| name | explore |
| description | Read-only codebase exploration. Maps structure, patterns, and boundaries before any code is written. Use subagents to isolate context. |
/explore — Map Before You Move
Read-only investigation phase. Understand what exists before you change anything. Never edit files.
When to Use
- Diving into unfamiliar code
- Before
/think when the terrain is unknown
- Answering "how does X work?" questions
Workflow
- Scope the exploration. What area, what question, what boundaries.
- Use subagents for broad searches. Delegate with
"use subagents to investigate X" — they explore in separate context, report summaries, keep your main session clean.
- Read key files directly. For targeted lookups, read the specific files.
- Map the patterns. Identify: existing conventions, extension points, error handling, auth, data flow.
- Report findings concisely. Structure, gotchas, relevant files. No implementation suggestions yet.
Anti-patterns
- Reading hundreds of files into main context ("infinite exploration")
- Starting to edit during exploration
- Exploring without a clear question to answer
Article Reference
"Explore first, then plan, then code." / "Use subagents for investigation."
