Find

Locate anything with progressive search expansion, multi-source validation, and iterative refinement until found.

Pattern

text

Need → Clarify → Search → Validate → [Found? Deliver : Expand]

Keep searching until found or exhausted. Start narrow, expand progressively. Validate before delivering.

When to Use

• User needs to find something specific
• Location or source is unknown
• "Find me...", "Where can I get...", "I need to find..."

Not for: Things you already know, simple lookups, browsing.

Setup

Before searching, clarify:

Element	Why
What exactly?	Avoid finding wrong thing
Success criteria	How will we know it's right?
Constraints	Budget, location, time, format
Already tried?	Don't repeat failed paths

If user is vague → ask ONE clarifying question, then start.

Search Expansion

Start narrow, expand if not found:

text

1. Obvious sources → Direct lookup, known locations
2. Specialized sources → Domain-specific databases, expert communities  
3. Alternative queries → Different words, related concepts
4. Indirect paths → Who would know? What links to this?
5. Ask human → More context, different angle

Each expansion: try multiple sources in parallel when possible.

Validation

Before delivering, verify:

• Is this actually what was asked for?
• Is the source reliable?
• Is it current/valid?
• Any caveats user should know?

If uncertain → say so. "Found X but not 100% sure it's what you need."

Delivery

text

FOUND: [what]
WHERE: [source]
CONFIDENCE: [high/medium/low]
CAVEATS: [if any]

If multiple results: summarize and let user choose.

Not Found

If exhausted all paths:

1. Report what was tried
2. Closest alternatives found
3. Suggest different approach or more context needed

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Related: For iterating until success criteria are met, see loop. For multi-phase workflows, see cycle.