> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.frase.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.frase.io/feature-reference/deep-research.md). # Research a Topic Before You Write Research a topic once, pin the keywords, headings, questions, and evidence worth using, and turn them into a brief your article is written from. {% hint style="success" %} **Prefer to work from a chat?** Ask the [Frase Agent](/automations/meet-the-frase-agent.md) to run research for you, or start it from Claude, Cursor, or another MCP client with [Frase MCP](/automations/automate-with-frase-mcp.md). {% endhint %} {% embed url="" %} ## 1. Start Research {% stepper %} {% step %} ### Open Research Go to **Plan & Create → Research** and click **New Research.** {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Enter your topic A topic, search query, or working title all work. The more specific it is, the more useful the results. Frase won't research a topic that matches your [Brand Hub](/feature-reference/brand-hub.md) never-write-about list (**Brand Voice > Terms**). {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Check the language and market *Content language* and *Target market* load from your site settings. Change them if this piece targets a different language or country. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Add your goal, audience, and brand voice *(recommended)* Open *Audience, goal & brand guidance*: * **Goal** and **Audience** steer what the research looks for. * Under *Content governance*, pick the Brand Hub voice this piece should use, or **No brand voice**. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Click Run research Each run counts toward your plan's monthly research limit. A run that fails doesn't count. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %}
## 2. Pick What Goes Into Your Brief {% stepper %} {% step %} ### Scan your results Each section shows its top findings. Click a section's title to see everything in a side panel. A section only appears when the research found something for it. If nothing comes back at all, click **Review setup** to adjust your topic, or **Ask AI** to find out why. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Pin at least one keyword Suggested keywords you haven't pinned don't get incorporated into the brief. To target a term Frase didn't suggest, open **Keywords** and add your own. Separate several with commas. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Pin headings, questions, and evidence *(recommended)* These get naturally included and cited into your content brief and article for stronger EEAT and GEO signals. {% hint style="info" %} SERP competitor headings are used **as inspiration** to create a unique brief outline, NOT copied verbatim. {% endhint %} {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} | Section | What you'll find | What to do with it | | ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | **Keywords** | The terms this piece is written to win, with metrics to compare | Pin the terms you want to target | | **What ranks & headings** | The pages ranking now, and how they're built | Pin headings worth covering in your own outline | | **Opportunities** | Where the ranking pages leave room | Choose the gaps that make your article more useful | | **Questions** | What readers ask about the topic | Pin the questions your article needs to answer | | **Evidence & insights** | Figures and claims, with the sites they came from | Pin credible facts that back up your main points | | **Competitors** | Competing businesses and how they position themselves | Decide how your article stands apart | | **Topic directions** | Related angles beyond this one | Choose the angles that belong in this brief | ## 3. Change Your Setup or Get Help These links sit under your topic: * **Edit setup**: change the topic, market, goal, audience, or voice, then click **Save and rerun research**. * **Writing inputs**: everything you've pinned so far, in one place. * **Sources**: every page the research analyzed. * **Ask AI**: ask what the results mean, or ask it to find stats on a subtopic and pin them for you. ## 4. Generate Your Brief {% stepper %} {% step %} ### Click Generate brief You need *Editor* role permissions or higher. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Set your content type details Choose a content type and target word count, then click **Generate Brief**. Frase integrates your pins into a brief that opens when it's ready. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Review the brief and generate the article Approve the facts and sources the article can use, then choose who writes (Frase, you, or a a combination). [Create New Content that Ranks](/core-workflows/create-new-content-that-ranks.md) walks through it. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} ### Update Your Brief If you make changes to your pinned research (e.g. keywords, evidence, etc.) AFTER your brief is created, you'll need to sync your changes. Here's how: {% stepper %} {% step %} #### Open the brief Click Open brief on your Research session {% endstep %} {% step %} #### Click Update brief You should see this in a banner at the top of the brief. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} {% hint style="info" %} Updating does not cost an extra credit. If you've started the article or edited the brief by hand, Frase builds a fresh version and leaves the original with your article. {% endhint %} ## Research for Imported Articles Open the article in the editor and click the **Keyword Research** tab in the right sidebar. If it doesn't have a primary keyword yet, Frase asks for one first. * Every evidence row links to its source, so you can check a claim before you use it. * **Draft section** or **Draft answer** on a row writes it into your article, below the most related section. * Topics and questions tick themselves off as you cover them. {% hint style="success" %} Articles generated from a brief show the research behind that brief in this tab, read-only. See [Optimize Existing Content](/core-workflows/optimize-existing-content.md) to bring an article in. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://docs.frase.io/feature-reference/deep-research.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.