> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.charmos.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Research Agent

The research agent template is for agents that gather information, synthesize findings, and return a structured answer or report.

## Use Case

Use this template for:

* market research,
* competitor summaries,
* topic briefs,
* literature-style summaries,
* internal knowledge gathering.

## Typical Inputs

A research agent usually accepts:

* research `query` (required in the shipped template),
* desired `depth` (`brief`, `detailed`, `comprehensive`),
* audience,
* optional source constraints,
* output format.

## Runtime Notes

Research agents often call external search, scraping, or browser tools. Declare required tool keys in `runtime.adapter.environment_variables` and avoid hardcoding credentials.

Example:

```yaml theme={"theme":{"light":"min-light","dark":"min-dark"}}
runtime:
  adapter:
    environment_variables:
      tools:
        - TAVILY_API_KEY
        - FIRECRAWL_API_KEY
```

## Development Flow

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"min-light","dark":"min-dark"}}
charm init my-research-agent --template research-agent
cd my-research-agent
charm validate .
charm run . --json '{"query": "AI agent marketplaces", "depth": "detailed"}'
```

## Publishing Checklist

* Input schema is clear for non-technical users.
* Output format is predictable.
* Tool keys are declared in the manifest.
* The agent handles missing or low-quality search results.