Gemini Deep Research Skill

Execute autonomous multi-step research tasks using Google's Gemini Deep Research Agent. Unlike standard LLM queries that respond in seconds, Deep Research is an "analyst-in-a-box" that plans, searches, reads, and synthesizes information into comprehensive, cited reports.

Overview

The Deep Research Agent (deep-research-pro-preview-12-2025) powered by Gemini 3 Pro:

• Plans research strategy based on your query
• Searches the web and analyzes sources
• Reads and extracts relevant information
• Iterates through multiple search/read cycles
• Outputs detailed, cited reports

This process takes 2-10 minutes but produces thorough analysis that would take a human researcher hours.

Installation

# Navigate to skill directory
cd skills/deep-research

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Set up API key
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and add your GEMINI_API_KEY

Getting a Gemini API Key

1. Go to Google AI Studio
2. Click "Get API key"
3. Create a new key or use an existing one
4. Copy the key to your .env file

Quick Start

# Basic research query
python3 scripts/research.py --query "Research the competitive landscape of cloud providers in 2024"

# Stream progress in real-time
python3 scripts/research.py --query "Compare React, Vue, and Angular frameworks" --stream

# Get structured JSON output
python3 scripts/research.py --query "Analyze the EV market" --json

Commands

--query / -q

Start a new research task.

# Basic query
python3 scripts/research.py -q "Research the history of containerization"

# With output format specification
python3 scripts/research.py -q "Compare database solutions" \
  --format "1. Executive Summary\n2. Comparison Table\n3. Pros/Cons\n4. Recommendations"

# Start without waiting for results
python3 scripts/research.py -q "Research topic" --no-wait

--stream

Stream research progress in real-time. Shows thinking steps and builds the report as it's generated.

python3 scripts/research.py -q "Analyze market trends" --stream

--status / -s

Check the status of a running research task.

python3 scripts/research.py --status abc123xyz

--wait / -w

Wait for a specific research task to complete.

python3 scripts/research.py --wait abc123xyz

--continue

Continue a conversation from previous research. Useful for follow-up questions.

# First, run initial research
python3 scripts/research.py -q "Research Kubernetes architecture"
# Output: Interaction ID: abc123xyz

# Then ask follow-up
python3 scripts/research.py -q "Elaborate on the networking section" --continue abc123xyz

--list / -l

List recent research tasks from local history.

python3 scripts/research.py --list
python3 scripts/research.py --list --limit 20

Output Options

Flag	Description
(default)	Human-readable markdown report
--json / -j	Structured JSON output
--raw / -r	Raw API response

Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
GEMINI_API_KEY	(required)	Your Google Gemini API key
DEEP_RESEARCH_TIMEOUT	600	Max wait time in seconds
DEEP_RESEARCH_POLL_INTERVAL	10	Seconds between status polls
DEEP_RESEARCH_CACHE_DIR	~/.cache/deep-research	Local history cache directory

.env File

GEMINI_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
DEEP_RESEARCH_TIMEOUT=600
DEEP_RESEARCH_POLL_INTERVAL=10

Cost & Performance

Estimated Costs

Deep Research uses a pay-as-you-go model based on token usage:

Task Type	Search Queries	Input Tokens	Output Tokens	Estimated Cost
Standard	~80	~250k (50-70% cached)	~60k	$2-3
Complex	~160	~900k (50-70% cached)	~80k	$3-5

Time Expectations

• Simple queries: 2-5 minutes
• Complex analysis: 5-10 minutes
• Maximum: 60 minutes (API limit)

Use Cases

Market Analysis

python3 scripts/research.py -q "Analyze the competitive landscape of \
  EV battery manufacturers, including market share, technology, and supply chain"

Technical Research

python3 scripts/research.py -q "Compare Rust vs Go for building \
  high-performance backend services" \
  --format "1. Performance Benchmarks\n2. Memory Safety\n3. Ecosystem\n4. Learning Curve"

Due Diligence

python3 scripts/research.py -q "Research Company XYZ: recent news, \
  financial performance, leadership changes, and market position"

Literature Review

python3 scripts/research.py -q "Review recent developments in \
  large language model efficiency and optimization techniques"

Error Handling

Error	Cause	Solution
GEMINI_API_KEY not set	Missing API key	Set in .env or environment
API error 429	Rate limited	Wait and retry
Research timed out	Task took too long	Simplify query or increase timeout
Failed to parse result	Unexpected response	Use --raw to see actual output

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning
0	Success
1	Error (API, config, timeout)
130	Cancelled by user (Ctrl+C)

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐      ┌──────────────────────┐
│   CLI Script    │──────│  DeepResearchClient  │
│  (research.py)  │      │                      │
└─────────────────┘      └──────────┬───────────┘
                                    │
                                    ▼
                         ┌──────────────────────┐
                         │   Gemini Deep        │
                         │   Research API       │
                         │                      │
                         │  POST /interactions  │
                         │  GET  /interactions  │
                         └──────────────────────┘
                                    │
                                    ▼
                         ┌──────────────────────┐
                         │   HistoryManager     │
                         │  (~/.cache/deep-     │
                         │   research/)         │
                         └──────────────────────┘

Safety & Privacy

• Read-only: This skill only reads/researches; no file modifications
• No secrets in queries: Avoid including sensitive data in research queries
• Source verification: Always verify citations in the output
• Cost awareness: Each task costs $2-5; be mindful of usage

Limitations

• No custom tools: Cannot use MCP or function calling
• No structured output enforcement: JSON formatting relies on prompt engineering
• Web-only research: Cannot access private/authenticated sources
• 60-minute max: Very complex tasks may time out

References

• Gemini Deep Research Documentation
• Google AI Studio
• Gemini API Pricing