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search-first

Research existing tools, libraries, and integrations before writing custom code.

Updated Mar 26, 2026
Search Tags:#research#development workflow#open source#dependency management#code reuse#technical debt#tool evaluation
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/luongldptit/move-ticket --skill search-first-luongldptit
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: search-first
Source: https://github.com/luongldptit/move-ticket/tree/main/.agent/skills/search-first
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/luongldptit/move-ticket --skill search-first-luongldptit

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This Skill eliminates the wasted effort of building custom functionality from scratch when proven, existing solutions are already available, saving development time and reducing long-term technical debt.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Structured Research Workflow: Systematically searches npm, PyPI, MCP servers, Claude Code skills, and GitHub for existing tools, libraries, and patterns before any custom code is written.
  • Candidate Evaluation Framework: Provides a clear decision matrix to score potential solutions on functionality, maintenance status, community support, documentation quality, and license compatibility.
  • Use Case: When you need to add dead link checking to a documentation repository, this Skill guides you to adopt the existing textlint-rule-no-dead-link package instead of building a custom checker from scratch.

Quick Start

Use the search-first skill to research existing solutions for adding resilient HTTP retry logic to your Python API service before writing any custom implementation code.

Frequently Asked Questions about search-first

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I evaluate existing open source libraries before writing custom code?▼

To evaluate existing open source libraries before writing custom code, apply a standardized decision matrix scoring functionality, maintenance status, community support, documentation quality, and license compatibility to select production-proven solutions and reduce technical debt.

What is the best way to avoid reinventing the wheel when adding new features?▼

The best way to avoid reinventing the wheel when adding new features is enforcing a structured research workflow that searches package registries like npm and PyPI for existing tools and integrations before any custom implementation begins.

How do I find existing packages for dependency management instead of building from scratch?▼

To find existing packages for dependency management instead of building from scratch, systematically search npm, PyPI, MCP servers, and GitHub for production-proven open source solutions that match your feature requirements and integration patterns.

Does this research workflow apply to utility creation across multiple programming languages?▼

Yes, this research workflow applies to utility creation across multiple programming languages and frameworks, enforcing the evaluation of existing third-party service integrations and open source tools before approving any new custom development.

When should I not use existing open source tools for my development workflow?▼

You should avoid using existing open source tools when the candidate evaluation framework identifies poor maintenance status, inadequate community support, incompatible software licenses, or missing functionality that cannot satisfy your specific feature requirements.

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