explore

name	explore
description	Exploratory mode — spike, prototype, brainstorm. Throwaway code under spikes/. Use when the goal is to learn or generate options, NOT to ship. Pairs with the explorer agent. Triggers on: explore, spike, prototype, experiment, sketch, try out.
disable-model-invocation	true

/explore

Exploratory track — first-class alternative to the production pipeline. Use when you want to learn, prototype, or compare approaches without the spec/todo/test ceremony.

/explore <topic>
  ↓
explorer (Sonnet)
  ↓
spikes/<topic>/  ← throwaway code (gitignored)
  ↓
spikes/<topic>/FINDINGS.md  ← what was learned + recommendation
  ↓
hand back to user (re-enter via /plan to promote findings)

Usage

Claude Code (interactive)

Use the explorer agent to spike <topic>

Copilot CLI

copilot --agent=explorer --prompt "Spike <topic>"

What goes under spikes/

• spikes/<topic>/ — prototype code, scratch files, anything throwaway
• spikes/<topic>/FINDINGS.md — what was learned, recommendation
• Path is gitignored by default (add spikes/ to .gitignore)

Rules

• Spike-only commits bypass the TDD gate (banner shown)
• Touching files outside spikes/ re-engages the gate
• Findings DO NOT auto-promote to production — re-enter via /plan

When NOT to use

• You already know the design — go straight to /plan
• You're fixing a bug — use the production pipeline (or troubleshooter)
• The work needs to ship today — spikes are not shippable