
Before creating a new utility, helper, or abstraction

Scope and Approval Rules

Default to read-only research: inspect the repo, package metadata, docs, and public examples before recommending a dependency or integration. Do not install packages, configure MCP servers, publish artifacts, open PRs, or make external write actions from this skill unless the user has explicitly approved that action in the current task.

When a candidate requires credentials, paid services, network writes, or project-wide config changes, return a recommendation and approval checkpoint instead of applying it directly.

Workflow

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. NEED ANALYSIS                           │
│     Define what functionality is needed      │
│     Identify language/framework constraints  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  2. PARALLEL SEARCH (researcher agent)      │
│     ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐  │
│     │  npm /   │ │  MCP /   │ │  GitHub / │  │
│     │  PyPI    │ │  Skills  │ │  Web      │  │
│     └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  3. EVALUATE                                │
│     Score candidates (functionality, maint, │
│     community, docs, license, deps)         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  4. DECIDE                                  │
│     ┌─────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌─────────┐  │
│     │  Adopt  │  │  Extend  │  │  Build   │  │
│     │ as-is   │  │  /Wrap   │  │  Custom  │  │
│     └─────────┘  └──────────┘  └─────────┘  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  5. APPROVAL CHECKPOINT / IMPLEMENT         │
│     Recommend package / MCP / custom code   │
│     Apply only after explicit approval      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Decision Matrix

Signal	Action
Exact match, well-maintained, MIT/Apache	Adopt — recommend the package and request approval before install or config changes
Partial match, good foundation	Extend — recommend the package plus a thin wrapper, then wait for approval before applying
Multiple weak matches	Compose — propose 2-3 small packages and the integration plan before installing anything
Nothing suitable found	Build — explain why custom code is warranted, then implement only within the approved task scope

How to Use

Quick Mode (inline)

Before writing a utility or adding functionality, mentally run through:

Does this already exist in the repo? → Search through relevant modules/tests first
Is this a common problem? → Search npm/PyPI
Is there an MCP for this? → Check MCP configuration and search
Is there a skill for this? → Check available skills
Is there a GitHub implementation/template? → Run GitHub code search for maintained OSS before writing net-new code

Full Mode (subagent)

For non-trivial functionality, delegate to a research-focused subagent:

Invoke subagent with prompt:
  "Research existing tools for: [DESCRIPTION]
   Language/framework: [LANG]
   Constraints: [ANY]

   Search: npm/PyPI, MCP servers, skills, GitHub
   Return: Structured comparison with recommendation"

Search Shortcuts by Category

Development Tooling

Linting → eslint, ruff, textlint, markdownlint
Formatting → prettier, black, gofmt
Testing → jest, pytest, go test
Pre-commit → husky, lint-staged, pre-commit

Show full SKILL.md (214 more words)Show less

AI/LLM Integration

Claude SDK → Check for latest docs
Prompt management → Check MCP servers
Document processing → unstructured, pdfplumber, mammoth

Data & APIs

HTTP clients → httpx (Python), ky/got (Node)
Validation → zod (TS), pydantic (Python)
Database → Check for MCP servers first

Content & Publishing

Markdown processing → remark, unified, markdown-it
Image optimization → sharp, imagemin

Integration Points

With planner agent

The planner should invoke researcher before Phase 1 (Architecture Review):

Researcher identifies available tools
Planner incorporates them into the implementation plan
Avoids "reinventing the wheel" in the plan

With architect agent

The architect should consult researcher for:

Technology stack decisions
Integration pattern discovery
Existing reference architectures

With iterative-retrieval skill

Combine for progressive discovery:

Cycle 1: Broad search (npm, PyPI, MCP)
Cycle 2: Evaluate top candidates in detail
Cycle 3: Test compatibility with project constraints

Examples

Example 1: "Add dead link checking"

Need: Check markdown files for broken links
Search: npm "markdown dead link checker"
Found: textlint-rule-no-dead-link (score: 9/10)
Action: ADOPT — recommend `textlint-rule-no-dead-link` and ask before installing it
Result: Zero custom code if approved, battle-tested solution

Example 2: "Add HTTP client wrapper"

Need: Resilient HTTP client with retries and timeout handling
Search: npm "http client retry", PyPI "httpx retry"
Found: got (Node) with retry plugin, httpx (Python) with built-in retry
Action: ADOPT — recommend `got`/`httpx` directly with retry config and ask before changing dependencies
Result: Zero custom code if approved, production-proven libraries

Example 3: "Add config file linter"

Need: Validate project config files against a schema
Search: npm "config linter schema", "json schema validator cli"
Found: ajv-cli (score: 8/10)
Action: ADOPT + EXTEND — recommend `ajv-cli` plus a project-specific schema, then wait for approval before install/write
Result: 1 package + 1 schema file if approved, no custom validation logic

Anti-Patterns

Jumping to code: Writing a utility without checking if one exists
Ignoring MCP: Not checking if an MCP server already provides the capability
Over-customizing: Wrapping a library so heavily it loses its benefits
Dependency bloat: Installing a massive package for one small feature

When to Use This Skill

Starting new features
Adding dependencies or integrations
Before writing utilities or helpers
When evaluating technology choices
Planning architecture decisions

Files

Just SKILL.md in .kiro/skills/search-first of affaan-m/ECC.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 4eb71d9

Compare with similar skills

Search First next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Search First compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Search First this skillaffaan-m/ECC	276k	—	~1.7k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	yesterday
Ue Code AuthoringJasonMa0012/MooaToon	750	—	~1.9k	Automated safety check: Notes	Custom licence	23 days ago
Typescript Styletjx666/vscode-mcp	105	—	~961	Automated safety check: Pass	Custom licence	2 mo ago
Vscode MCP Architecturetjx666/vscode-mcp	105	—	~1.5k	Automated safety check: Pass	Custom licence	2 mo ago
Aeon Config Doctoraeonfun/aeon	770	—	~3.3k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	yesterday
Search FirstaAAaqwq/AGI-Super-Team	105	7 repos	~1.4k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	2 days ago

Similar skills

Ue Code Authoring
JasonMa0012/MooaToon
A skill your agent uses when writing or modifying UE C++ (classes, actors, components, subsystems, interfaces, function libraries) with Rider MCP available.
750 GitHub stars~1.9k tokensUpdated 23 days ago
DevelopmentAuto-check: notes
Typescript Style
tjx666/vscode-mcp
TypeScript code style and repo conventions for VSCode MCP — inference vs explicit types, ESM import suffixes, zod schema contracts, async VSCode/Node APIs, JSON-safe IPC results, JSDoc for public…
105 GitHub stars~961 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
DevelopmentAuto-check passed
Vscode MCP Architecture
tjx666/vscode-mcp
VSCode MCP Bridge project architecture — current monorepo layout, IPC/EventDispatcher flow, per-workspace socket discovery, MCP/CLI adapters, tool filtering, and VSCode extension services.
105 GitHub stars~1.5k tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
DevelopmentAuto-check passed
Aeon Config Doctor
aeonfun/aeon
Static linter for an Aeon instance's configuration that catches silent failures such as unquoted schedules, duplicate keys, unconfigured skills and broken MCP references.
770 GitHub stars~3.3k tokensUpdated yesterday
DevelopmentAuto-check passed
Search First
aAAaqwq/AGI-Super-Team
Research-before-coding workflow. An agent skill from aAAaqwq/AGI-Super-Team.
105 GitHub starsUsed in 7 repos~1.4k tokens
DevelopmentAuto-check passed
Chrome Devtools MCP
managedcode/dotnet-skills
Use Chrome DevTools MCP from .NET agents and .NET-focused repos to inspect, debug, and automate Chrome through an MCP client.
486 GitHub stars~2.2k tokensUpdated yesterday
DevelopmentAuto-check passed

Questions about Search First

What does Search First do?

Research-before-coding workflow. An agent skill from affaan-m/ECC. Search First is an agent skill from affaan-m/ECC. Research-before-coding workflow.

When should I use Search First?

Search First fits situations like: starting new features; adding functionality.

How do I install Search First in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill search-first -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.kiro/skills/search-first in affaan-m/ECC) into .claude/skills/search-first in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Search First in Codex?

Run `npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill search-first -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.kiro/skills/search-first in affaan-m/ECC) into .agents/skills/search-first in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Search First in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill search-first -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/search-first, .gemini/skills/search-first, .github/skills/search-first and .opencode/skills/search-first in your project.

What does Search First need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Search First needs the command-line tools its instructions call (go).

Does Search First access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Search First safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Search First use?

Search First is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Search First use?

About 1.7k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.9k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Search First?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Search First: Ue Code Authoring (JasonMa0012/MooaToon, 750 stars), Typescript Style (tjx666/vscode-mcp, 105 stars), Vscode MCP Architecture (tjx666/vscode-mcp, 105 stars) and Aeon Config Doctor (aeonfun/aeon, 770 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Search First?

affaan-m (a GitHub user) maintains it in affaan-m/ECC, which has 276,111 GitHub stars. The repository holds 683 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 10, 2026.

Source: affaan-m/ECC on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Search First

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Workflow steps

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

/search-first — Research Before You Code

Trigger

Scope and Approval Rules

Workflow

Decision Matrix

How to Use

Quick Mode (inline)

Full Mode (subagent)

Search Shortcuts by Category

Development Tooling

AI/LLM Integration

Data & APIs

Content & Publishing

Integration Points

With planner agent

With architect agent

With iterative-retrieval skill

Examples

Example 1: "Add dead link checking"

Example 2: "Add HTTP client wrapper"

Example 3: "Add config file linter"

Anti-Patterns

When to Use This Skill

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from affaan-m/ECC

Related

Questions about Search First