Research Agent Example

A simple research agent built with GPT Researcher that provides comprehensive research reports through an easy-to-use web interface.

Features

• 🔍 Automated Research: Conducts thorough research on any topic using multiple web sources
• 📝 Multiple Report Types: Generate research reports, resource lists, or outlines
• 🌐 Web Interface: Simple, clean HTML interface with no dependencies
• ⚡ Fast Results: Get comprehensive reports in minutes
• 📊 Source Tracking: See all sources used and research costs
• 🚀 Easy Setup: Minimal configuration required

Prerequisites

• Python 3.11 or later
• OpenAI API key
• Tavily API key (for web search)

Quick Start

1. Clone and Install

# Clone the repository
git clone <your-repo-url>
cd research-agent-example

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Set Up API Keys

You need two API keys:

1. OpenAI API Key: Get from https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
2. Tavily API Key: Get from https://tavily.com/ (free tier available)

Set them as environment variables:

# Option 1: Export in terminal
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your_openai_api_key_here"
export TAVILY_API_KEY="your_tavily_api_key_here"

# Option 2: Create a .env file
echo "OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key_here" >> .env
echo "TAVILY_API_KEY=your_tavily_api_key_here" >> .env

3. Run the Server

python server.py

The server will start at http://localhost:8000

Usage

1. Open your browser and go to http://localhost:8000
2. Enter your research query (e.g., "Latest developments in quantum computing")
3. Select the report type:
   • Research Report: Comprehensive analysis with citations
   • Resource Report: List of relevant resources and links
   • Outline Report: Structured outline for the topic
4. Click "Start Research" and wait for results

Project Structure

research-agent-example/
├── server.py              # FastAPI backend server
├── static/
│   └── index.html        # Web interface
├── requirements.txt      # Python dependencies
├── env_setup.txt        # Environment setup guide
└── README.md            # This file

API Endpoints

• GET / - Serves the web interface
• POST /research - Conducts research and returns report
• GET /health - Health check and API key status

Research Endpoint

curl -X POST "http://localhost:8000/research" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "query": "What are the latest AI trends?",
    "report_type": "research_report"
  }'

Response:

{
  "report": "# Research Report\n\n...",
  "sources": ["https://...", "https://..."],
  "costs": {
    "total_cost": 0.1234,
    "total_tokens": 5678
  },
  "num_sources": 15
}

Configuration

The research agent uses GPT-4 models by default. Average research:

• Takes ~3 minutes to complete
• Costs ~$0.10 per research task
• Analyzes 20+ web sources

Troubleshooting

"API keys not configured" warning

• Ensure both OPENAI_API_KEY and TAVILY_API_KEY are set
• Check the /health endpoint to verify configuration

Research takes too long

• Complex topics may take 3-5 minutes
• The agent is gathering information from multiple sources

Empty or short reports

• Ensure your query is specific enough
• Try using "Research Report" type for comprehensive results

Security Notes

• Never commit API keys to version control
• Add .env to your .gitignore file
• Use environment variables or secure key management in production

Learn More

• GPT Researcher Documentation
• GPT Researcher GitHub
• OpenAI API Documentation
• Tavily API Documentation

License

This example is provided as-is for educational purposes.