research-brief

Research Brief Writer Automation

Set up a recurring automation that researches a topic and publishes a brief to Notion.

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Prerequisites

Required integrations

Both MCP integrations must be installed in Settings → MCP:

• Tavily MCP — for web research and source gathering
• Notion MCP — to publish the research brief

Information to collect

Ask the user for:

1. Topic — what should be researched (e.g. "AI code review tools", "competitor pricing changes")
2. Keywords and competitors — specific terms, companies, or products to track
3. Source quality rules — any preferences on source types (e.g. prefer academic papers, exclude social media)
4. Cadence — how often should the brief run? (daily, weekly, bi-weekly)
5. Notion destination — which Notion database or page should receive the brief
6. Citation style — inline links, footnotes, or a references section
7. Brief structure — default: Executive Summary, Key Findings, Implications, Recommended Actions, Sources

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Setup Workflow

Step 1 — Verify MCP access

Test each integration:

Use the Tavily MCP to search for a sample topic.
Use the Notion MCP to search for the destination database.

If any fail, tell the user which integration needs to be installed first.

Step 2 — Configure the schedule

Based on the user's cadence preference, build a cron schedule:

• Daily: 0 8 * * 1-5 (weekday mornings)
• Weekly: 0 9 * * 1 (Monday morning)
• Bi-weekly: 0 9 1,15 * * (1st and 15th)

Ask for timezone preference.

Step 3 — Build the research prompt

Construct a prompt that includes:

• Research topic and keywords
• Competitor/entity tracking list
• Source quality preferences
• Brief structure template
• Notion destination details
• Citation format

Step 4 — Create the automation

Set OPENHANDS_HOST and AUTH_HEADER for the request below:

• OpenHands Cloud or Enterprise - a <HOST> value is in your system prompt: use it as OPENHANDS_HOST, with AUTH_HEADER="Authorization: Bearer $OPENHANDS_API_KEY"
• Local Agent Canvas - an Automation backend is listed in <RUNTIME_SERVICES>: use its url_from_agent as OPENHANDS_HOST, with AUTH_HEADER="X-Session-API-Key: $OPENHANDS_AUTOMATION_API_KEY"

Use the prompt preset endpoint:

curl -s -X POST "${OPENHANDS_HOST}/api/automation/v1/preset/prompt" \
  -H "$AUTH_HEADER" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Research Brief Writer",
    "prompt": "<constructed research prompt>",
    "trigger": {"type": "cron", "schedule": "<schedule>", "timezone": "<tz>"}
  }'

PowerShell note: use curl.exe for this exact flag syntax, and replace ${OPENHANDS_HOST} / $AUTH_HEADER with $env:OPENHANDS_HOST / $env:AUTH_HEADER if running it natively.

Step 5 — Confirm

Tell the user:

✅ Research Brief Writer is running!

• Automation ID: {id}
• Topic: {topic}
• Schedule: {cron description}
• Notion destination: {destination}
• Citation style: {style}