Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Persona Researcher agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Persona Researcher skill is a set of instructions that turns an AI agent into a research assistant working inside Google Workspace. It is written for researchers, students and small teams who keep papers, notes and data in Google Drive, Docs, Sheets and Gmail. After reading this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for things in plain language, and what to check before letting the agent act on your account.
Persona Researchergoogleworkspace/cli · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Install the gws CLI. Install the Google Workspace command-line tool, gws, so it is available on your system. The skill cannot act on your account without it.
- 2Confirm your Google Workspace access. Make sure your account has access to Drive, Docs, Sheets and Gmail.
- 3Download and unzip the skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it to get SKILL.md.
- 4Place the skill folder. Move it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or into the project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. Alternatively, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 5Make sure the utility skills are present. The skill depends on gws-drive, gws-docs, gws-sheets and gws-gmail. Load these before using the persona.
- 6Ask for a research task. Describe a filing, note, logging, sharing or review task in plain language.
- 7Review before approving. Read each proposed action, especially emails and changes to shared files, before you allow it.
What the Persona Researcher skill makes the agent do
The skill tells the agent to behave as a research assistant. It is aimed at organising research material that you already have, rather than finding new sources.
According to the skill's instructions, the agent can organise research papers and notes in Drive folders, write research notes and summaries into Google Docs, log experimental data into Sheets, share findings with collaborators, and request peer reviews by email.
- File papers and notes into Drive folders
- Write notes and summaries with gws docs +write
- Log data rows with gws sheets +append
- Share findings using the gws workflow +file-announce workflow
- Request peer reviews with gws gmail +send
What you need before installing
The skill does not work on its own. It calls the gws command-line tool (the Google Workspace CLI), which talks to your Google account. You also need a Google Workspace account with access to Drive, Docs, Sheets and Gmail.
The skill's metadata lists four utility skills it depends on: gws-drive, gws-docs, gws-sheets and gws-gmail. The skill tells the agent to load these before operating as this persona.
- The gws command-line tool installed and available as gws
- A Google Workspace account with access to Drive, Docs, Sheets and Gmail
- The utility skills gws-drive, gws-docs, gws-sheets and gws-gmail
Install the skill from the ZIP download
Download the ZIP file from this page and unzip it. The package contains a single file, SKILL.md. To make the skill available to Claude Code for your user account, place the unzipped skill folder inside ~/.claude/skills/. To make it available only within one project, place it inside that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
If you use the Claude apps instead, you can upload the skill there under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal use across projects: ~/.claude/skills/
- Single project only: the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
How to trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command to use the skill. Describe the research task in plain language and the agent can pick up the relevant instructions. Name the kind of thing you want done: filing, writing a note, logging data, sharing or requesting a review.
Because the skill is mostly instructions, the agent still decides how to carry out each step using the gws tool and the utility skills. Check what it proposes before you approve it.
- "File the three papers I downloaded this week into my Literature 2025 Drive folder." (replace with your own folder name)
- "Write a summary of today's meeting notes into a new Google Doc."
- "Add this batch of assay results as new rows in our experiment Sheet."
- "Announce the updated findings document to the team."
- "Draft an email asking two colleagues to peer review my draft."
Find documents and keep a useful log
The skill's tips point to two habits that make the agent more useful. First, use search queries with gws drive files list to locate specific documents. Second, keep a running log of experiments and findings in one shared Sheet, so new entries always land in the same place.
When you need to move data into analysis tools, the skill suggests exporting with the --format csv option.
- Search with: gws drive files list (with a search query)
- Keep one shared Sheet as the running log of experiments and findings
- Export for analysis with --format csv
gws drive files listWhat people use it for
- Sorting a folder of downloaded papers into topic folders in Drive
- Turning meeting notes into a summary document in Google Docs
- Appending new experiment readings to a shared Sheet as a running log
- Announcing an updated findings document to collaborators
- Sending a request for peer review to a colleague by Gmail
Frequently asked questions
Is the Persona Researcher skill free?
The source does not state pricing or licence terms for the Google services you use. The skill's code is listed under the Apache-2.0 licence. Your costs depend on your own Google Workspace account and any tools you run.
Do I need Google Workspace to use it?
Yes. Every action depends on Drive, Docs, Sheets and Gmail, so the skill does little useful without a Google Workspace account that has access to them.
What do I need to install before the skill works?
You need the gws command-line tool and the utility skills gws-drive, gws-docs, gws-sheets and gws-gmail. The skill also needs a Google Workspace account with access to those apps.
Where do I put the skill folder?
Put it in ~/.claude/skills/ to use it across projects, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to that project. In the Claude apps, you can upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Can the skill find academic papers or check citations?
No. The skill only manages files you already have. It does not browse the web for sources, search literature or check citations.
Is it safe to use with confidential research?
Be careful. The agent can read and write Drive files and send email on your behalf, so review each action before allowing it. The skill does not run scripts, but it does use the network through the gws tool.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you already keep papers, notes and data in Google Workspace and want an agent to file, write, log and share them, and you are comfortable setting up the gws CLI. Skip it if you do not use Google Workspace, if you need literature search or citation checking, or if your research is confidential and you are not prepared to review every action the agent takes on your account.
Download the skill