/research:ask

Generate a comprehensive, context-rich research prompt for external AI tools when you need expert help.

Quick Start

Copy/research:ask TOPIC="your research topic"

Example for troubleshooting:

Copy/research:ask TOPIC="next-auth Google OAuth" ERROR="[auth][error] CallbackRouteError: unauthorized_client"

Purpose

When you're stuck on a problem or need expert guidance, this command generates a detailed 200+ line prompt that includes:

• Your current codebase context and code snippets
• Exact error messages and stack traces
• What you've already tried
• Specific questions to answer

The generated prompt is designed to get actionable, specific answers from AI tools.

Parameters

What Gets Generated

The command creates a structured prompt with these sections:

1. Project Context

Framework version, dependencies, and relevant files from your codebase.

2. Current Implementation

50+ lines of actual code from your project—not pseudo-code or summaries.

3. The Problem

• Exact error messages (verbatim)
• Full stack trace if available
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Steps to reproduce

4. What We've Already Tried

At least 2 approaches with detailed results and analysis of why they didn't work.

5. Specific Questions

3+ targeted questions that are answerable and specific to your situation.

6. What I Need

• Root cause analysis
• Step-by-step solution
• Complete code examples
• Gotchas and edge cases
• Testing approach

7. Environment Details

Node.js version, OS, and relevant tool versions.

Quality Requirements

The command validates the generated prompt before outputting:

If any check fails, the command gathers more context and regenerates.

Workflow

Step 1: Run the command
/research:ask TOPIC="..." ERROR="..."

Step 2: Copy the generated prompt

Step 3: Paste into ChatGPT, Claude web, Perplexity, or Gemini

Step 4: Get expert analysis

Step 5: Import results back
/research:import TOPIC="..."
(paste the response when prompted)

Step 6: Results saved to docs/10-research/

Example Output

A good prompt looks like this (abbreviated):

Copy# Research Request: next-auth Google OAuth unauthorized_client Error
 
## Project Context
 
**Framework**: Next.js 14.0.4 with App Router
**Key Dependencies**:
- next-auth: 5.0.0-beta.4
- next: 14.0.4
- typescript: 5.3.3
 
---
 
## Current Implementation
 
### File: src/app/api/auth/[...nextauth]/route.ts
 
```typescript
import NextAuth from "next-auth";
import Google from "next-auth/providers/google";
 
export const { handlers, auth, signIn, signOut } = NextAuth({
  providers: [
    Google({
      clientId: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID!,
      clientSecret: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET!,
    }),
  ],
  // ... 40+ more lines of actual code
});

The Problem

Error Message

[auth][error] CallbackRouteError: Read more at https://errors.authjs.dev#callbackrouteerror
[auth][cause]: Error: unauthorized_client

Expected Behavior

User should be redirected to Google login, authenticate, and return to the app.

Actual Behavior

After clicking "Sign in with Google", immediately get unauthorized_client error.

What We've Already Tried

Attempt 1: Verify credentials

What we did: Double-checked GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID and GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET Result: Credentials match exactly Why it didn't work: Issue persists

Attempt 2: Check redirect URIs

What we did: Added localhost:3000/api/auth/callback/google to Google Console Result: Still getting unauthorized_client

Specific Questions

1. Why does next-auth 5.0.0-beta.4 throw unauthorized_client when credentials are verified?
2. Is there additional configuration needed for Google OAuth with App Router?
3. What's the correct redirect URI format for next-auth v5?
4. Are there known issues with next-auth 5.0.0-beta.4 and the Google provider?

What I Need

1. Root cause analysis: Why is this happening?
2. Step-by-step solution with exact code changes
3. Complete code examples that I can copy-paste
4. Gotchas and edge cases to watch for
5. Testing approach to verify the fix works

## Anti-Patterns

**Don't generate short, vague prompts:**

❌ "How do I fix OAuth in Next.js?" ❌ "Getting an error with authentication, how to fix?" ❌ "Help with Google login"

**Always generate detailed prompts with:**

✅ 200+ lines with full context ✅ Actual code from your codebase ✅ Exact error messages ✅ What you've already tried ✅ Specific questions

## Integration with babysit

When [`/babysit`](/commands/babysit) detects you're stuck on a problem, it suggests:

⚠️ You're working on this for a while. Need help?

Try: /research:ask TOPIC="describe your problem"

## Tips for Better Results

1. **Be specific with TOPIC** - Include framework versions and error types
2. **Include ERROR messages** - Full stack traces help tremendously
3. **Let the command read your code** - It extracts actual implementation
4. **Don't skip validation** - The checks ensure quality responses

## Related Commands

- [`/research`](/commands/research) - Overview of research system
- [`/research:import`](/commands/research-import) - Import research results
- [`/research:list`](/commands/research-list) - View all research notes
- [`/research:view`](/commands/research-view) - Read specific research note