Research Skill

The Research Skill equips your ClawMesh agent with systematic research capabilities. Instead of manually gathering data from dozens of sources, your agent queries multiple data feeds, synthesizes the information, and produces structured outputs ready for decision-making.

This skill bridges the gap between raw data and actionable intelligence. Your agent can monitor competitors across their websites, press releases, social media, and job postings — then compile findings into weekly competitive intelligence reports. Marketing teams get market trend analysis without the research hours. Executives receive structured intelligence briefs on demand.

The skill works by combining several capabilities: structured data retrieval from APIs and databases, content extraction from web pages and documents, pattern recognition across multiple data sources, natural language synthesis of findings into coherent reports, and scheduled monitoring for ongoing tracking.

• Multi-source data retrieval: query APIs, scrape web pages, parse RSS feeds, and process uploaded documents
• Automated competitor monitoring: track websites, pricing, job postings, and news across any competitor
• Industry trend analysis: identify patterns and emerging trends from aggregated data points
• Report templates: SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces, market sizing, competitive landscape, and custom formats
• Scheduled intelligence: set up daily, weekly, or monthly automated research briefs
• Export options: PDF reports, Markdown documents, structured JSON, or direct API responses
• Confidence scoring: each finding includes relevance and reliability scores
• Source attribution: every data point traced back to its origin

The Research Skill operates through a three-stage pipeline. First, data collection: the skill queries configured data sources in parallel, handling authentication, rate limiting, and error recovery automatically. Each source returns structured data that the skill normalizes into a common format.

Second, analysis and synthesis: the agent applies AI reasoning to identify patterns, anomalies, and relationships across collected data. It applies your configured analysis frameworks (SWOT, Porter's, etc.) and generates natural language findings. Third, output generation: findings are formatted according to your template and delivered to configured destinations.

The skill maintains context across research sessions, learning which sources provide the most valuable insights for your specific industry. Over time, the agent becomes increasingly targeted in its data collection, focusing on high-signal sources.

After installing the Research Skill (clawmesh skills install research), you configure data sources in the skill settings. Each data source has its own configuration: API endpoints and credentials for structured data, XPath/CSS selectors for web scraping targets, RSS/Atom feed URLs for monitoring, and document upload handlers for static content.

The skill supports both push and pull models. For real-time monitoring, configure webhooks that trigger research runs when significant events occur. For scheduled research, set up cron-style schedules that run your research workflow automatically.

Sensitive credentials are stored as environment variables or in your ClawMesh secrets vault. The skill never logs credentials or exposes them in configuration exports. API keys for data providers are encrypted at rest and injected at runtime.

Competitive intelligence automation: Your agent monitors competitor websites, pricing pages, job postings, and news. Weekly, it compiles a digest highlighting new products, team growth, pricing changes, and strategic moves. Instead of manual competitive research, you receive structured intelligence automatically.

Market sizing and opportunity analysis: Define your target market and the agent researches market size estimates, growth rates, key players, and entry barriers. For investors evaluating opportunities or companies exploring new markets, this provides a starting point for deeper analysis.

Product feedback aggregation: Connect to app stores, review sites, and support forums. The agent categorizes and themes feedback, identifying recurring pain points and requested features. Product teams get structured user sentiment without reading through thousands of reviews manually.

Due diligence research: When evaluating potential acquisitions or partnerships, the agent compiles background research from public sources, regulatory filings, news archives, and financial databases. Analysts receive a structured brief instead of hours of manual research.

The Research Skill reaches its full potential when combined with other ClawMesh skills. Pair it with the Search Skill for enhanced web research — the Search Skill handles exploratory search while Research Skill structures findings into reports.

For research involving real-time information, combine Research Skill with Tavily-powered search through the Search Skill. The Research Skill provides depth and structure; the Search Skill provides breadth and recency.

Delivery skills like email and Slack skills handle output distribution. Configure Research Skill to generate reports, then route outputs through your preferred communication channels automatically.

Install the Research Skill from the ClawMesh dashboard Skills Marketplace, or use the CLI: clawmesh skills install research

After installation, configure your data sources in the skill settings. Start with one or two high-value sources and expand as you refine your workflow. Most teams are running their first automated research within a day.