Agent skill

Deep Research

by seb1n in seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills

Conduct in-depth, multi-step research on a given topic by decomposing queries, finding diverse sources, cross-referencing findings, and synthesizing a comprehensive report.

MITAuto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Deep Research

skills CLI
$ npx skills add seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills --skill deep-research -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills deep-research --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/seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/research-and-knowledge/deep-research .claude/skills/deep-research && 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/

Facts

Skill name
deep-research
GitHub stars
206
Token cost
~2.2k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,084 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
101
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Conduct in-depth, multi-step research on a given topic by decomposing queries, finding diverse sources, cross-referencing findings, and synthesizing a comprehensive report.

  • Works in 6 steps: Decompose the Research Query: Break the… → Identify and Gather Sources: For each… → Extract and Organize Key Findings: Read… → …
  • The user requests deep research
  • SKILL.md covers Workflow, Usage, Examples and Best Practices, plus 1 more section
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Deep Research is an agent skill from seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills. Conduct in-depth, multi-step research on a given topic by decomposing queries, finding diverse sources, cross-referencing findings, and synthesizing a comprehensive report. Use when the user requests deep research or provides relevant inputs for this workflow.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.2k 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 Research & Science, covering Deep research. The repository describes itself as: 103 ready-to-use AI agent skills for Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, and other Agent Skills-compatible tools. Complete SKILL.md… The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • The user requests deep research
  • Provides relevant inputs for this workflow

Example prompts

  • “/deep-research”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

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

  1. Decompose the Research Query: Break the user's high-level question into 3-6 targeted sub-queries that cover distinct facets of the topic…
  2. Identify and Gather Sources: For each sub-query, search across multiple source categories: academic databases, official documentation…
  3. Extract and Organize Key Findings: Read each source and extract the core claims, data points, statistics, and expert opinions. Organize…
  4. Cross-Reference and Validate: Compare findings across sources to identify consensus, contradictions, and gaps. Flag any claims that appear…
  5. Synthesize the Report: Combine validated findings into a coherent narrative. Structure the report with an executive summary, detailed…
  6. Review and Refine: Re-read the report for logical flow, unsupported claims, and missing context. Verify that all citations are accurate…

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 75865a5. 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

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    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

Deep Research loads about 2.2k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 69 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,084 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~69
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.2k

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 seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills at commit 75865a5, republished under its MIT licence (© seb1n). 1,084 words, ~2,197 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/deep-research/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
deep-research
description
Conduct in-depth, multi-step research on a given topic by decomposing queries, finding diverse sources, cross-referencing findings, and synthesizing a comprehensive report. Use when the user requests deep research or provides relevant inputs for this workflow.
license
MIT
metadata.author
awesome-ai-agent-skills
metadata.version
1.0.0

Deep Research

This skill enables an AI agent to perform rigorous, multi-step research on complex topics. Rather than returning a single search result, the agent decomposes the research question into sub-queries, gathers information from diverse source types (academic papers, industry reports, official documentation, news articles, and expert commentary), cross-references findings for consistency, and synthesizes everything into a structured, citation-backed report. The result is a thorough analysis that surfaces nuance, identifies conflicting viewpoints, and highlights knowledge gaps.

Workflow

  1. Decompose the Research Query: Break the user's high-level question into 3-6 targeted sub-queries that cover distinct facets of the topic. Each sub-query should address a specific angle such as historical context, current state, key players, technical details, or future outlook. This ensures broad coverage rather than shallow retrieval from a single search.

  2. Identify and Gather Sources: For each sub-query, search across multiple source categories: academic databases, official documentation, reputable news outlets, industry analyst reports, and community forums. Aim for at least 2-3 sources per sub-query. Record the URL, publication date, author, and a relevance score for each source to enable later prioritization.

  3. Extract and Organize Key Findings: Read each source and extract the core claims, data points, statistics, and expert opinions. Organize findings into a structured outline grouped by theme or sub-query. Tag each finding with its source for traceability.

  4. Cross-Reference and Validate: Compare findings across sources to identify consensus, contradictions, and gaps. Flag any claims that appear in only one source or that conflict with the majority of evidence. Note the recency and authority of each source when resolving disagreements.

  5. Synthesize the Report: Combine validated findings into a coherent narrative. Structure the report with an executive summary, detailed sections for each theme, a discussion of limitations and open questions, and a full reference list. Use clear headings and bullet points for readability.

  6. Review and Refine: Re-read the report for logical flow, unsupported claims, and missing context. Verify that all citations are accurate and that the executive summary faithfully reflects the detailed findings. Offer the user suggestions for further research if gaps remain.

Usage

Provide the agent with a research topic and, optionally, specific sub-questions, desired depth level, or preferred source types. The agent will follow the full workflow and return a structured report.

Research the current state of WebAssembly adoption in 2025.

Focus areas:
- Browser and server-side runtime support
- Major companies and projects using WebAssembly in production
- Performance benchmarks compared to native code
- Toolchain maturity (languages, compilers, debugging)
- Key limitations and open challenges

Examples

Example 1: State of WebAssembly in 2025

User Request:

Conduct deep research on the state of WebAssembly in 2025 — adoption, toolchains, performance, and outlook.

Query Decomposition:

Sub-QueryAngle
"WebAssembly browser support 2025 Chrome Firefox Safari"Runtime support
"WebAssembly server-side WASI Wasmtime Wasmer production"Server-side adoption
"WebAssembly performance benchmarks vs native 2024 2025"Performance data
"Rust Go C++ compile to WebAssembly toolchain maturity"Toolchain ecosystem
"WebAssembly limitations garbage collection threads 2025"Open challenges

Sources Gathered (excerpt):

  • W3C WebAssembly Working Group Status Report (w3.org, Jan 2025)
  • "Wasm in Production at Figma" — Figma Engineering Blog (2024)
  • Bytecode Alliance WASI 0.2 Announcement (bytecodealliance.org, 2024)
  • "WebAssembly vs JavaScript: 2025 Benchmarks" — InfoQ (2025)
  • MDN Web Docs — WebAssembly GC Proposal Status (developer.mozilla.org)

Synthesized Report (excerpt):

Executive Summary: WebAssembly has matured from a browser-only technology to a portable compilation target for server-side, edge, and embedded workloads. All major browsers ship full Wasm 2.0 support including the GC and Threads proposals. WASI 0.2 has stabilized the component model, enabling language-agnostic plug-in architectures adopted by Fastly, Fermyon, and Cloudflare Workers. Performance benchmarks show Wasm executing at 85-95% of native speed for compute-heavy tasks, though startup latency and GC integration remain areas of active work. The toolchain ecosystem is strongest for Rust and C/C++, with Go and Python support improving rapidly. Key open challenges include the lack of a standardized debugging protocol and limited direct DOM access for UI-heavy browser applications.


Show full SKILL.md (476 more words)Show less
Example 2: Competitive Analysis for a Product Launch

User Request:

Research the competitive landscape for AI-powered code review tools ahead of our product launch.

Query Decomposition:

Sub-QueryAngle
"AI code review tools market 2025 overview"Market landscape
"GitHub Copilot code review features pricing"Competitor deep-dive
"CodeRabbit AI automated code review capabilities"Competitor deep-dive
"developer survey AI code review adoption satisfaction"User sentiment
"AI code review tool limitations false positives"Weaknesses and gaps

Synthesized Report (excerpt):

Market Overview: The AI code review market has consolidated around three tiers: integrated platform tools (GitHub Copilot, GitLab Duo), standalone AI review services (CodeRabbit, Codacy AI), and open-source linters with LLM augmentation (MegaLinter + GPT wrappers). Developer adoption surveys indicate 42% of teams in companies with 50+ engineers use some form of AI-assisted review.

Competitive Gap Identified: No current tool provides repository-wide architectural consistency checks — they operate at the PR diff level. A product that combines diff-level suggestions with codebase-wide pattern enforcement could capture the underserved "platform engineering" segment.

Best Practices

  • Diversify source types. Never rely on a single category of source. Mix primary sources (official docs, data sets) with secondary analysis (blog posts, analyst reports) to get a balanced view.
  • Record provenance for every claim. Attach the source URL, author, and date to each extracted finding so the final report can be audited and citations verified.
  • Prefer recent sources but include seminal works. Prioritize sources published within the last 1-2 years, but include foundational papers or documents that define the field.
  • Quantify when possible. Replace vague claims like "widely adopted" with specific numbers like "used by 38% of surveyed teams" to make the report more actionable.
  • Surface disagreements explicitly. When sources conflict, present both sides with their evidence rather than silently choosing one. This builds trust and lets the reader decide.
  • Set a scope boundary early. Clearly define what is in-scope and out-of-scope for the research to avoid unbounded rabbit holes and keep the report focused.

Edge Cases

  • Rapidly evolving topics: If the research subject changes weekly (e.g., active policy debates, breaking security vulnerabilities), note the knowledge cutoff date prominently and recommend the user verify findings before acting on them.
  • Limited or paywalled sources: When key sources are behind paywalls or restricted access, note the gap, cite the abstract or summary where available, and suggest the user obtain full access for verification.
  • Contradictory high-authority sources: If two equally credible sources directly contradict each other, present both claims side by side, describe the methodology of each, and label the finding as "disputed" rather than forcing a verdict.
  • Emerging topics with sparse literature: For very new technologies or concepts, acknowledge the limited evidence base, lean on primary sources (release notes, RFCs, official announcements), and clearly separate established facts from speculation.
  • Multilingual or region-specific research: When the topic spans geographies, note which regions the sources cover and flag if findings may not generalize globally.

© seb1n, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in research-and-knowledge/deep-research of seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 75865a5

Compare with similar skills

Deep Research 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.

Deep Research compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Deep Research this skillseb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills206—~2.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
GitHub Deep Researchbytedance/deer-flow84k4 repos~1.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Deep Research WorkflowTokenRhythm/opensquilla7.1k—~1.3kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Deep Researchsanjay3290/ai-skills4319 repos~683Automated safety check: NotesApache-2.0
Horizontal-Vertical Deep ResearchKKKKhazix/khazix-skills21k—~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Academic Research PipelineImbad0202/academic-research-skills51k—~15kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence

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Questions about Deep Research

What does Deep Research do?

Conduct in-depth, multi-step research on a given topic by decomposing queries, finding diverse sources, cross-referencing findings, and synthesizing a comprehensive report. Deep Research is an agent skill from seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills. Conduct in-depth, multi-step research on a given topic by decomposing queries, finding diverse sources, cross-referencing findings, and synthesizing a comprehensive report.

When should I use Deep Research?

Deep Research fits situations like: the user requests deep research; provides relevant inputs for this workflow.

How do I install Deep Research in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills --skill deep-research -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (research-and-knowledge/deep-research in seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills) into .claude/skills/deep-research in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Deep Research in Codex?

Run `npx skills add seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills --skill deep-research -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (research-and-knowledge/deep-research in seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills) into .agents/skills/deep-research in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Deep Research 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 seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills --skill deep-research -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/deep-research, .gemini/skills/deep-research, .github/skills/deep-research and .opencode/skills/deep-research in your project.

What does Deep Research need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Deep Research is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Deep Research 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 Deep Research 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 Deep Research use?

Deep Research is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Deep Research use?

About 2.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 8.8k 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 Deep Research?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Deep Research: GitHub Deep Research (bytedance/deer-flow, 84k stars), Deep Research Workflow (TokenRhythm/opensquilla, 7.1k stars), Deep Research (sanjay3290/ai-skills, 431 stars) and Horizontal-Vertical Deep Research (KKKKhazix/khazix-skills, 21k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Deep Research?

seb1n (a GitHub user) maintains it in seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills, which has 206 GitHub stars. The repository holds 101 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 9, 2026.

Source: seb1n/awesome-ai-agent-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.