Critical Rules Summary
- Search-first for time-sensitive, verifiable, or specific factual queries.
- Every claim from search results gets an inline hyperlink. No URL = do not state.
- Never use footnotes, endnotes, or [1]-style references. Inline links only.
- When web grant is disabled, tell the user — do not fall back to training data.
When to Search
Use web_search when the answer is specific, time-sensitive, or verifiable:
- Prices, availability, current stock
- Current events, news, recent happenings
- Specific product info, specs, reviews
- Local businesses, restaurants, services
- Travel options (flights, hotels, bookings)
- Anything where being wrong has consequences or the data changes
When Training Data Is Fine
Do not search for things that are general, stable, or conceptual:
- How things work, science, definitions
- Well-established facts that do not change
- Programming concepts, math, language questions
- Opinion or advice where your reasoning is the value
- General heuristics ("mid-week flights are usually cheaper") — these are fine
as a first response before offering to search for specifics
Use Context to Refine Searches
Your context may include user preferences relevant to the search — location,
preferred vendors, dietary needs, budget, loyalty programs, etc. Use these to
refine queries rather than asking the user to restate them.
- Mention the preference used so the user can correct if needed
("checking United since that's your preferred airline")
- See reference files for which preferences apply to each search type:
references/local-search.md — restaurants, bars, shops, servicesreferences/travel-search.md — flights, hotels, bookingsreferences/product-search.md — products, hardware, goods
Example flow:
- User asks about flights
- Offer general advice from training data ("mid-week is usually cheapest")
- Offer to search for specifics
- When searching, use context-provided preferences (preferred airline, home
airport) to tailor the query
Citation Rules
Every specific factual claim from a search must include a source URL as an
inline hyperlink in the natural flow of your response.
Format: inline hyperlinks only. Use standard markdown link syntax —
[descriptive text](url) — placed directly in the sentence where the claim
appears. Do not use footnotes, endnotes, numbered reference lists, or
bracketed citation markers like [1]. The goal is natural, readable prose with
clickable links, not an academic paper.
| Rule |
Detail |
| Cite every claim |
If the information came from a search result, hyperlink it inline |
| Inline, not footnotes |
Write [Product X is $29](https://example.com/product-x) — never Product X is $29 [1] with a reference list at the bottom |
| Link all sources |
When multiple sources were found, link each one inline where relevant — recommend one if you have a basis |
| Prefer specific pages |
Link to the product page, restaurant page, or listing — not to a search results or category page |
| No URL, no fact |
Do not present specific claims (prices, ratings, availability) without a source URL |
| Unlinkable content |
If a source cannot be linked directly, capture a screenshot. Use an available file-delivery tool, or return its saved path to the caller. |
When Search Is Not Available
If the web grant is not enabled and the query requires a search:
- Tell the user they need to enable web search for this type of query
- Do not fall back to training data for something that should be searched
- Do not guess at prices, availability, or other verifiable specifics
When Search Comes Up Empty
If a search returns no useful results:
- Say so honestly: "I wasn't able to find current information on X"
- Do not guess or fabricate specifics to fill the gap
- Offer alternative approaches if possible (different search terms, checking
a specific site with
web_fetch, trying later)
web_fetch Usage Notes
web_fetch defaults to raw HTML mode, preserving page structure including links
and images. This is ideal for crawling and extracting specific information. Use
format='text' only when you need plain text without markup (e.g., for
summarization of article body text).
Cross-References
- Tool grants and capabilities: load
netclaw-operations
- Search-type-specific guidance: see
references/ files in this skill directory
Saved Fetch Files
web_fetch saves responses in the current session workspace.
It rejects output paths that use filesystem links or protected write locations.
A denied save returns an error. Report that error instead of inventing a saved file path.
1---2name: search-citation3description: REQUIRED when the user asks you to search, look up, verify, buy, shop, compare, price-check, find current info, or check facts online. Contains citation format rules for web_search and web_fetch.4---56## Critical Rules Summary781. Search-first for time-sensitive, verifiable, or specific factual queries.92. Every claim from search results gets an inline hyperlink. No URL = do not state.103. Never use footnotes, endnotes, or [1]-style references. Inline links only.114. When web grant is disabled, tell the user — do not fall back to training data.1213## When to Search1415Use `web_search` when the answer is specific, time-sensitive, or verifiable:1617- Prices, availability, current stock18- Current events, news, recent happenings19- Specific product info, specs, reviews20- Local businesses, restaurants, services21- Travel options (flights, hotels, bookings)22- Anything where being wrong has consequences or the data changes2324## When Training Data Is Fine2526Do not search for things that are general, stable, or conceptual:2728- How things work, science, definitions29- Well-established facts that do not change30- Programming concepts, math, language questions31- Opinion or advice where your reasoning is the value32- General heuristics ("mid-week flights are usually cheaper") — these are fine33 as a first response before offering to search for specifics3435## Use Context to Refine Searches3637Your context may include user preferences relevant to the search — location,38preferred vendors, dietary needs, budget, loyalty programs, etc. Use these to39refine queries rather than asking the user to restate them.4041- Mention the preference used so the user can correct if needed42 ("checking United since that's your preferred airline")43- See reference files for which preferences apply to each search type:44 - `references/local-search.md` — restaurants, bars, shops, services45 - `references/travel-search.md` — flights, hotels, bookings46 - `references/product-search.md` — products, hardware, goods4748**Example flow:**49501. User asks about flights512. Offer general advice from training data ("mid-week is usually cheapest")523. Offer to search for specifics534. When searching, use context-provided preferences (preferred airline, home54 airport) to tailor the query5556## Citation Rules5758Every specific factual claim from a search **must** include a source URL as an59**inline hyperlink** in the natural flow of your response.6061**Format: inline hyperlinks only.** Use standard markdown link syntax —62`[descriptive text](url)` — placed directly in the sentence where the claim63appears. Do **not** use footnotes, endnotes, numbered reference lists, or64bracketed citation markers like `[1]`. The goal is natural, readable prose with65clickable links, not an academic paper.6667| Rule | Detail |68|------|--------|69| Cite every claim | If the information came from a search result, hyperlink it inline |70| Inline, not footnotes | Write `[Product X is $29](https://example.com/product-x)` — never `Product X is $29 [1]` with a reference list at the bottom |71| Link all sources | When multiple sources were found, link each one inline where relevant — recommend one if you have a basis |72| Prefer specific pages | Link to the product page, restaurant page, or listing — not to a search results or category page |73| No URL, no fact | Do not present specific claims (prices, ratings, availability) without a source URL |74| Unlinkable content | If a source cannot be linked directly, capture a screenshot. Use an available file-delivery tool, or return its saved path to the caller. |7576## When Search Is Not Available7778If the `web` grant is not enabled and the query requires a search:7980- Tell the user they need to enable web search for this type of query81- Do not fall back to training data for something that should be searched82- Do not guess at prices, availability, or other verifiable specifics8384## When Search Comes Up Empty8586If a search returns no useful results:8788- Say so honestly: "I wasn't able to find current information on X"89- Do not guess or fabricate specifics to fill the gap90- Offer alternative approaches if possible (different search terms, checking91 a specific site with `web_fetch`, trying later)9293## web_fetch Usage Notes9495`web_fetch` defaults to raw HTML mode, preserving page structure including links96and images. This is ideal for crawling and extracting specific information. Use97`format='text'` only when you need plain text without markup (e.g., for98summarization of article body text).99100## Cross-References101102- Tool grants and capabilities: load `netclaw-operations`103- Search-type-specific guidance: see `references/` files in this skill directory104105## Saved Fetch Files106107`web_fetch` saves responses in the current session workspace.108It rejects output paths that use filesystem links or protected write locations.109A denied save returns an error. Report that error instead of inventing a saved file path.
netclaw-dev