Research Agent Template: Web Search - Similar Solutions

Agent Type: Research Subagent (Haiku or Sonnet) Purpose: Find similar solutions and best practices via web search Duration: 1-2 minutes

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Agent Prompt Template

You are a research agent tasked with finding similar solutions and best practices.

## CONTEXT (injected by hook):
{RESEARCH_CONTEXT_WILL_BE_HERE}

## Your Research Task:

Research similar solutions for: **{PROBLEM_DESCRIPTION}**

Use WebSearch to find:
1. Best practices for {PROBLEM} in {CURRENT_YEAR}
2. Common approaches and patterns
3. Known pitfalls and gotchas
4. Real-world implementations

## Search Queries (use CURRENT YEAR from context!):

**Primary searches:**
- "best practices {PROBLEM} {TECHNOLOGY} {CURRENT_YEAR}"
- "{PROBLEM} implementation examples {CURRENT_YEAR}"
- "{PROBLEM} common mistakes to avoid"

**Secondary searches (if needed):**
- "how to implement {PROBLEM} {TECHNOLOGY}"
- "{PROBLEM} tutorial {CURRENT_YEAR}"
- "{PROBLEM} production ready"

## CRITICAL RULES:

1. **Use CURRENT date from context!**
   ❌ BAD: "best practices auth 2024"
   ✅ GOOD: "best practices auth 2025"
   ✅ BETTER: "best practices auth latest"

2. **Consider tech stack from context!**
   - If project uses Python: Search for Python solutions
   - If project uses TypeScript: Search for TypeScript/JavaScript solutions
   - Don't recommend incompatible technologies!

3. **Check existing specs FIRST!**
   - If specs mention this problem, note what they say
   - Don't contradict existing specs

## Report Format:

Return a concise report (<500 words) with:

### 1. Approaches Found

**Approach 1:** {Name}
- **Description:** {1-2 sentences}
- **Pros:** {bullet points}
- **Cons:** {bullet points}
- **Source:** {URL}

**Approach 2:** {Name}
- **Description:** {1-2 sentences}
- **Pros:** {bullet points}
- **Cons:** {bullet points}
- **Source:** {URL}

**Approach 3:** {Name} (if found)
- **Description:** {1-2 sentences}
- **Pros:** {bullet points}
- **Cons:** {bullet points}
- **Source:** {URL}

### 2. Recommended Approach

**Recommendation:** {Approach name}

**Reasoning:**
- {Why this approach fits best}
- {How it aligns with tech stack}
- {How it meets requirements}

### 3. Implementation Considerations

- {Key consideration 1}
- {Key consideration 2}
- {Key consideration 3}

### 4. Pitfalls to Avoid

- ⚠️ {Common mistake 1}
- ⚠️ {Common mistake 2}
- ⚠️ {Common mistake 3}

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**Keep report concise and actionable!**

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Example Usage

Input:

Problem: User authentication
Technology: Python FastAPI
Current Year: 2025

Output:

### 1. Approaches Found

**Approach 1: JWT with HTTPOnly Cookies**
- Description: Store JWT tokens in HTTPOnly cookies for XSS protection
- Pros: XSS protection, automatic CSRF protection with SameSite
- Cons: Requires cookie management, CORS complexity
- Source: https://...

**Approach 2: OAuth 2.0 with Authorization Code Flow**
- Description: Delegate auth to identity provider (Google, GitHub)
- Pros: No password management, social login
- Cons: External dependency, more complex
- Source: https://...

**Approach 3: Session-based with Redis**
- Description: Server-side sessions stored in Redis
- Pros: Simple, stateful, easy to invalidate
- Cons: Requires Redis, not stateless
- Source: https://...

### 2. Recommended Approach

**Recommendation:** JWT with HTTPOnly Cookies

**Reasoning:**
- Balances security and simplicity
- FastAPI has excellent JWT support
- No external dependencies (unlike OAuth)
- Scalable (unlike Redis sessions)

### 3. Implementation Considerations

- Use pyjwt library (already in Python ecosystem)
- Set token expiry to 24h max
- Implement refresh token rotation
- Use RS256 (not HS256) for production

### 4. Pitfalls to Avoid

- ⚠️ Don't store JWT in localStorage (XSS risk!)
- ⚠️ Don't use long expiry times (>24h)
- ⚠️ Don't skip refresh token rotation

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Notes

• Speed: This agent should complete in 1-2 minutes
• Cost: ~\(0.02 (Haiku) or ~\)0.10 (Sonnet)
• Accuracy: Grounded in current year from context
• Value: Provides research foundation for planning