Parallel Deep Research

Parallel Deep Research

Deep, multi-source research for complex topics requiring synthesis from many sources. Returns comprehensive reports with citations.

When to Use

Trigger this skill when the user asks for:

NOT for:

Quick Start

parallel-cli research run "your research question" --processor pro-fast --json -o ./report

CLI Reference

Basic Usage

parallel-cli research run "" [options]

Common Flags

| Flag | Description | |------|-------------| | -p, --processor | Processor tier (see table below) | | --json | Output as JSON | | -o, --output | Save results to file (creates .json and .md) | | -f, --input-file | Read query from file (for long questions) | | --timeout N | Max wait time in seconds (default: 3600) | | --no-wait | Return immediately, poll later with research status |

Processor Tiers

| Processor | Time | Use Case | |-----------|------|----------| | lite-fast | 10-20s | Quick lookups | | base-fast | 15-50s | Simple questions | | core-fast | 15s-100s | Moderate research | | pro-fast | 30s-5min | Exploratory research (default) | | ultra-fast | 1-10min | Multi-source deep research | | ultra2x-fast | 1-20min | Difficult deep research | | ultra4x-fast | 1-40min | Very difficult research | | ultra8x-fast | 1min-1hr | Most challenging research |

Non-fast variants (e.g., pro, ultra) take longer but use fresher data.

Examples

Basic research:

parallel-cli research run "What are the latest developments in quantum computing?" \
  --processor pro-fast \
  --json -o ./quantum-report

Deep competitive analysis:

parallel-cli research run "Compare Stripe, Square, and Adyen payment platforms: features, pricing, market position, and developer experience" \
  --processor ultra-fast \
  --json -o ./payments-analysis

Long research question from file:

# Create question file
cat > /tmp/research-question.txt << 'EOF'
Investigate the current state of AI regulation globally:
1. What regulations exist in the US, EU, and China?
2. What's pending or proposed?
3. How do companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic respond?
4. What industry groups are lobbying for/against regulation?
EOF
parallel-cli research run -f /tmp/research-question.txt \
  --processor ultra-fast \
  --json -o ./ai-regulation-report

Non-blocking research:

# Start research without waiting
parallel-cli research run "research question" --no-wait
Check status later
parallel-cli research status 
Poll until complete
parallel-cli research poll  --json -o ./report

Best-Practice Prompting

Research Question

Good:

Compare the top 5 CRM platforms for B2B SaaS companies with 50-200 employees.
Focus on: pricing per seat, integration ecosystem, reporting capabilities.
Include recent 2024-2026 changes and customer reviews from G2/Capterra.

Poor:

Tell me about CRMs

Response Format

Returns structured JSON with:

Output Handling

When presenting research results:

Running Out of Context?

For long conversations, save results and use sessions_spawn:

parallel-cli research run "" --json -o /tmp/research-

Then spawn a sub-agent:

{
  "tool": "sessions_spawn",
  "task": "Read /tmp/research-.json and present the executive summary and key findings with sources.",
  "label": "research-summary"
}

Error Handling

| Exit Code | Meaning | |-----------|---------| | 0 | Success | | 1 | Unexpected error (network, parse) | | 2 | Invalid arguments | | 3 | API error (non-2xx) |

Prerequisites

1. Get an API key at parallel.ai 2. Install the CLI:

curl -fsSL https://parallel.ai/install.sh | bash
export PARALLEL_API_KEY=your-key

References

Basic research:

parallel-cli research run "What are the latest developments in quantum computing?" \
  --processor pro-fast \
  --json -o ./quantum-report

Deep competitive analysis:

parallel-cli research run "Compare Stripe, Square, and Adyen payment platforms: features, pricing, market position, and developer experience" \
  --processor ultra-fast \
  --json -o ./payments-analysis

Long research question from file:

# Create question file
cat > /tmp/research-question.txt << 'EOF'
Investigate the current state of AI regulation globally:
1. What regulations exist in the US, EU, and China?
2. What's pending or proposed?
3. How do companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic respond?
4. What industry groups are lobbying for/against regulation?
EOF
parallel-cli research run -f /tmp/research-question.txt \
  --processor ultra-fast \
  --json -o ./ai-regulation-report

Non-blocking research:

# Start research without waiting
parallel-cli research run "research question" --no-wait
Check status later
parallel-cli research status 
Poll until complete
parallel-cli research poll  --json -o ./report

1. Get an API key at parallel.ai 2. Install the CLI:

curl -fsSL https://parallel.ai/install.sh | bash
export PARALLEL_API_KEY=your-key