Research mode (Deep research)

Research mode is a powerful workflow for in-depth data analysis. It uses Claude Opus 4.5 with extended thinking capabilities to tackle complex, multi-faceted research projects that require deep investigation and synthesis.

What is research mode?

Research mode is designed for complex questions that require:

• Systematic investigation across multiple data sources
• Correlation of different metrics and patterns
• Deep reasoning about cause and effect
• Synthesis of findings into actionable recommendations

Unlike regular chat, research mode takes more time but produces comprehensive research reports with thorough analysis.

When to use research mode

Research mode is ideal for:

• Root cause analysis - "What's causing our churn increase this quarter?"
• Cross-metric investigation - "How does our onboarding flow impact long-term retention?"
• Strategic analysis - "What are the biggest opportunities to improve our conversion funnel?"
• Comprehensive audits - "Analyze our entire user journey from signup to first purchase"

For quick questions or simple analyses, regular chat mode is faster and more efficient.

How research mode works

Research mode operates in two distinct phases:

Phase 1: Planning

When you start a research project, the agent enters a planning phase:

1. Clarification - The agent asks questions to understand your research objectives, scope, and what success looks like
2. Plan creation - The agent creates a research plan notebook outlining:
   • Research questions to answer
   • Data sources to investigate
   • Metrics and analyses to perform
   • Expected deliverables
3. Review - You review and approve the plan before research begins

Phase 2: Research execution

Once you approve the plan, the agent switches to research mode:

1. Task decomposition - The plan is broken into atomic research tasks
2. Parallel execution - Independent tasks run concurrently for efficiency
3. Data gathering - The agent queries your data using all available modes
4. Iterative refinement - Draft findings are refined as new data is gathered
5. Report synthesis - A final polished report is produced summarizing findings and recommendations

Starting research mode

You can start research mode by selecting Research in the mode selector above the chat interface.

You can only select research mode from a new conversation.

Research mode capabilities

Research mode has access to:

• Extended thinking - More sophisticated reasoning for complex analysis
• All analysis modes - Can switch between product analytics, SQL, session replay, and error tracking as needed
• Parallel task execution - Run multiple analyses concurrently
• Notebook creation - Create draft and final research report notebooks
• Iterative refinement - Revise findings as new information is discovered

Research mode vs regular chat

Tips for effective research

1. Be specific about your goals - "Why are users churning?" is good, but "Why are enterprise users churning within 30 days of signup?" is better
2. Define success criteria - Tell the agent what a useful answer looks like
3. Set scope boundaries - Specify time periods, user segments, or product areas to focus on
4. Review the plan carefully - The planning phase is your chance to ensure the research will answer your actual questions

Example research projects

• Investigate why our trial-to-paid conversion rate dropped 15% last month. Focus on the enterprise segment and compare behavior patterns between converters and non-converters.

• Research how our new onboarding flow impacts 30-day retention. Compare users who completed onboarding vs those who dropped off at each step.

• Analyze error patterns in our checkout flow. Identify which errors have the highest impact on conversion and what user behaviors lead to those errors.