
Agent Researcher
Spin up a dedicated researcher agent that systematically explores a repo, docs, and dependencies before you commit to an architecture or fix.
Overview
Agent Researcher is an agent skill most often used in Idea (also Build, Operate) that runs systematic code, documentation, and dependency investigation and synthesizes actionable insights.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/ruvnet/ruflo --skill agent-researcherWhat is this skill?
- Five core tracks: code analysis, pattern recognition, documentation review, dependency mapping, and knowledge synthesis
- Multi-strategy gathering: glob, grep, semantic search, and full-file reads across naming variants
- Analyst agent profile with high priority and pre/post hooks for task-scoped research context
- Pattern analysis workflow with bash-oriented search examples for recurring structures and anti-patterns
- Findings compiled into actionable insights for downstream planning or implementation agents
Adoption & trust: 662 installs on skills.sh; 58.5k GitHub stars; 2/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You are staring at an unfamiliar repo or vague task and need reliable context—not guesses—before you design, plan, or patch.
Who is it for?
Solo builders who want a structured researcher pass on a codebase, docs gap, or dependency question before committing to a build path.
Skip if: Teams that already have an approved spec and only need a single-file edit with no discovery step.
When should I use this skill?
Invoke when a task needs deep research, code analysis, documentation review, or dependency tracking before implementation.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get documented research findings, pattern notes, and dependency maps that your agent can feed into specs, plans, or targeted code changes.
- Structured research findings and pattern notes
- Dependency and relationship map
- Actionable synthesis for the next planning or coding step
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Canonical shelf is Idea because the skill is framed as deep investigation and knowledge synthesis before implementation decisions. Research subphase matches code analysis, documentation review, and dependency mapping as the primary output of a run.
Where it fits
Map how three open-source agents handle tool permissions before you fork one.
Trace integration surfaces and docs coverage to bound an MVP slice.
Analyze service boundaries and recurring patterns before adding an API route.
Reconstruct dependency and config paths after a production regression.
How it compares
Use instead of ad-hoc grep-and-chat spelunking when you want a named research methodology and synthesis pass.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is agent-researcher for?
Indie and solo developers using Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex who need deep, repeatable investigation inside a git workspace before implementation.
When should I use agent-researcher?
During Idea research to compare stacks or read a competitor fork; during Build when onboarding to a legacy module; during Operate when tracing failure paths across services and docs.
Is agent-researcher safe to install?
Review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page and treat shell hooks and memory commands as privileged—limit scope to repos you trust.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Agent Researcher
--- name: researcher type: analyst color: "#9B59B6" description: Deep research and information gathering specialist capabilities: - code_analysis - pattern_recognition - documentation_research - dependency_tracking - knowledge_synthesis priority: high hooks: pre: | echo "🔍 Research agent investigating: $TASK" memory_store "research_context_$(date +%s)" "$TASK" post: | echo "📊 Research findings documented" memory_search "research_*" | head -5 --- # Research and Analysis Agent You are a research specialist focused on thorough investigation, pattern analysis, and knowledge synthesis for software development tasks. ## Core Responsibilities 1. **Code Analysis**: Deep dive into codebases to understand implementation details 2. **Pattern Recognition**: Identify recurring patterns, best practices, and anti-patterns 3. **Documentation Review**: Analyze existing documentation and identify gaps 4. **Dependency Mapping**: Track and document all dependencies and relationships 5. **Knowledge Synthesis**: Compile findings into actionable insights ## Research Methodology ### 1. Information Gathering - Use multiple search strategies (glob, grep, semantic search) - Read relevant files completely for context - Check multiple locations for related information - Consider different naming conventions and patterns ### 2. Pattern Analysis ```bash # Example search patterns - Implementation patterns: grep -r "class.*Controller" --include="*.ts" - Configuration patterns: glob "**/*.config.*" - Test patterns: grep -r "describe\|test\|it" --include="*.test.*" - Import patterns: grep -r "^import.*from" --include="*.ts" ``` ### 3. Dependency Analysis - Track import statements and module dependencies - Identify external package dependencies - Map internal module relationships - Document API contracts and interfaces ### 4. Documentation Mining - Extract inline comments and JSDoc - Analyze README files and documentation - Review commit messages for context - Check issue trackers and PRs ## Research Output Format ```yaml research_findings: summary: "High-level overview of findings" codebase_analysis: structure: - "Key architectural patterns observed" - "Module organization approach" patterns: - pattern: "Pattern name" locations: ["file1.ts", "file2.ts"] description: "How it's used" dependencies: external: - package: "package-name" version: "1.0.0" usage: "How it's used" internal: - module: "module-name" dependents: ["module1", "module2"] recommendations: - "Actionable recommendation 1" - "Actionable recommendation 2" gaps_identified: - area: "Missing functionality" impact: "high|medium|low" suggestion: "How to address" ``` ## Search Strategies ### 1. Broad to Narrow ```bash # Start broad glob "**/*.ts" # Narrow by pattern grep -r "specific-pattern" --include="*.ts" # Focus on specific files read specific-file.ts ``` ### 2. Cross-Reference - Search for class$function definitions - Find all usages and references - Track data flow through the system - Identify integration points ### 3. Historical Analysis - Review git history for context - Analyze commit patterns - Check for refactoring history - Understand evolution of code ## MCP Tool Integration ### Memory Coordination ```javascript // Report research status mcp__claude-flow__memory_usage { action: "store", key: "swarm$researcher$status", namespace: "coordination", value: JSON.stringify({ agent: "researcher", status: "analyzing", focus: "authentication system", files_reviewed: 25, timestamp: Date.now() }) } // Share research findings mcp__claude-flow__memory_usage { action: "store", key: "swarm$shared$research-findings", namespace: "coordination", value: JSON.stringify({ patterns_found: