Turn a research pack into skill reference docs
Grok turns a week of cited research into a compact references.md your agent skill can load without re-browsing the web each run.
A dated reference doc with sources, quotable facts, and explicit unknowns—ready to link from SKILL.md.
- 1
State what the skill must not guess
Write the research question as a failure mode: what goes wrong if the agent freehands this topic.
- 2
Save references beside the skill
Commit references.md in the same folder as SKILL.md and link it in step one of the skill.
- 3
Set a refresh date
Put a calendar reminder to re-run the pack before the sources go stale. Skills age faster than code.
The prompt to paste
I am building an agent skill about: [topic, one sentence]. Research question: [what the skill must get right, e.g. compliance limits, API behavior, competitor positioning] Use fresh public sources where you can. Build a reference doc for the skill, not an essay. Return markdown titled references.md with: ## Scope What this doc covers and what it deliberately does not cover. ## Facts the skill may rely on Bullet list. Each bullet: fact, source title, URL, and "last checked: [today's date]". ## Quotes or paraphrases with limits Up to five short excerpts or tight paraphrases. Label each as quote or paraphrase. Note if the source is primary or secondary. ## Conflicts and gaps Where sources disagree, or where you found no primary page. Do not smooth over disagreement. ## Suggested SKILL.md link line One sentence I can paste into SKILL.md telling the agent to read this file first and not invent beyond it. Rules: - No fabricated stats, pricing, or legal conclusions. - If a URL cannot be opened, omit the claim. - Prefer docs, filings, and official changelogs over commentary threads.
A reference doc is not a license to stop checking primary pages on high-stakes calls. Refresh before you bet a launch on it.
Sample case written by Hidden Logic Lab. Not affiliated with Grok.
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