search-first

Systematize research-before-coding by searching existing tools, libraries, and patterns before writing custom code. Systematizes the "search for existing solutions before implementing" workflow. Use this skill when: Before writing a utility or adding functionality, mentally run through: For non-trivial functionality, launch the researcher agent: The planner should invoke researcher before Phase 1 (Architecture Review): The architect should consult researcher for: Combine for progressive discovery: - Provides a five-phase workflow: need analysis, parallel search across npm/PyPI/MCP/GitHub, evaluation, decision (adopt/extend/compose/build), and implementation - Includes a decision matrix to score candidates on functionality, maintenance, community, docs, license, and dependencies - Offers search shortcuts organized by category (development tooling, AI/LLM integration, data APIs, content publishing) and integration points with planner and architect agents - Invokes the researcher agent for non-trivial functionality discovery and structured comparison of candidates - Starting a new feature that likely has existing solutions - Adding a dependency or integration - The user asks "add X functionality" and you're about to write code - Before creating a new utility, helper, or abstraction - Does this already exist in the repo? → rg through relevant modules/tests first - Is this a common...