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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Output Format

# Web Search Strategy: [Topic]

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

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## 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]

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## Recommended Search Engines

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

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## 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]

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## Expected Source Types

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

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## Verification Strategy

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

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## Potential Challenges

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

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

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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]"

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Tips for Better Results

1. Start with the end in mind - know what type of answer you need
2. Use quotes for exact phrases
3. Combine operators for precision
4. Try multiple query variations
5. Check source dates - information expires
6. Cross-reference findings across sources
7. Use specialized engines for specific content types

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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

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Built by the Claude Office Skills community. Contributions welcome!