researching-features

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Use this whenever a user wants to add a new feature or explitly states to research a feature/API or building a plan for a new feature. It itnerviews the user for feature details (if not provided), research the best API/service for their needs, confirm choice, then gather all implementation notes for their request and save them as a .claude/plans file.

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[API Helpers]

When & Why to Use This Skill

This Claude skill automates the initial phases of software development by conducting deep research into features and APIs. It streamlines the workflow from conceptualization to technical documentation by interviewing the user, evaluating the best third-party services, and generating structured implementation plans. By saving detailed notes on authentication, endpoints, and logic directly into the project workspace, it ensures developers have a clear, actionable roadmap for any new feature integration.

Use Cases

  • Evaluating and selecting payment providers: Researching Stripe vs. PayPal and generating a full implementation plan including webhooks and security steps.
  • Integrating communication services: Finding the best real-time chat or SMS API (like Twilio or Sendbird) based on specific project constraints and tech stacks.
  • Architecting new feature modules: Creating a comprehensive .claude/plans file that outlines UI elements, backend logic, and data flow for complex features like social authentication or file storage.
  • Technical discovery for legacy systems: Researching compatible libraries or services to modernize specific functionalities without breaking existing dependencies.
name"Researching Features"
description"Use this whenever a user wants to add a new feature or explitly states to research a feature/API or building a plan for a new feature. It itnerviews the user for feature details (if not provided), research the best API/service for their needs, confirm choice, then gather all implementation notes for their request and save them as a .claude/plans file. "
version"1.0.0"
dependencies["context7", "mcp-api", "python>=3.8"]
allowed-tools["context7", "mcp", "file_write"]

Feature Researcher

Instructions

When requested to research a feature:

  1. User Interview

    • If the user's requirements are unclear, politely ask for more details (deatails on feature, free/paid API options, constraints).
    • If details are provided, proceed directly.

  2. Service & API Discovery

    • Take the user's answers and consider them in your search
    • You MUST use context7 to identify the APIs/services/libraries that best match the user's requirements.
    • DO NOT use web_search - tell teh user to get context7
    • Only use web_search if the the user doesnt want to use context7
    • Go with the top 3 options that the tools return/suggest

  3. User Confirmation

    • Summarize every provider you found and suggest
    • After selecting the best API/service, briefly summarize your choice and reasons.
    • Ask the user to confirm before proceeding with implementation research.

  4. Implementation Notes Gathering

    • VERY IMPORTANT: Before you start, look at the spec-sheet.md for the specs for this projects and claude.md to understand the context - this way you know the tech stack to a build a plan for.
    • Once confirmed, use Context7 to retrieve official docs, key endpoints, authentication steps, usage patterns, and constraints for the selected API/service.
    • Structure your notes clearly around:
      • Have page and UI elements to be built first before backend functions etc
      • Authentication
      • Setup and Initialization
      • Core Endpoints/Methods
      • Example Requests/Responses d
      • Error Handling
      • Rate Limits or Pricing

  5. Save Implementation Plan

    • Compile all notes and implementation steps into a .md file.
    • Create a plan in .claude/plans/plan-[feature-name].md.
    • Notify the user where to find their plan.

Examples

  • Input: "I want live chat in my app. What service is best?" Output:

    1. Interview user for scale, preferred integrations.
    2. Research providers (Twilio Conversations, Sendbird, CometChat).
    3. Suggest Sendbird based on docs and usage.
    4. After user approval, gather usage notes, endpoints, sample code.
    5. Save results to .claude/plans/plan-feature-live-chat.md.

  • Input: "Add online payments (API/service of your choice)" Output:
    Same flow, ending with a plan file like .claude/plans/plan-feature-payments.md