| name | context-retrieval-loop |
| description | Use when starting work in an unfamiliar area of a codebase, spawning a subagent that needs targeted file context, a first search pass missed the relevant file, or the file scope of a task is unclear. |
Context Retrieval Loop
Gather the right codebase context before making changes or spawning subagents.
When to Use
- Starting work in an unfamiliar area
- Spawning a subagent that needs targeted file context
- First search pass returned nothing useful
The 3-Cycle Loop
Cycle 1 — Broad Search
rg "<primary-keyword>" --type ts --type js -l
find . -name "*<keyword>*" -not -path "*/node_modules/*"
Stop here if 3+ directly relevant files found.
Cycle 2 — Exact Source and Tests
Read the most relevant files from Cycle 1. Then find:
rg "<filename-stem>" --glob "*.test.*" --glob "*.spec.*" -l
rg "import.*<module-name>" -l
Stop here if you can describe the change and its blast radius.
Cycle 3 — Docs and Setup
ls docs/ README.md AGENTS.md CLAUDE.md .claude/ 2>/dev/null
rg "<keyword>" .env.example *.config.* 2>/dev/null
Stopping Conditions
Stop when: 3+ high-relevance files understood, OR Cycle 3 complete, OR new cycles return only files already seen.
Output
Context gathered:
<file-path> — <one-line reason>
Missing context (if any):
<what is still unclear>
State gaps explicitly. Do not proceed with guesses when a known gap exists.
Integration with Subagents
Pass file paths to subagents, not file contents:
Relevant files: src/auth/tokens.ts, src/auth/session.ts, src/auth/tokens.test.ts
Verification
