Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Background Research Agent agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Background Research Agent is an agent skill that lets your coding assistant hand a research question to a separate background agent. That helper reads official docs, source code and specifications while your main session keeps working, then writes its findings to a Markdown file in your repository. This guide covers what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, and where it falls short, so you can decide whether it fits your workflow.
Background Research Agentmattpocock/skills · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the skill ZIP from this page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ inside your project.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. Upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills if you use the Claude apps.
- 4Ask a research question. Describe the topic, docs or API facts you need in plain language, and say you want it saved if you do.
- 5Let the background agent work. Keep coding while the helper reads primary sources in its own fresh context window.
- 6Review the Markdown note. Open the saved file, check the citations against the original sources, and then commit it.
What an agent skill is and what this one makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md instruction file that an AI agent loads when a request matches the skill's description. This skill is named research and is listed under the engineering section of the mattpocock/skills collection, under the MIT licence.
When the skill applies, the agent starts a background agent with a fresh context window, so the main session keeps working. The helper investigates the question against primary sources such as official docs, source code, specs and first-party APIs rather than secondary write-ups. It follows each claim back to the source that owns it.
- Runs the investigation in a separate background agent with its own fresh context window.
- Relies on primary sources and cites the source for each claim.
- Writes the findings to a single Markdown file in the repository.
- Saves the file where the repo already keeps notes, matching the existing convention.
Install the research skill in Claude
You can install the skill in two ways. For a personal setup, download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. To scope it to one project, unzip it into the .claude/skills/ folder inside that project.
In the Claude apps you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/.
- Project install: unzip into .claude/skills/ in your project.
- App install: upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Trigger the skill with natural requests
The skill loads when a request matches its description. The description covers three situations: the user wants a topic researched, docs or API facts gathered, or reading legwork delegated to a background agent. You do not need a special command, so phrase the request the way you would to a colleague.
Name the question clearly and, where it helps, mention that you want the result saved. The more specific the question, the easier it is for the helper to find the right primary sources.
- "Research how the current rate-limit headers work in the API we use and save a cited note."
- "Gather the official docs on configuring this library's retry options while I keep refactoring."
- "Delegate the reading on the authentication spec to a background agent and write up what it says."
What the output looks like and where it goes
The result is a single Markdown file. Each claim in it cites its source, so you can check the original document yourself. The helper saves the file where the repo already keeps such notes and matches the existing convention.
If the repository has no existing convention, the skill tells the helper to place the file somewhere sensible and report where it went. Read that location in the final message so you can find the note.
- One Markdown file per research task.
- Each claim is cited to its source.
- File location follows existing repo notes; if none exist, the agent picks a sensible place and says where.
What you need before you start
The source does not list any required tools or prerequisites. The skill does use the network, so the helper needs to reach the sources it reads. It does not run scripts. It works best inside a repository, because the output depends on where that repo keeps its notes.
The skill ships two files: agents/openai.yaml and SKILL.md.
- Requires: nothing listed.
- Runs scripts: no.
- Uses network: yes.
- A repository to save notes into, since output placement depends on repo conventions.
Safety notes on scripts and network access
The skill does not run scripts, according to its listing. It does use the network to read sources, so the helper will make outbound requests while it researches.
Because the helper writes a file into your repository, review the note before committing it. Citations are only as complete as the sources the helper can reach. Sources behind a paywall or login may not be accessible, and the citations may then be incomplete.
- No scripts are run by this skill.
- Network access is used to reach documentation and sources.
- Review the saved file before committing it to version control.
- Check citations yourself for anything you will rely on.
Tips for getting useful research notes
Ask a focused question with a clear scope. A narrow question about one API or spec gives better primary sources than a broad topic. Keep working on your main task while the background agent runs, since that is the reason to delegate.
Skip the skill for quick questions a single answer can handle. Starting a background agent adds overhead that is not worth it for simple lookups.
- Scope the question to one library, API or spec.
- Delegate reading you would otherwise do yourself, and keep coding meanwhile.
- Use a single answer for simple factual questions instead.
- Confirm the file location if the repo has no notes folder yet.
What people use it for
- Checking API or library facts against official docs while you keep coding.
- Gathering the relevant parts of a specification before you implement it.
- Reading source code of a dependency to understand its behaviour, with citations saved to a note.
- Building a cited research note your team can revisit later in the repo.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the research agent skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ in a project. In the Claude apps, you can upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Is the research skill free to use?
The skill is published under the MIT licence, as listed on this page. The source does not mention pricing for the surrounding tools, so check those separately.
What does the research skill require?
The listing states no required prerequisites. The skill uses the network and does not run scripts, and it works best inside a repository where it can save notes.
Why is my research note not saved where I expected?
The skill saves the file where the repo already keeps such notes. If there is no existing convention, the helper places it somewhere sensible and reports the location, so check its final message.
Does the skill run scripts on my machine?
No. The listing says it runs no scripts. It does use the network to read documentation and sources.
What are the alternatives, and how does this compare?
The source does not compare this skill with other tools, so it makes no claim about alternatives. For quick factual questions, a single direct answer is simpler than starting a background agent.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you want API or library facts checked against official docs while you keep coding, or you want cited research saved as a Markdown note in your repo. Pick something else for quick lookups, for research that depends on live web or paywalled sources, or if you have no repository to save notes into.
Download the skill