# Source Gatherer — Prompt Templates

Use these templates when running Phase 2 source collection. Each gatherer, whether run directly or delegated, gets a specific focus area and the research brief.

## Search Tool Instructions

Include ONE of these blocks at the top of every gatherer prompt, depending on Exa availability:

### If Exa MCP is available:
```
SEARCH TOOLS: Use Exa MCP for all searches.
- `mcp__exa__web_search_exa` — neural search, returns relevant results with snippets
- `mcp__exa__crawling_exa` — crawl a URL to get full page content (use maxCharacters: 10000)
- `mcp__exa__deep_researcher_start` + `mcp__exa__deep_researcher_check` — for comprehensive research queries
```

### If Exa MCP is NOT available (fallback):
```
SEARCH TOOLS: Use the built-in web browsing tools available in the current Codex environment.
- Use web search to find relevant pages and search variations.
- Open the most relevant pages to read full content.
- Preserve source URLs for every quote, data point, or claim you extract.
For each search, run 2-3 different query variations to maximize coverage.
```

---

## Template: Competitor Intelligence

```
You are gathering competitive intelligence for a strategic research project.

{SEARCH_TOOL_INSTRUCTIONS}

Research brief:
{RESEARCH_BRIEF}

Your job: Find and analyze 5-8 competitor or key player websites in this market.

Search queries to try:
- "{market} software/platform/tool"
- "best {market} solutions {year}"
- "alternatives to {known_competitor}" (if any known)
- "{market} startup"

For each competitor found, crawl their landing page, pricing page, and about page.

For each competitor, extract and return:
- Company name and URL
- Value proposition (their main headline/pitch)
- Target audience (who they're speaking to)
- Key features (top 5-10)
- Pricing model (if visible)
- Positioning language (how they differentiate)
- Notable claims or promises

Return a structured report with all competitors analyzed. Include direct quotes from their sites.
```

---

## Template: Customer Voice

```
You are gathering customer sentiment for a strategic research project.

{SEARCH_TOOL_INSTRUCTIONS}

Research brief:
{RESEARCH_BRIEF}

Your job: Find genuine customer opinions — complaints, praise, and unmet needs.

Search queries to try:
- "reddit {market} complaints"
- "reddit {market} frustrating"
- "reddit {market} switched from {competitor}"
- "{competitor} review" or "{competitor} problems"
- "site:producthunt.com {market}"
- "{market} customer reviews G2 Trustpilot"

Crawl the most relevant results to get full content.

Extract and categorize:
- **Recurring pain points** (what comes up again and again)
- **Emotional triggers** (what makes people angry, excited, or frustrated)
- **Feature requests** (what people wish existed)
- **Switching triggers** (why people leave one solution for another)
- **Praise patterns** (what people genuinely love)

Include direct quotes with source URLs. Raw customer language is more valuable than your summary — preserve the exact words people use.
```

---

## Template: Industry Analysis

```
You are gathering industry-level intelligence for a strategic research project.

{SEARCH_TOOL_INSTRUCTIONS}

Research brief:
{RESEARCH_BRIEF}

Your job: Find broad industry context — market size, trends, expert analysis.

Search queries to try:
- "{market} market size growth trends {year}"
- "{market} industry report"
- "{market} market analysis {year}"
- "{major_company} earnings call {market}" (if applicable)
- "{market} regulatory changes"
- "{market} technology disruption"

If using Exa, also use `deep_researcher_start` with model `exa-research-pro` for comprehensive coverage.

Extract:
- **Market size and growth** (TAM/SAM/SOM if available)
- **Key trends** (what's changing in this market)
- **Regulatory landscape** (any regulations that matter)
- **Technology shifts** (what new tech is enabling or disrupting)
- **Expert predictions** (what industry analysts say is coming)
- **Funding patterns** (who's investing, how much, in what)

Cite specific numbers and sources. Vague claims like "the market is growing" without data are useless.
```

---

## Template: Adjacent & Emerging

```
You are scanning for emerging threats and adjacent opportunities for a strategic research project.

{SEARCH_TOOL_INSTRUCTIONS}

Research brief:
{RESEARCH_BRIEF}

Your job: Find what's coming next — new entrants, adjacent markets, and potential disruptors.

Search queries to try:
- "{market} startup {year}"
- "{market} new entrant funding"
- "pivot to {market}"
- "{adjacent_market} expanding into {market}"
- "AI {market}" or "{market} automation"
- "Y Combinator {market}" or "TechCrunch {market} {year}"

Crawl the most promising results.

Extract:
- **New entrants** (startups launched in last 2 years)
- **Adjacent threats** (companies from other markets that could enter)
- **Technology disruptors** (new tech that could change the game)
- **Pivot signals** (companies pivoting toward this market)
- **Funding patterns** (recent funding rounds in this space)
- **Unconventional approaches** (anyone doing something radically different)

Focus on what nobody in the established market is paying attention to yet.
```

---

## Template: User-Provided Sources

```
You are extracting content from sources provided by the user for a strategic research project.

{SEARCH_TOOL_INSTRUCTIONS}

Research brief:
{RESEARCH_BRIEF}

Sources to crawl:
{LIST_OF_URLS_OR_FILES}

Your job: Extract full content from each source. For URLs, use crawling or page-open tools. For local files, use the file-reading tools available in the current environment.

For each source, return:
- Source URL/path
- Title
- Full extracted content (preserve structure)
- Key takeaways relevant to the research brief (3-5 bullet points per source)

These are sources the user specifically chose — they contain information the user considers important. Extract everything.
```
