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!