PlainAgent / Templates / Research agent
Research templateResearch agent
Searches the web on a question and returns a sourced summary, with clear notes on what it couldn't confirm.
Job
Answer a research question with a short summary and a source for every claim.
Trigger
You type a question.
Hand off to a person when
You verify sources before using the result.
Inputs & knowledge
- The question
- How deep to go and what to skip
Tools / actions
- Web search
- Read pages
- Write a report
Rules
- A source URL for every claim.
- Separate facts from opinions.
How to build it
- Use a builder with web search (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or an agent with a search tool).
- Ask for a fixed format with sources per claim.
- Ask it to list what it couldn't confirm.
- Open the sources yourself before relying on anything.
System prompt
Replace the parts in {BRACES}. Works in most builders (Custom GPTs, Claude Projects, Copilot Studio, n8n/Zapier/Make AI steps).
Research: {QUESTION}
Steps: search broadly, open the most relevant primary sources, then write:
1. Short answer (3 sentences)
2. Key findings, each with a source URL
3. Where sources disagree
4. What you couldn't confirm
Prefer primary sources (official docs, filings, original studies) over blogs.
Test before you switch it on
- A question with conflicting sources: section 3 should not be empty.
New to this? Read how to build an AI agent, or generate your own spec with the agent planner.