Keep Current

Ensure responses are accurate and up-to-date by doing targeted research (use helper agents when available) before answering.

When to Research

Research when working with:

• External dependencies: Libraries, frameworks, languages, SDKs
• External services: APIs, SaaS products (WorkOS, Stripe, morphllm, etc.)
• Version-specific topics: Migration guides, breaking changes, version compatibility
• Time-sensitive topics: Recent developments, trends, "latest" features, deprecations
• Uncertain knowledge: When not confident in the recency of your answer

What NOT to Research

Skip research for:

• Language basics: Syntax, core operators, standard data structures
• Stable APIs: Well-established features that rarely change
• Universal concepts: Programming patterns, algorithms, design principles
• Confident knowledge: When certain the answer is in your knowledge base and unchanged
• General knowledge: Topics that don't depend on recent changes

Rule of thumb: If it's core programming knowledge that hasn't changed in years, don't research it.

Research Assistance

When research is needed, use available research assistance (for example, a general-purpose research agent) to gather up-to-date information:

Provide Context

Include in your prompt:

• The research question: What specific information is needed
• Context: What you're building, version requirements, language/framework
• Scope: Level of detail needed (high-level overview vs deep dive)
• Constraints: Any specific requirements or limitations

Emphasize Thoroughness

The subagent must:

• Continue researching until it has a complete, confident understanding
• Explore multiple sources (official docs, community discussions, examples)
• Verify information across sources
• Not return until it has thoroughly researched the topic
• Provide distilled findings with source URLs

Example Prompt

I need to integrate WorkOS for authentication in a Next.js app.
Research the current WorkOS documentation to understand:
- Integration setup and configuration
- SDK usage and code examples
- Authentication flow implementation
- Common patterns and best practices

Thoroughly research this topic. Do not return until you have a complete understanding of how to integrate WorkOS based on current documentation. Provide distilled findings with source URLs.

Using Subagent Results

• The subagent returns distilled, synthesized information
• Apply findings to the user's request
• Reference sources when appropriate
• If findings are insufficient, ask for more specific research