> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pockla.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Research Agent

> AI-powered research assistant for contacts and companies

The Research Agent is Pockla's AI assistant that researches contacts and companies, providing actionable insights for your outreach.

<Frame caption="Research Agent in action">
  <video autoPlay muted loop playsInline className="w-full rounded-lg" src="https://mintcdn.com/pockla/u-3drTgZOvHsZmnh/videos/Research-Agent-overview.mp4?fit=max&auto=format&n=u-3drTgZOvHsZmnh&q=85&s=f1a294632ad97d090463b057d11407fe" data-path="videos/Research-Agent-overview.mp4" />
</Frame>

## What Is the Research Agent?

Unlike basic enrichment (which fills in standard fields), the Research Agent:

* Conducts deep web research on contacts and companies
* Synthesizes information into actionable insights
* Provides suggested talking points
* Identifies relevant news and events
* Surfaces connections and commonalities

## Using the Research Agent

The Research Agent lives inside **Boards**. When viewing a contact:

1. Open a board
2. Click on a contact card
3. Use the **Board Agent** chat panel
4. Ask it to research the contact or company

<Frame caption="Board Agent chat panel with research prompt">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/pockla/u-3drTgZOvHsZmnh/screenshots/Board-Agent-chat.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=u-3drTgZOvHsZmnh&q=85&s=b80840145a65b4585e5e32e3f52f268c" alt="Board Agent chat panel with research prompt" width="4021" height="2160" data-path="screenshots/Board-Agent-chat.png" />
</Frame>

### Example Prompts

> "Research this contact's company"

> "What's the latest news about this company?"

> "Find background on this person"

> "What are some good talking points for reaching out?"

## Research Output

### Company Research

The agent can provide:

* **Company Overview**: What the company does
* **Recent News**: Latest press and announcements
* **Key People**: Leadership and relevant contacts
* **Industry Context**: Market position and competitors
* **Growth Signals**: Funding, hiring, expansion

<Frame caption="Company research output example">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/pockla/u-3drTgZOvHsZmnh/screenshots/Company-research.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=u-3drTgZOvHsZmnh&q=85&s=926642740292da3ddfc6efe9b557e634" alt="Company research output example" width="4021" height="2160" data-path="screenshots/Company-research.png" />
</Frame>

### Contact Research

For individual contacts:

* **Background**: Career history and experience
* **Recent Activity**: Posts, articles, speaking events
* **Interests**: Topics they engage with
* **Connection Points**: Shared connections or interests
* **Talking Points**: Suggested conversation starters

<Frame caption="Contact research output example">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/pockla/u-3drTgZOvHsZmnh/screenshots/contact-research.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=u-3drTgZOvHsZmnh&q=85&s=96742b9c70e052f99214f066efa432e3" alt="Contact research output example" width="4021" height="2160" data-path="screenshots/contact-research.png" />
</Frame>

## Research Agent Tools

The Research Agent has access to:

### Web Search

Searches the web for:

* Company websites
* News articles
* Press releases
* Blog posts

### Page Scraping

Reads and extracts information from:

* Company about pages
* News articles
* LinkedIn profiles (public)

## Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Use Before Outreach">
    Run research before sending important emails. Personalized outreach based on research has significantly higher response rates.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Focus on High-Value Contacts">
    Research takes time. Prioritize for key prospects and decision-makers.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Review and Personalize">
    AI research is a starting point. Review insights and add your own perspective before outreach.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Keep Research Current">
    Re-run research periodically for active deals, as company situations change.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Limitations

* Research is based on publicly available information
* Recent events may not be immediately reflected
* Small or private companies may have limited data available
* Results depend on what's findable on the web

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Research not appearing">
    * Ensure you're using the Board Agent chat panel
    * Check if contact has sufficient data (email, company name)
    * Try being more specific in your request
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Incomplete research">
    * Small or private companies have limited public data
    * Try asking follow-up questions
    * Add more contact details to improve results
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Outdated information">
    * Ask the agent to search for recent news specifically
    * Web search results reflect what's currently indexed
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Set Up Boards" icon="table-columns" href="/boards/introduction">
    Create boards to use Research Agent
  </Card>

  <Card title="Gmail Integration" icon="envelope" href="/integrations/gmail/overview">
    Use research insights to draft emails
  </Card>
</CardGroup>