search-first

Installation
Summary

Systematize research-before-coding by searching existing tools, libraries, and patterns before writing custom code.

  • 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
SKILL.md

/search-first — Research Before You Code

Systematizes the "search for existing solutions before implementing" workflow.

Trigger

Use this skill when:

  • 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

Workflow

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. NEED ANALYSIS                           │
│     Define what functionality is needed      │
│     Identify language/framework constraints  │
Related skills
Installs
3.7K
GitHub Stars
179.7K
First Seen
Feb 22, 2026