arosenkranz/search-first
plugins/workflow-skills/skills/search-first/SKILL.md
Research-before-coding workflow. Search for existing tools, libraries, and patterns before writing custom code. Reduces wrong-approach friction.
$ install --global
skillsauthnpx skillsauth add arosenkranz/claude-code-config search-firstInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
Security Scan Results
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Some scanners were skipped, did not run, or reported a non-clean status. Review each row below.
3
Scanners Passed
9
Scanners in report
Clean
TrivyContainer and dependency vulnerability scanner
95%
Clean
SemgrepStatic code analysis for vulnerabilities
95%
Clean
mcp-scan (Snyk)Model Context Protocol security validation
95%
Skipped
Snyk (dep)Open source security scanning
50%
Skipped
Socket.devSupply chain security analysis
50%
Skipped
VirusTotalMulti-engine malware detection
50%
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CrowdStrikeAdvanced threat intelligence
50%
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OSV-ScannerOpen Source Vulnerability database check
50%
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OWASP Dep-Check
50%
Last scanned: Apr 23, 2026, 5:35 AM334.6s1 file scanned
SKILL.md
- name:
- search-first
- description:
- Research-before-coding workflow. Search for existing tools, libraries, and patterns before writing custom code. Reduces wrong-approach friction.
/search-first — Research Before You Code
Systematizes the "search for existing solutions before implementing" workflow. Directly addresses the #1 friction pattern: picking the wrong tool/approach on the first attempt.
Trigger
Use this skill when:
- Starting a new feature that likely has existing solutions
- Adding a dependency or integration
- The user asks "add X functionality" and you're about to write code
- Before creating a new utility, helper, or abstraction
Workflow
1. NEED ANALYSIS
Define what functionality is needed
Identify language/framework constraints
Check deployment target (Cloudflare Workers? Homelab Docker?)
2. PARALLEL SEARCH
- Does this already exist in the repo? → rg through modules/tests
- npm / PyPI for packages
- MCP servers available (check settings.json)
- Existing skills in ~/.claude/skills/
- GitHub code search for maintained OSS
3. EVALUATE
Score candidates: functionality, maintenance, community,
docs, license, dependency footprint
4. DECIDE
- Exact match, well-maintained → ADOPT as-is
- Partial match, good foundation → EXTEND with thin wrapper
- Multiple weak matches → COMPOSE 2-3 small packages
- Nothing suitable → BUILD custom, informed by research
5. IMPLEMENT
Install package / Configure MCP / Write minimal custom code
Platform Constraints Check
Before recommending any package, verify compatibility:
| Target | Constraints | |--------|------------| | Cloudflare Workers | No Node.js APIs, ESM only, Web Platform APIs only | | Raspberry Pi 5 / Docker | ARM64 compatible, low memory footprint | | Browser / Client | Bundle size matters, tree-shakeable preferred |
Quick Mode (inline)
Before writing a utility, run through:
- Does this already exist in the repo?
- Is this a common problem? → Search npm/PyPI
- Is there an MCP server for it? → Check
~/.claude/settings.json - Is there a skill for it? → Check
~/.claude/skills/ - Is there a maintained GitHub implementation?
Full Mode (agent)
For non-trivial functionality, launch a research agent:
Agent(subagent_type="Explore", prompt="
Research existing tools for: [DESCRIPTION]
Language/framework: [LANG]
Deploy target: [Cloudflare Workers / Docker / Local]
Return: Top 3 candidates with pros/cons
")
Anti-Patterns
- Jumping to code: Writing a utility without checking if one exists
- Ignoring MCP: Not checking if an MCP server already provides the capability
- Over-customizing: Wrapping a library so heavily it loses its benefits
- Dependency bloat: Installing a massive package for one small feature
- Wrong platform: Installing a Node.js-only package for a Cloudflare Workers project
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