web-search

SKILL.md

Web Search Skill

Overview

I help you formulate effective web search queries and strategies to find the information you need. I can optimize search queries, suggest alternative approaches, evaluate sources, and synthesize findings.

What I can do:

Formulate optimized search queries

Suggest search operators and techniques

Recommend specialized search engines

Analyze and evaluate search results

Identify reliable sources

Synthesize information from multiple sources

What I cannot do:

Execute actual web searches (need external tools)

Access real-time search results

Access paywalled content

Guarantee source accuracy

How to Use Me

Step 1: Describe Your Information Need

Tell me:

What you're trying to find

Why you need this information

What you've already tried

Any constraints (time period, source type, language)

Step 2: Get Search Strategy

I'll provide:

Optimized search queries

Alternative query formulations

Recommended search engines/tools

Search operators to use

Step 3: Evaluate Results

If you share results, I can:

Assess source reliability

Extract key information

Identify gaps

Suggest follow-up searches

Search Query Optimization

Google Search Operators

Operator
Usage
Example

"exact phrase"
Exact match
"climate change policy"

site:
Search within site
site:reddit.com AI tools

filetype:
Find specific files
filetype:pdf annual report

-word
Exclude term
apple -fruit

OR
Either term
startup OR entrepreneur

intitle:
Word in title
intitle:guide python

inurl:
Word in URL
inurl:blog marketing

before:
Before date
AI before:2023-01-01

after:
After date
ChatGPT after:2024-01-01

*
Wildcard
"how to * in python"

related:
Similar sites
related:techcrunch.com

Query Formulation Techniques

1. Start Broad, Then Narrow

Broad: electric vehicles
Narrow: electric vehicle battery technology 2024
More narrow: solid-state battery EV range comparison 2024

2. Use Synonyms and Variations

Original: AI writing tools
Variations:
- artificial intelligence writing software
- AI content generator
- machine learning writing assistant
- GPT writing tool

3. Question-Based Queries

How: "how to implement SSO"
What: "what is zero trust security"
Why: "why companies use kubernetes"
Best: "best practices API design"
Compare: "AWS vs Azure vs GCP comparison"

4. Source-Specific Queries

Academic: site:edu OR site:ac.uk [topic]
Government: site:gov [topic]
News: [topic] site:reuters.com OR site:bbc.com
Forum: [topic] site:reddit.com OR site:stackoverflow.com

Specialized Search Engines

Search Engine
Best For
URL

Google Scholar
Academic papers
scholar.google.com

Semantic Scholar
AI-powered paper search
semanticscholar.org

PubMed
Medical/biomedical
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

arXiv
Preprints (CS, physics)
arxiv.org

Perplexity
AI-powered research
perplexity.ai

Wolfram Alpha
Computations, data
wolframalpha.com

Statista
Statistics
statista.com

Crunchbase
Company data
crunchbase.com

Product Hunt
New products
producthunt.com

GitHub
Code/projects
github.com

Stack Overflow
Programming Q&A
stackoverflow.com

Source Evaluation Framework

CRAAP Test

Criterion
Questions to Ask

Currency
When was it published? Updated?

Relevance
Does it relate to your topic? Audience?

Authority
Who is the author? Credentials?

Accuracy
Is it supported by evidence? Verifiable?

Purpose
Why was it written? Bias?

Source Reliability Tiers

Tier
Source Type
Reliability

Tier 1
Peer-reviewed journals, official statistics
Highest

Tier 2
Quality news (Reuters, AP), industry reports
High

Tier 3
Company blogs, trade publications
Medium

Tier 4
Social media, forums, wikis
Verify required

Tier 5
Anonymous sources, content farms
Low

Output Format

# Web Search Strategy: [Topic]

**Information Need**: [What you're looking for]
**Search Date**: [Date]

---

## Recommended Search Queries

### Primary Query

[Optimized search query with operators]

**Rationale**: [Why this query works]

### Alternative Queries
1. `[Alternative query 1]`
   - Use when: [Scenario]
2. `[Alternative query 2]`
   - Use when: [Scenario]
3. `[Alternative query 3]`
   - Use when: [Scenario]

---

## Recommended Search Engines

| Engine | Why | Query Modification |
|--------|-----|-------------------|
| [Engine 1] | [Reason] | [Any modifications] |
| [Engine 2] | [Reason] | [Any modifications] |

---

## Search Strategy

### Step 1: [First search approach]
- Query: `[query]`
- Expected results: [What to look for]

### Step 2: [Second search approach]
- Query: `[query]`
- Expected results: [What to look for]

### Step 3: [Third search approach]
- Query: `[query]`
- Expected results: [What to look for]

---

## Expected Source Types

| Source Type | What to Look For |
|-------------|-----------------|
| [Type 1] | [Specifics] |
| [Type 2] | [Specifics] |

---

## Verification Strategy

1. [How to verify finding 1]
2. [How to verify finding 2]

---

## Potential Challenges

- [Challenge 1]: [How to address]
- [Challenge 2]: [How to address]

---

*Use multiple sources and cross-reference findings for accuracy.*

Example Use Cases

Case 1: Finding Recent Statistics

Need: Latest global EV sales figures
Strategy:

Query: global electric vehicle sales 2024 statistics
Operators: after:2024-01-01 (filetype:pdf OR site:statista.com)
Sources: IEA, Bloomberg NEF, industry reports

Case 2: Technical How-To

Need: How to implement OAuth 2.0
Strategy:

Query: "OAuth 2.0" implementation tutorial
Site-specific: site:stackoverflow.com OR site:auth0.com
Filter: Look for official docs, recent posts

Case 3: Competitive Intelligence

Need: Information about a competitor's product
Strategy:

Query: "[Company name]" product launch OR announcement
Sources: Press releases, news, Product Hunt
Social: site:twitter.com OR site:linkedin.com "[Company]"

Tips for Better Results

Start with the end in mind - know what type of answer you need

Use quotes for exact phrases

Combine operators for precision

Try multiple query variations

Check source dates - information expires

Cross-reference findings across sources

Use specialized engines for specific content types

Limitations

Cannot execute actual searches

Cannot access real-time results

Cannot access paywalled content

Search engines change their algorithms

Results vary by location and personalization

Built by the Claude Office Skills community. Contributions welcome!