Deep research using Parallect.ai. Queries multiple AI research providers (Perplexity, Gemini, OpenAI, Grok, Anthropic) in parallel, then synthesizes results into a unified report with cross-referenced citations and conflict resolution. Use when the user wants to research a topic, investigate a question, or needs comprehensive analysis with citations. Also triggers when the user says things like "look this up", "research this", "find out about", "deep dive on", or "what do we know about". Do NOT use for simple factual questions you can answer from memory -- only for topics requiring sourced, multi-perspective analysis.
You have access to Parallect.ai, a multi-provider deep research platform. It queries multiple frontier AI providers simultaneously and synthesizes their findings into a single report with cross-referenced citations, extracted claims, conflict resolution, and follow-on suggestions.
Research is asynchronous -- jobs take 4 to 45+ minutes depending on tier and providers. You MUST poll for completion. Never block.
Parallect is accessed via MCP. Authentication is handled automatically through OAuth2 -- the user authorizes via their browser on first use. No API key configuration needed.
Read these first. They prevent the most common mistakes:
research does NOT return results. It
returns a jobId. You must poll research-status and then call
get-results only after status is "completed".get-results on a running job is an error. Don't call it until
research-status returns . You will get ."completed"JOB_NOT_COMPLETEsynthesis field is markdown. Present it as-is with citations.
Don't strip the formatting.research always creates a new thread. Do NOT pass a threadId
to the research tool. For follow-up research in the same thread, use
the follow-up tool with the parent jobId.fast mode skips synthesis. It returns a single provider's raw
report with no cross-referencing or conflict resolution. Only use when
the user explicitly prioritizes speed.| Tool | Use when... | Do NOT use when... |
|---|---|---|
research | User wants to investigate a topic with sourced analysis | Question is simple enough to answer from memory |
research-status | You've submitted research and need to check progress | You haven't called research yet |
get-results | research-status shows "completed" | Job is still running or synthesizing |
follow-up | User wants to dig deeper on a completed research topic | No prior completed job exists |
list-threads | User refers to past research or wants to resume | You already have the threadId |
get-thread | You need full context of a previous research session | You only need current job status |
balance | Before starting research, or after to report remaining credits | Mid-polling (wastes a call) |
usage | User asks about their spending history | Default -- only when explicitly asked |
list-providers | Before research to show user what their tier includes | Already discussed budget with user |
search-claims | User wants to find specific claims across past research | No research has been done yet |
get-claim-evidence | User wants evidence backing a specific claim | Claim ID is not known |
Before submitting ANY research:
Call balance to check the user's current credits and payment status.
Call list-providers with the anticipated budgetTier to show what
providers and cost range that tier includes.
Discuss budget with the user:
| User says... | Map to tier | Max cost | Providers | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "quick check", "just a glance" | XXS | ~$1 | 1 provider | ~4-5 min |
| "quick look", "brief" | XS | ~$2 | 1-2 providers | ~8-10 min |
| "standard", "normal" | S | ~$5 | 2 providers | ~15-18 min |
| "thorough", "detailed" | M | ~$15 | 3-4 providers | ~15-20 min |
| "comprehensive", "deep" | L | ~$30 | 4-5 providers | ~20-25 min |
| "exhaustive", "everything" | XL | ~$60 | All providers | ~30-45 min |
Tell the user: "Your balance is $X.XX. A [tier] research will cost up to $Y. That will query [providers]. Want to proceed?"
If balance is insufficient and no payment method is on file, direct them to https://parallect.ai/settings/billing before proceeding.
If the user set a budget preference earlier in this session, reuse it silently unless the topic warrants a different tier. Don't ask again.
Call research with:
query: A specific, well-formed research questionbudgetTier: The tier confirmed in Step 1mode: "methodical" (default) for multi-provider synthesis.
Only use "fast" if the user explicitly wants speed over depth.Save the returned jobId and threadId.
Tell the user: "Research submitted to [N] providers. I'll check back on progress in about 30 seconds."
Research is asynchronous. Poll using research-status with exponential
backoff. Do NOT poll at fixed intervals.
Polling schedule:
| Check # | Approximate wait | Cumulative time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ~30s | 30s |
| 2 | ~50s | 1m 20s |
| 3 | ~75s | 2m 35s |
| 4 | ~110s | 4m 25s |
| 5+ | ~120s (cap) | +2min each |
Cap the maximum interval at 120 seconds. Never poll more frequently than every 30 seconds.
On each poll, report progress naturally:
Timeout: Research can take up to 45 minutes for large XL jobs. If the job hasn't completed after 30 minutes, inform the user and offer alternatives (keep polling, try fewer providers, or switch to fast mode). For XXS/XS tiers, flag if it exceeds 15 minutes.
When research-status returns "completed":
Call get-results with jobId.
Present findings in this order:
a. Brief summary (3-5 sentences) of the key findings in your own
words. Lead with the most important insight.
b. Full synthesis -- share the synthesis markdown as-is. It
contains inline citations and cross-references.
c. Cost report -- "This research cost $X.XX across N providers
(took Y minutes)."
d. Balance check -- call balance and report remaining credits.
Results include followOnSuggestions. Present them as numbered options:
"Based on this research, here are directions we could explore next:
Want me to research any of these, or ask your own follow-up question?"
When the user picks one, use follow-up with the parent jobId.
You are spending the user's money at machine speed. Be responsible:
| Mode | When to use | Duration | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
methodical | Accuracy and breadth matter (default) | 5-45 min | Multi-provider synthesis with claims and citations |
fast | User says "quick" / "fast" / time-sensitive | 2-8 min | Single provider raw report, no synthesis |
threadId and jobId from current research context.