research — Claude Code skill: what it does, how to install
Researches a question through primary sources and saves the findings as a Markdown file in the repository. Use it for API facts, documentation checks, and delegated reading.
- Author Matt Pocock
- License MIT
- GitHub ★ 302,251
- Installs 711,295
- Updated 2026-10-22
- Source shown below
What research does
research starts a background agent to investigate a question while you continue working in Claude Code. The agent checks primary material such as official documentation, source code, specifications, and first-party APIs. Each claim in the findings is cited back to its source.
The skill writes one Markdown file and follows the repository's existing convention for research notes. If the project has no convention, it chooses a sensible location and reports the path. Install it when research needs to remain in the repo with traceable evidence; skip it for a brief answer that does not need a file.
What it helps with
- verify a fact against official documentation
- collect API findings in a Markdown file
- trace a claim to source code or a specification
- delegate reading work to a background agent
- keep research notes with source citations
How to install research
Command from the source
/plugin marketplace add mattpocock/skillsCommand from the source
/plugin install mattpocock-skills@mattpocockCommand from the source
npx skills add mattpocock/skills --skill research -a claude-codeWith the Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add mattpocock/skills --skill research -a claude-codeManually
~/.claude/skills/research/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/research/
Manually
.agents/skills/research/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
Manually
.cursor/skills/research/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
GitHub CLI (gh ≥ 2.90)
gh skill install mattpocock/skills researchManually
.github/skills/research/SKILL.mdGemini CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/mattpocock/skills --path skills/engineering/researchManually
.devin/skills/research/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Claude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
How to use it: example prompts
- "Research this API question and save the findings in the repository."
- "Check the documentation for this issue and write a Markdown note with sources."
- "Ask a background agent to review the specification and record confirmed facts."
Source text
SKILL.md · MIT
--- name: research description: Investigate a question against high-trust primary sources and capture the findings as a Markdown file in the repo. Use when the user wants a topic researched, docs or API facts gathered, or reading legwork delegated to a background agent. --- Spin up a **background agent** to do the research, so you keep working while it reads. Its job: 1. Investigate the question against **primary sources** (official docs, source code, specs, first-party APIs), not a secondary write-up of them. Follow every claim back to the source that owns it. 2. Write the findings to a single Markdown file, citing each claim's source. 3. Save it where the repo already keeps such notes; match the existing convention, and if there is none, put it somewhere sensible and say where.
© Matt Pocock · MIT · mattpocock/skills
Questions about research
How do I install research in Claude Code?
Add the marketplace with /plugin marketplace add mattpocock/skills, then install the skill using /plugin install mattpocock-skills@mattpocock.
What does the research skill do?
It sends research work to a background agent, checks claims against primary sources, and writes one cited Markdown file in the repository.
Where does research save its findings?
It uses the repository's existing convention for research notes. If there is no convention, it selects a sensible location and reports the path.
