netclaw-dev/netclaw/search-citation

Critical Rules Summary

1. Search-first for time-sensitive, verifiable, or specific factual queries.
2. Every claim from search results gets an inline hyperlink. No URL = do not state.
3. Never use footnotes, endnotes, or [1]-style references. Inline links only.
4. When web grant is disabled, tell the user — do not fall back to training data.
5. Use file_read and tool_output_read for saved fetch files. Never use shell_execute to inspect them.

When to Search

Use web_search when the answer is specific, time-sensitive, or verifiable:

• Prices, availability, current stock
• Current events, news, recent happenings
• Specific product info, specs, reviews
• Local businesses, restaurants, services
• Travel options (flights, hotels, bookings)
• Anything where being wrong has consequences or the data changes

When Training Data Is Fine

Do not search for things that are general, stable, or conceptual:

• How things work, science, definitions
• Well-established facts that do not change
• Programming concepts, math, language questions
• Opinion or advice where your reasoning is the value
• General heuristics ("mid-week flights are usually cheaper") — these are fine

as a first response before offering to search for specifics

Use Context to Refine Searches

Your context may include user preferences relevant to the search — location, preferred vendors, dietary needs, budget, loyalty programs, etc. Use these to refine queries rather than asking the user to restate them.

• Mention the preference used so the user can correct if needed

("checking United since that's your preferred airline")

• See reference files for which preferences apply to each search type:
• references/local-search.md — restaurants, bars, shops, services
• references/travel-search.md — flights, hotels, bookings
• references/product-search.md — products, hardware, goods

Example flow:

1. User asks about flights
2. Offer general advice from training data ("mid-week is usually cheapest")
3. Offer to search for specifics
4. When searching, use context-provided preferences (preferred airline, home

airport) to tailor the query

Citation Rules

Every specific factual claim from a search must include a source URL as an inline hyperlink in the natural flow of your response.

Format: inline hyperlinks only. Use standard markdown link syntax — [descriptive text](url) — placed directly in the sentence where the claim appears. Do not use footnotes, endnotes, numbered reference lists, or bracketed citation markers like [1]. The goal is natural, readable prose with clickable links, not an academic paper.

When Search Is Not Available

If the web grant is not enabled and the query requires a search:

• Tell the user they need to enable web search for this type of query
• Do not fall back to training data for something that should be searched
• Do not guess at prices, availability, or other verifiable specifics

When Search Comes Up Empty

If a search returns no useful results:

• Say so honestly: "I wasn't able to find current information on X"
• Do not guess or fabricate specifics to fill the gap
• Offer alternative approaches if possible (different search terms, checking

a specific site with web_fetch, trying later)

web_fetch Usage Notes

web_fetch defaults to raw HTML mode, preserving page structure including links and images. This is ideal for crawling and extracting specific information. Use format='text' when you need plain text without markup, such as an article summary.

Cross-References

• Tool grants and capabilities: load netclaw-operations
• Search-type-specific guidance: see references/ files in this skill directory

Saved Fetch Files

web_fetch saves responses in the current session workspace. Use file_read to inspect a saved response. Do not use shell_execute to read, search, or filter that file. It rejects output paths that use filesystem links or protected write locations. A denied save returns an error. Report that error instead of inventing a saved file path.