answer-engine

Synthesize multi-source web research into cited answers saved to Obsidian.

10|2|Updated May 6, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/jcrabapple/hermes-skills --skill answer-engine-jcrabapple
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: answer-engine
Source: https://github.com/jcrabapple/hermes-skills/tree/main/answer-engine
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/jcrabapple/hermes-skills --skill answer-engine-jcrabapple

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes scripts (resource) and references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Answering factual or research questions usually means manually searching multiple sources, tracking citations, and losing the results afterward. This Skill automates multi-source research with Kagi and SearXNG, synthesizes findings with numbered citations, and persists every answer as a searchable note in an Obsidian vault. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Multi-Source Search & Synthesis: Queries Kagi tools (kagi_search, kagi_quick, kagi_assistant) plus SearXNG, expands queries into related angles, and runs a multi-pass synthesis (extraction, clustering, tension mapping, narrative). - Citation Tracking & Source Evaluation: Scripts track sources, assign sequential citation numbers, and score credibility by publication type and primary-source status. - Obsidian Persistence & Semantic Recall: Saves each answer as a dated Markdown note, embeds it via the NanoGPT embeddings API, and auto-ingests it into a cross-linked llm-wiki knowledge base. - Use Case: Ask "Compare Framework Laptop 16 vs ThinkPad P14s for Linux development" and receive an executive summary, key findings with citations, contradiction notes, and a saved research file linked to prior work. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to research the latest solid-state battery breakthroughs and save the cited findings to Obsidian.

Frequently Asked Questions about answer-engine

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I get a cited research answer from multiple web sources?▼

Ask a factual or comparative question and the skill runs kagi_quick and kagi_search in parallel, expands the query into related angles, then synthesizes findings with numbered citations. Results include an executive summary, key findings, and a references section.

What search backends does this research workflow use?▼

Kagi tools are the primary backend: kagi_search for structured results, kagi_quick for factual answers, and kagi_assistant for deep threads. SearXNG provides secondary diversity but is currently degraded and returns zero results.

Can I search my previous research notes semantically?▼

Yes, the embedding_search.py script embeds Obsidian Research notes using the NanoGPT API with text-embedding-3-small and retrieves similar documents by cosine similarity. If the API is unreachable, it falls back to keyword-based file search.

When should I use deep-research instead of answer-engine?▼

Use answer-engine for quick-to-medium factual lookups and direct answers with citations. Use the deep-research skill for systematic four-phase research reports, and last30days for social sentiment analysis.

Why does SearXNG return no results during research?▼

The configured SearXNG instance has been degraded since around 2026-05 and returns zero results. The skill keeps trying it for source diversity but relies on Kagi as the working primary backend.

How do I find someone's email at a university or company?▼

The contact-lookup reference describes scraping official directory pages with curl, inferring the organization's email naming convention from one known address, and confirming via finder sites or LinkedIn. It warns against guessing without bounce verification.