modbender Tavily Research
Conduct comprehensive research on any topic with automatic source gathering, analysis, and response generation with citations.
Authentication
Get your API key at https://tavily.com and add to your OpenClaw config:
{
"skills": {
"entries": {
"tavily-research": {
"enabled": true,
"apiKey": "tvly-YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Or set the environment variable:
export TAVILY_API_KEY="tvly-YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
Quick Start
Using the Script
node {baseDir}/scripts/research.mjs "query"
node {baseDir}/scripts/research.mjs "query" --pro
node {baseDir}/scripts/research.mjs "query" --output report.md
Examples
# Quick overview
node {baseDir}/scripts/research.mjs "What is retrieval augmented generation?"
# Comprehensive analysis
node {baseDir}/scripts/research.mjs "LangGraph vs CrewAI for multi-agent systems" --pro
# Market research with output file
node {baseDir}/scripts/research.mjs "Fintech startup landscape 2025" --pro --output fintech-report.md
# Technical comparison
node {baseDir}/scripts/research.mjs "React vs Vue vs Svelte" --pro
Options
| Option | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
--model <model> |
Model: mini, pro, auto |
mini |
--output <file> |
Save report to file | - |
--json |
Output raw JSON | false |
Model Selection
Rule of thumb: "what does X do?" → mini. "X vs Y vs Z" or "best way to..." → pro.
| Model | Use Case | Speed |
|---|---|---|
mini |
Single topic, targeted research | ~30s |
pro |
Comprehensive multi-angle analysis | ~60-120s |
auto |
API chooses based on complexity | Varies |
Output Format
The research includes:
- AI-generated answer: Comprehensive synthesis
- Sources: Citations with titles, URLs, and relevance scores
- Metadata: Query, response time, and statistics
Tips
- Research can take 30-120 seconds depending on complexity
- Use
--profor comparisons, market analysis, or detailed reports - Use
--outputto save reports for later reference - The
automodel lets Tavily choose based on query complexity