search

anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins · updated Apr 8, 2026

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$npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins --skill search
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summary

If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see CONNECTORS.md.

skill.md

Search Command

If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see CONNECTORS.md.

Search across all connected MCP sources in a single query. Decompose the user's question, run parallel searches, and synthesize results.

Instructions

1. Check Available Sources

Before searching, determine which MCP sources are available. Attempt to identify connected tools from the available tool list. Common sources:

  • ~~chat — chat platform tools
  • ~~email — email tools
  • ~~cloud storage — cloud storage tools
  • ~~project tracker — project tracking tools
  • ~~CRM — CRM tools
  • ~~knowledge base — knowledge base tools

If no MCP sources are connected:

To search across your tools, you'll need to connect at least one source.
Check your MCP settings to add ~~chat, ~~email, ~~cloud storage, or other tools.

Supported sources: ~~chat, ~~email, ~~cloud storage, ~~project tracker, ~~CRM, ~~knowledge base,
and any other MCP-connected service.

2. Parse the User's Query

Analyze the search query to understand:

  • Intent: What is the user looking for? (a decision, a document, a person, a status update, a conversation)
  • Entities: People, projects, teams, tools mentioned
  • Time constraints: Recency signals ("this week", "last month", specific dates)
  • Source hints: References to specific tools ("in ~~chat", "that email", "the doc")
  • Filters: Extract explicit filters from the query:
    • from: — Filter by sender/author
    • in: — Filter by channel, folder, or location
    • after: — Only results after this date
    • before: — Only results before this date
    • type: — Filter by content type (message, email, doc, thread, file)

3. Decompose into Sub-Queries

For each available source, create a targeted sub-query using that source's native search syntax:

~~chat:

  • Use available search and read tools for your chat platform
  • Translate filters: from: maps to sender, in: maps to channel/room, dates map to time range filters
  • Use natural language queries for semantic search when appropriate
  • Use keyword queries for exact matches

~~email:

  • Use available email search tools
  • Translate filters: from: maps to sender, dates map to time range filters
  • Map type: to attachment filters or subject-line searches as appropriate

~~cloud storage:

  • Use available file search tools
  • Translate to file query syntax: name contains, full text contains, modified date, file type
  • Consider both file names and content

~~project tracker:

  • Use available task search or typeahead tools
  • Map to task text search, assignee filters, date filters, project filters

~~CRM:

  • Use available CRM query tools
  • Search across Account, Contact, Opportunity, and other relevant objects

~~knowledge base:

  • Use semantic search for conceptual questions
  • Use keyword search for exact matches

4. Execute Searches in Parallel

Run all sub-queries simultaneously across available sources. Do not wait for one source before searching another.

For each source:

  • Execute the translated query
  • Capture results with metadata (timestamps, authors, links, source type)
  • Note any sources that fail or return errors — do not let one failure block others

5. Rank and Deduplicate Results

Deduplication:

  • Identify the same information appearing across sources (e.g., a decision discussed in ~~chat AND confirmed via email)
  • Group related results together rather than showing duplicates
  • Prefer the most authoritative or complete version

Ranking factors:

  • Relevance: How well does the result match the query intent?
  • Freshness: More recent results rank higher for status/decision queries
  • Authority: Official docs > wiki > chat messages for factual questions; conversations > docs for "what did we discuss" queries
  • Completeness: Results with more context rank higher

6. Present Unified Results

Format the response as a synthesized answer, not a raw list of results:

For factual/decision queries:

[Direct answer to the question]

Sources:
- [Source 1: brief description] (~~chat, #channel, date)
- [Source 2: brief description] (~~email, from person, date)
- [Source 3: brief description] (~~cloud storage, doc name, last modified)

For exploratory queries ("what do we know about X"):

[Synthesized summary combining information from all sources]

Found across:
- ~~chat: X relevant messages in Y channels
- ~~email: X relevant threads
- ~~cloud storage: X related documents
- [Other sources as applicable]

Key sources:
- [Most important source with link/reference]
- [Second most important source]

For "find" queries (looking for a specific thing):

[The thing they're looking for, with direct reference]

Also found:
- [Related items from other sources]

7. Handle Edge Cases

Ambiguous queries: If the query could mean multiple things, ask one clarifying question before searching:

"API redesign" could refer to a few things. Are you looking for:
1. The REST API v2 redesign (Project Aurora)
2. The internal SDK API changes
3. Something else?

No results:

I couldn't find anything matching "[query]" across [list of sources searched].

Try:
- Broader terms (e.g., "database" instead of "PostgreSQL migration")
- Different time range (currently searching [time range])
- Checking if the relevant source is connected (currently searching: [sources])

Partial results (some sources failed):

[Results from successful sources]

Note: I couldn't reach [failed source(s)] during this search.
Results above are from [successful sources] only.

Notes

  • Always search multiple sources in parallel — never sequentially
  • Synthesize results into answers, do not just list raw search results
  • Include source attribution so users can dig deeper
  • Respect the user's filter syntax and apply it appropriately per source
  • When a query mentions a specific person, search for their messages/docs/mentions across all sources
  • For time-sensitive queries, prioritize recency in ranking
  • If only one source is connected, still provide useful results from that source
how to use search

How to use search on Cursor

AI-first code editor with Composer

1

Prerequisites

Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:

  • Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
  • Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version)
  • Active project directory or workspace where you want to add search
2

Execute installation command

Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:

$npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins --skill search

The skills CLI fetches search from GitHub repository anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins and configures it for Cursor.

3

Select Cursor when prompted

The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:

◆ Which agents do you want to install to?
│ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ────
│ • Amp
│ • Antigravity
│ • Cline
│ • Codex
│ ●Cursor(selected)
│ • Cursor
│ • Windsurf
4

Verify installation

Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:

.cursor/skills/search

Reload or restart Cursor to activate search. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /search) or your agent's skill management interface.

Security & Verification Notice

We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.

Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.

List & Monetize Your Skill

Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning

GET_STARTED →

Use Cases

User Story & Requirements Generation

Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs

Example

Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios

Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage

Competitive Analysis

Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps

Example

Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities

Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days

Roadmap Prioritization

Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs

Example

Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale

Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster

Stakeholder Communication

Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations

Example

Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement

Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead

Implementation Guide

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
  • Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
  • Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
  • Stakeholder contact information and communication channels

Time Estimate

30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements

Installation Steps

  1. 1.Install product management skill
  2. 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
  3. 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
  4. 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
  5. 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
  6. 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
  7. 7.Share effective prompts with product team

Common Pitfalls

  • Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
  • Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
  • Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
  • Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
  • Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements

Best Practices

✓ Do

  • +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
  • +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
  • +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
  • +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
  • +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
  • +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition

✗ Don't

  • Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
  • Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
  • Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
  • Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
  • Don't ignore company-specific context and culture

💡 Pro Tips

  • Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
  • Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
  • Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
  • Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs

When to Use This

✓ Use When

Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.

Learning Path

  1. 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
  2. 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
  3. 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
  4. 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
  • No comments yet — start the thread.
general reviews

Ratings

4.460 reviews
  • Soo Abbas· Dec 28, 2024

    Keeps context tight: search is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

  • Diya Ramirez· Dec 24, 2024

    Registry listing for search matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.

  • Mia Khan· Dec 24, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: search is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • Shikha Mishra· Dec 20, 2024

    search has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.

  • Valentina Chen· Dec 20, 2024

    Useful defaults in search — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • Mia Jackson· Dec 16, 2024

    Useful defaults in search — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • Ama Khan· Dec 12, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: search is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • Mateo Gonzalez· Dec 8, 2024

    We added search from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.

  • Mateo Mehta· Dec 8, 2024

    I recommend search for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.

  • Noah Harris· Nov 27, 2024

    search fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.

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