Answer

Search protocol

Defines how to search across information sources for answering queries, analysis, or communication.

Information hierarchy

Index-first pattern (MANDATORY)

Every search reads an _index.md BEFORE opening individual files. This is the most important scalability rule.

• memory/_index.md routes to the correct subfolder
• memory/{category}/_index.md maps aliases to filenames
• journal/YYYY-MM/_index.md lists entries by date, type, participants, initiatives

Never scan all files in a folder. Always use the index.

When to search each source

Memory

People, initiatives, products, vendors, competitors, past decisions.

Tasks

What needs to be done, deadlines, assignments, follow-ups.

Journal

Recent discussions, who said what, decisions from meetings, prior briefings.

• Optimization: For "last week" queries, read only current month's _index.md
• Optimization: For "find all meetings about X", check recent _index.md files first
• Optimization: For "what did we decide about X", check memory/decisions/ first

Contexts

Deep detail beyond memory: full product docs, schemas, org charts, specs.

Calendar (via MCP or legacy integration)

Priority flow:

1. Check <mcp_servers> context for calendar MCP server (preferred)
2. If found, use MCP tools (list_events, get_event, create_event)
3. If not found, check reference/integrations.md for legacy provider (eventlink)
4. If legacy configured, execute HTTP API calls
5. If neither exists, note unavailable and suggest: "Run /welcome to configure calendar integration"

Always resolve dates to YYYY-MM-DD before querying.

Tasks (via MCP or legacy integration)

Priority flow:

1. Check <mcp_servers> context for reminders/tasks MCP server (preferred)
2. If found, use MCP tools (list_reminders, create_reminder, complete_reminder)
3. If not found, check reference/integrations.md for legacy provider (remindctl)
4. If legacy configured, execute CLI commands
5. If neither exists, fall back to workspace file data (Active/Delegated/Backlog folders)

MCP tools

• ~~project tracker: Issue status, sprint data, initiative metrics
• ~~documentation: Documentation, policies, technical specs

Web

Market information, competitor news, regulatory updates, current events. External only.

Search procedure

Step 1: Parse the query

Identify:

• Entities: People, products, initiatives, vendors, competitors
• Topics: What the query is about
• Timeframes: Dates, deadlines, recency
• Depth: Summary or full detail needed?

Step 2: Check aliases

Entities may have alternate names. Check _index.md alias columns.

Step 3: Search memory (index-first)

1. Read relevant _index.md to find target file
2. Read the specific file
3. Follow [[Entity]] wikilinks for related context

Step 4: Check tasks (if applicable)

Execute the task integration list operation for configured lists (default: Active, Delegated, Backlog). Filter by owner (from notes field), due date, or initiative.

Step 5: Check journal (if applicable)

1. Read journal/YYYY-MM/_index.md for recent months
2. Open specific entries matching the query
3. Expand backward in time only if needed

Step 6: Check deep contexts (if needed)

Look in contexts/ for full documentation, product specs, schemas.

Step 7: Cite sources

When using information from searches, cite the source:

[From memory/people/jane-smith.md]
Jane prefers data-driven summaries and email over Slack.

[From journal/2026-01/2026-01-18-planning-session.md]
Discussed moving the deadline to end of February.

Quick answer mode

For fast factual lookups:

Scheduling queries (calendar, agenda, meetings, availability, "am I free")

Start with the calendar integration FIRST. Read reference/integrations.md Calendar section for provider details, resolve the target date to YYYY-MM-DD format, then execute the list_events operation. TARS has calendar access via configured integration. Never respond that calendar access is unavailable without checking integration status. If the calendar integration is unreachable, state the specific connection error. Then check memory for people context, then task integration for related tasks.

All other queries

Follow standard hierarchy: memory -> tasks -> journal -> contexts -> MCP -> web.

Gap closure

After searching, apply clarification protocol if critical context is still missing.

Context budget

• Memory: Read _index.md + up to 5 targeted files
• Journal: Current month _index.md + up to 3 entries
• Tasks: Execute task integration list operation for Active only (unless other lists explicitly needed)

Source attribution

When answering, tag each piece of information with its confidence tier:

Absolute constraints

Universal constraints from the core skill apply (date resolution, integration constraints, index-first pattern, wikilink mandate). Additionally:

• NEVER answer internal questions from web search alone
• NEVER hallucinate memory that doesn't exist
• NEVER skip context search when deep detail is clearly needed
• NEVER claim calendar access is unavailable. TARS has calendar access via configured integration. If integration fails, report the specific error.
• ALWAYS query calendar integration for any question about schedule, agenda, meetings, availability, or "am I free"
• ALWAYS check aliases when entity not found by primary name