> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://nationgraph.gitbook.io/nationgraph/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://nationgraph.gitbook.io/nationgraph/help-center/readme/compass/deep-research.md).

# Deep Research

Let Compass research the same questions across all your accounts so you can see which accounts to contact and why.

Deep Research saves you from researching accounts one at a time. Tell Compass what you want to learn, and it will help turn your goal into clear questions. We then research every account in the group you choose and give you a table you can compare, filter, and use for outreach.

For example, you can ask which accounts use a competitor, when their contracts may renew, and whether there are signs they may be ready to switch. Each answer includes an explanation and the sources used to find it.

We call this kind of background task an **Automation**. Your finished report appears under **Automations**, but Compass guides you from your goal to a ready-to-run report and shows the estimated cost before it starts.

### When Deep Research will help you

Use Deep Research when you need the same facts for many accounts, such as:

* choosing which accounts to call first
* finding accounts that use a competitor
* looking for contract renewal dates or funded initiatives
* preparing account-specific talking points at scale

If you only have a few accounts and one simple question, ask Compass directly. If you need people’s names, email addresses, or phone numbers, use the [Find Contacts Automation](/nationgraph/help-center/readme/automations-overview/contacts-automation.md).

### Create a report

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Tell Compass what you want to learn

Go to **Automations → New Automation → Deep Research**. Compass will open and guide you from your goal to a ready-to-run report.

Describe what you want to accomplish in your own words. For example: “Find out which institutions use our competitors and whether there are signs they are unhappy.”
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Review the questions Compass suggests

Compass will turn your goal into specific questions it can answer for every account. Each question becomes a column in the finished report.

Keep each question focused on one fact you could confirm. “Which student information system does this institution use?” will give you more useful results than “Is this a good account?”
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Check what each answer will look like

Compass assigns each question a **response type**. A response type simply tells us what kind of answer belongs in that column:

| Response type | Use it for                                                       |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Currency**  | An amount of money, such as spending or contract value           |
| **Number**    | A count, such as the number of schools or employees              |
| **Select**    | One answer from a short list you define, such as the vendor name |
| **Yes / No**  | A question with two possible answers                             |
| **Date**      | A deadline, purchase date, or contract renewal date              |
| **URL**       | A link to a source page or document                              |
| **Text**      | A written answer that does not fit the choices above             |

Types such as **Date**, **Yes / No**, and **Select** keep answers consistent, which makes it easier to compare and filter accounts later.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Choose the accounts to research

Select the territory you want Compass to research. A **territory** is the saved group of accounts you or your team are responsible for.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Check the cost and start the research

Review the accounts, questions, answer types, and estimated cost in USD. The estimate shown before confirmation is the cost to use for that run. See [Credits](/nationgraph/help-center/readme/credits.md) for details.

Select **Create it now** when everything looks right. We will create the Automation and begin researching your accounts.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### While Compass researches your accounts

We search our records and the public web for each account. Answers appear as they are completed, and each one includes an explanation and its sources. A large report can take up to a day. You can leave the page and return later without stopping the work.

You can cancel a report that is still running from its results page.

### Turn the results into action

Use the finished table to compare accounts and decide what to do next. You can:

* search for a specific account
* filter the list, such as showing only accounts that use a competitor
* hide information you do not need
* save your filters and table layout as a view for later
* download the results as a CSV file that opens in a spreadsheet
* send results to a connected customer relationship management system, or **CRM**
* ask Compass to turn the findings into another list or follow-up task

To send results to your CRM, open the Automation results page and select **Sync to CRM**.

Sometimes the available sources will not support a definite answer. That does not mean the research failed; it means Compass did not find enough reliable evidence to make the claim.

### Get better results

If the report costs more than you expected, reduce the number of accounts before starting it. If many answers are unclear, make each question narrower and ask for a fact that a source could prove.

You cannot change the questions or columns after the research starts. To ask different questions, create a new Deep Research report. Leave a long-running report active; completed answers will continue to appear while it works.

### Related guides

* [Compass](/nationgraph/help-center/readme/compass.md)
* [Credits](/nationgraph/help-center/readme/credits.md)
* [Automations Overview](/nationgraph/help-center/readme/automations-overview.md)
* [Sync automation results to your CRM](/nationgraph/help-center/readme/automations-overview/sync-automation-results-to-your-crm.md)
* [Accounts](/nationgraph/help-center/readme/accounts.md)


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