How to Do Deep Research with OpenClaw

Introduction

Deep research usually means hours of searching, reading, bookmarking, and synthesizing information from dozens of sources. An OpenClaw agent does this in minutes -- it searches the web, reads full articles, cross-references information, and produces structured reports with source citations.

Prerequisites

• A KiwiClaw account with an active agent (setup guide)
• Web search is built in -- no additional skills needed for basic research
• Optional: Summarize skill for long document processing

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Define Your Research Question

Be specific about what you want to know, the depth of research, and the output format you need:

"Research the current state of AI agent frameworks in 2026. Compare the top 5 frameworks by features, community size, and enterprise adoption. Include data from recent blog posts, GitHub stars, and industry reports. Output a 2000-word report with source URLs."

Step 2: Let the Agent Work

The agent searches the web, reads relevant pages, and compiles findings. For complex topics, this may take a few minutes as the agent visits multiple sources.

Step 3: Review and Ask Follow-ups

Review the research report. Ask the agent to dig deeper into specific areas, find additional sources, or reformat the output.

Step 4: Save and Share

Export the research as a document, post it to Slack, or save it to your agent's knowledge base for future reference.

Step 5: Set Up Recurring Research

For ongoing topics, use cron jobs to run research updates weekly or monthly.

Pro Tips

• Use the Research Assistant template for optimized research workflows.
• Ask for source citations -- Always request URLs so you can verify key claims.
• Break complex topics into sub-questions -- Research is more thorough when the agent focuses on specific aspects rather than one broad question.
• Combine with data analysis to process quantitative data alongside qualitative research.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does OpenClaw research compare to ChatGPT?

ChatGPT writes from its training data, which has a knowledge cutoff. An OpenClaw agent searches the live web, reads current articles, and synthesizes the latest information. This means research output includes recent developments, current statistics, and live source URLs.

Can the agent research in languages other than English?

Yes. The agent can search and read sources in multiple languages, then produce a report in your preferred language. This is useful for international market research or monitoring foreign-language publications.

How many sources does the agent check?

The agent typically checks 10-20 sources per research task, depending on the topic complexity and how specific your request is. You can ask it to check more sources or focus on specific publications for more thorough coverage.