Research online and write a report

Goal

Research, cross-check, and write about a well-defined question, producing a Markdown report with source links, dates, and explicit uncertainty.

Before you begin

Enable online search and enter a valid Tavily API Key under Settings → Configuration → Online search.
Consider using a dedicated local project to store reports. You can also work without a bound project if you only need an answer in the chat.
Do not include passwords, tokens, unreleased code, or sensitive personal information in search queries. Queries and target webpage addresses are sent to the search service.

Steps

1. Turn the question into a verifiable research task

For example:

text

Research how leading desktop Agent products handle local file permissions in 2026.

Requirements:
- Prefer official product documentation, release notes, and security documentation.
- Cross-check at least three independent sources.
- Distinguish between statements explicitly supported by a source and inferences from the available material.
- Record each source's publication date or access date.
- Do not draw conclusions from search snippets alone; open the original page when necessary.
- Write the final report to reports/desktop-agent-permissions.md.

Report structure: executive summary, comparison by product, common patterns, differences and risks, source list.

Replace the year, scope, source preferences, and output path with your actual requirements.

2. Observe the search and reading process

The Agent might search for keywords before reading specific pages. Search results are leads, not primary evidence. Important conclusions should be traced back to the original material whenever possible. If a login wall, dynamic page, or missing content prevents verification, record “Unable to verify” instead of filling the gap with a guess.

3. Review source quality

Before writing the file, ask the Agent to list the sources it plans to use and the conclusion each source supports. The usual priority is official documentation or primary data first, then credible professional analysis, and only then aggregators and secondhand summaries.

4. Approve writing the report

Verify the target path and report preview before approving the write. Links in the report should point directly to the page supporting the claim, not to a search-results page.

5. Perform a reverse review

Continue with:

text

Review only the report you just wrote; do not expand the research scope. Find claims that lack a source, sources that do not support the associated claim, information that may be outdated, or language that is too certain. Correct these issues as needed and list every change.

Expected result

The report lets readers distinguish facts, inferences, and recommendations. Every important fact that may change has an accessible source nearby. The file exists and opens correctly, and the Agent clearly identifies material it could not verify.

Troubleshooting

Tavily Key is missing: Return to Settings → Configuration and finish configuring online search.
Search returns no results: Shorten the query, use synonyms, or restrict the search to authoritative sites.
A page cannot be read: Use another official page from the same organization. Do not ask the Agent to bypass login, payment, or access controls.
Sources conflict: Preserve the disagreement and explain the date and methodology of each source instead of forcing them into one answer.
Writing the report is denied: Confirm that the conversation is bound to a project and that write permissions allow the target path.
The information is not current enough: Explicitly request publication-date verification and an “as of” date. An old source proves only the state at that time.

To understand why the model needs Tools to search the web, read Tool Calling.