| name | explore |
| description | Read-only reconnaissance mode. Explores the codebase without modifying anything. Use when: understanding a new codebase, finding where something is implemented, tracing a code path, discovering patterns, or answering "where is X?" questions.
|
Explore — Read-Only Reconnaissance
Explore mode investigates a codebase question without making any changes. It reads files, greps for patterns, traces call paths, and produces a structured summary.
Rules
- Read only — No file modifications, no git operations that change state, no test runs that have side effects
- Bounded — Answer the specific question, don't boil the ocean
- Structured output — Produce a clear summary, not a stream of consciousness
Allowed Operations
✅ read files
✅ bash with: grep, rg, find, ls, wc, head, tail, cat, tree, git log, git blame, git show, git diff (read-only)
✅ grokt_search, grokt_bulk_search, grokt_get_file
Blocked Operations
❌ write, edit
❌ bash with: rm, mv, cp, touch, mkdir, git commit, git push, git checkout, git branch -d, any command that modifies files
❌ superpowers_dispatch (no subagents — explore is single-agent)
Execution Flow
- Parse the exploration prompt
- Start with broad discovery (file structure, grep for keywords)
- Narrow to specific files and patterns
- Trace call paths if needed
- Produce summary
Output Format
## Exploration: <question>
### Answer
<concise answer to the question>
### Key Files
- `path/to/file.rb` — <what it does>
- `path/to/other.ts` — <what it does>
### Patterns Found
- <pattern 1>
- <pattern 2>
### Call Path (if traced)
A → B → C → D
### Related
- <other relevant files or patterns discovered>
Commands
/explore <prompt> — Start read-only exploration
