learn

Research any topic online and create learning guides. Use when user asks to 'learn about', 'research topic', 'create learning guide', 'build knowledge base', or 'study subject'.

677 stars

Best use case

learn is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Research any topic online and create learning guides. Use when user asks to 'learn about', 'research topic', 'create learning guide', 'build knowledge base', or 'study subject'.

Teams using learn should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/learn/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/agent-sh/agentsys/main/.kiro/skills/learn/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/learn/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How learn Compares

Feature / AgentlearnStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Research any topic online and create learning guides. Use when user asks to 'learn about', 'research topic', 'create learning guide', 'build knowledge base', or 'study subject'.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

SKILL.md Source

# learn

Research any topic by gathering online resources and creating a comprehensive learning guide with RAG-optimized indexes.

## Parse Arguments

```javascript
const args = '$ARGUMENTS'.split(' ').filter(Boolean);
const depth = args.find(a => a.startsWith('--depth='))?.split('=')[1] || 'medium';
const topic = args.filter(a => !a.startsWith('--')).join(' ');
```

## Input

Arguments: `<topic> [--depth=brief|medium|deep]`

- **topic**: Subject to research (required)
- **--depth**: Source gathering depth
  - `brief`: 10 sources (quick overview)
  - `medium`: 20 sources (default, balanced)
  - `deep`: 40 sources (comprehensive)

## Research Methodology

Based on best practices from:
- Anthropic's Context Engineering
- DeepLearning.AI Tool Use Patterns
- Anara's AI Literature Reviews

### 1. Progressive Query Architecture

Use funnel approach to avoid noise from long query lists:

**Broad Phase** (landscape mapping):
```
"{topic} overview introduction"
"{topic} documentation official"
```

**Focused Phase** (core content):
```
"{topic} best practices"
"{topic} examples tutorial"
"{topic} site:stackoverflow.com"
```

**Deep Phase** (advanced, if depth=deep):
```
"{topic} advanced techniques"
"{topic} pitfalls mistakes avoid"
"{topic} 2025 2026 latest"
```

### 2. Source Quality Scoring

Multi-dimensional evaluation (max score: 100):

| Factor | Weight | Max | Criteria |
|--------|--------|-----|----------|
| Authority | 3x | 30 | Official docs (10), recognized expert (8), established site (6), blog (4), random (2) |
| Recency | 2x | 20 | <6mo (10), <1yr (8), <2yr (6), <3yr (4), older (2) |
| Depth | 2x | 20 | Comprehensive (10), detailed (8), overview (6), superficial (4), fragment (2) |
| Examples | 2x | 20 | Multiple code examples (10), one example (6), no examples (2) |
| Uniqueness | 1x | 10 | Unique perspective (10), some overlap (6), duplicate content (2) |

**Selection threshold**: Top N sources by score (N = depth target)

### 3. Just-In-Time Retrieval

Don't pre-load all content (causes context rot):

1. **Collect URLs first** via WebSearch
2. **Score based on metadata** (title, description, URL)
3. **Fetch only selected sources** via WebFetch
4. **Extract summaries** (not full content)

### 4. Content Extraction Guidelines

For each source, extract:

```json
{
  "url": "https://...",
  "title": "Article Title",
  "qualityScore": 85,
  "scores": {
    "authority": 9,
    "recency": 8,
    "depth": 7,
    "examples": 9,
    "uniqueness": 6
  },
  "keyInsights": [
    "Concise insight 1",
    "Concise insight 2"
  ],
  "codeExamples": [
    {
      "language": "javascript",
      "description": "Basic usage pattern"
    }
  ],
  "extractedAt": "2026-02-05T12:00:00Z"
}
```

**Copyright compliance**: Summaries and insights only, never verbatim paragraphs.

## Output Structure

### Topic Guide Template

Create `agent-knowledge/{slug}.md`:

```markdown
# Learning Guide: {Topic}

**Generated**: {date}
**Sources**: {count} resources analyzed
**Depth**: {brief|medium|deep}

## Prerequisites

What you should know before diving in:
- Prerequisite 1
- Prerequisite 2

## TL;DR

Essential points in 3-5 bullets:
- Key point 1
- Key point 2
- Key point 3

## Core Concepts

### {Concept 1}

{Synthesized explanation from multiple sources}

**Key insight**: {Most important takeaway}

### {Concept 2}

{Synthesized explanation}

## Code Examples

### Basic Example

```{language}
// Description of what this demonstrates
{code}
```

### Advanced Pattern

```{language}
{code}
```

## Common Pitfalls

| Pitfall | Why It Happens | How to Avoid |
|---------|---------------|--------------|
| Issue 1 | Root cause | Prevention strategy |

## Best Practices

Synthesized from {n} sources:

1. **Practice 1**: Explanation
2. **Practice 2**: Explanation

## Further Reading

| Resource | Type | Why Recommended |
|----------|------|-----------------|
| [Title]({url}) | Official Docs | Authoritative reference |
| [Title]({url}) | Tutorial | Step-by-step guide |

---

*Generated by /learn from {count} sources.*
*See `resources/{slug}-sources.json` for full source metadata.*
```

### Master Index Template

Create/update `agent-knowledge/CLAUDE.md`:

```markdown
# Agent Knowledge Base

> Learning guides created by /learn. Reference these when answering questions about listed topics.

## Available Topics

| Topic | File | Sources | Depth | Created |
|-------|------|---------|-------|---------|
| {Topic 1} | {slug1}.md | {n} | medium | 2026-02-05 |
| {Topic 2} | {slug2}.md | {n} | deep | 2026-02-04 |

## Trigger Phrases

Use this knowledge when user asks about:
- "How does {topic1} work?" → {slug1}.md
- "Explain {topic1}" → {slug1}.md
- "{Topic2} best practices" → {slug2}.md

## Quick Lookup

| Keyword | Guide |
|---------|-------|
| recursion | recursion.md |
| hooks, react | react-hooks.md |

## How to Use

1. Check if user question matches a topic
2. Read the relevant guide file
3. Answer based on synthesized knowledge
4. Cite the guide if user asks for sources
```

Copy to `agent-knowledge/AGENTS.md` for OpenCode/Codex.

### Sources Metadata

Create `agent-knowledge/resources/{slug}-sources.json`:

```json
{
  "topic": "{original topic}",
  "slug": "{slug}",
  "generated": "2026-02-05T12:00:00Z",
  "depth": "medium",
  "totalSources": 20,
  "sources": [
    {
      "url": "https://...",
      "title": "...",
      "qualityScore": 85,
      "scores": {
        "authority": 9,
        "recency": 8,
        "depth": 7,
        "examples": 9,
        "uniqueness": 6
      },
      "keyInsights": ["..."]
    }
  ]
}
```

## Self-Evaluation Checklist

Before finalizing, rate output (1-10):

| Metric | Question | Target |
|--------|----------|--------|
| Coverage | Does guide cover main aspects? | ≥7 |
| Diversity | Are sources from diverse types? | ≥6 |
| Examples | Are code examples practical? | ≥7 |
| Accuracy | Confidence in content accuracy? | ≥8 |

**Flag gaps**: Note any important subtopics not covered.

## Enhancement Integration

If enhance=true, invoke after guide creation:

```javascript
// Enhance the topic guide for RAG
Skill({ name: 'enhance-docs', args: `agent-knowledge/${slug}.md --ai` });

// Enhance the master index
Skill({ name: 'enhance-prompts', args: 'agent-knowledge/CLAUDE.md' });
```

## Output Format

Return structured JSON between markers:

```
=== LEARN_RESULT ===
{
  "topic": "recursion",
  "slug": "recursion",
  "depth": "medium",
  "guideFile": "agent-knowledge/recursion.md",
  "sourcesFile": "agent-knowledge/resources/recursion-sources.json",
  "sourceCount": 20,
  "sourceBreakdown": {
    "officialDocs": 4,
    "tutorials": 5,
    "stackOverflow": 3,
    "blogPosts": 5,
    "github": 3
  },
  "selfEvaluation": {
    "coverage": 8,
    "diversity": 7,
    "examples": 9,
    "accuracy": 8,
    "gaps": ["tail recursion optimization not covered"]
  },
  "enhanced": true,
  "indexUpdated": true
}
=== END_RESULT ===
```

## Error Handling

| Error | Action |
|-------|--------|
| WebSearch fails | Retry with simpler query |
| WebFetch timeout | Skip source, note in metadata |
| <minSources found | Warn user, proceed with available |
| Enhancement fails | Skip, note in output |
| Index doesn't exist | Create new index |

## Token Budget

Estimated token usage by phase:

| Phase | Tokens | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| WebSearch queries | ~2,000 | 5-8 queries |
| Source scoring | ~1,000 | Metadata only |
| WebFetch extraction | ~40,000 | 20 sources × 2,000 avg |
| Synthesis | ~10,000 | Guide generation |
| Enhancement | ~5,000 | Two skill calls |
| **Total** | ~60,000 | Within opus budget |

## Integration

This skill is invoked by:
- `learn-agent` for `/learn` command
- Potentially other research-oriented agents

Related Skills

perf-baseline-manager

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Use when managing perf baselines, consolidating results, or comparing versions. Ensures one baseline JSON per version.

debate

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Structured AI debate templates and synthesis. Use when orchestrating multi-round debates between AI tools, 'debate topic', 'argue about', 'stress test idea', 'devil advocate'.

orchestrate-review

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Use when user asks to "deep review the code", "thorough code review", "multi-pass review", or when orchestrating the Phase 9 review loop. Provides review pass definitions (code quality, security, performance, test coverage), signal detection patterns, and iteration algorithms.

discover-tasks

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Use when user asks to "discover tasks", "find next task", "prioritize issues", "what should I work on", or "list open issues". Discovers and ranks tasks from GitHub, GitLab, local files, and custom sources.

drift-analysis

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Use when the user asks about plan drift, reality check, comparing docs to code, project state analysis, roadmap alignment, implementation gaps, or needs guidance on identifying discrepancies between documented plans and actual implementation state.

maintain-cross-platform

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Use when preparing releases, validating cross-platform compatibility, or updating installation infrastructure. Meta-skill for maintaining AgentSys's 3-platform architecture.

enhance-hooks

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Use when reviewing hooks for safety, timeouts, and correct frontmatter.

deslop

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Use when user wants to clean AI slop from code. Use for cleanup, remove debug statements, find ghost code, repo hygiene.

enhance-prompts

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Use when improving general prompts for structure, examples, and constraints.

enhance-cross-file

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Use when checking cross-file consistency: tools vs frontmatter, agent references, duplicate rules, contradictions.

validate-delivery

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Use when user asks to "validate delivery", "check readiness", or "verify completion". Runs tests, build, and requirement checks with pass/fail instructions.

perf-code-paths

677
from agent-sh/agentsys

Use when mapping code paths, entrypoints, and likely hot files before profiling.