Explore Codebase
Use Opencode's built-in Explore agent for fast, read-only codebase exploration.
When to Use
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Initial codebase discovery and mapping
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Finding files by patterns (e.g., "find all React components")
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Understanding project structure and architecture
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Quick code searches without modifying files
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Answering questions about "where is X located?"
How to Use
Option 1: Invoke @explore Subagent
When running inside Opencode, invoke the Explore subagent directly:
@explore Find all API endpoints in this codebase
@explore Map out the database models and their relationships
@explore What authentication patterns are used here?
Option 2: CLI with Explore Agent
From the terminal, use the --agent explore flag:
opencode run --agent explore "Map out the project structure"
opencode run --agent explore "Find all test files"
opencode run --agent explore "What are the main components in src/?"
What Explore Agent Does
The Explore agent is:
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Read-only - Cannot modify files (safe for exploration)
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Fast - Optimized for quick searches and file discovery
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Pattern-matching - Great for glob searches and keyword finding
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Codebase mapping - Efficient at understanding structure
Common Patterns
Map entire codebase:
@explore Give me an overview of this project's architecture
Find specific files:
@explore Find all files related to authentication
Understand patterns:
@explore What testing framework is used and where are tests located?
Quick search:
@explore Search for where 'User' type is defined
Best Practices
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Start broad, then narrow - Ask for overall structure first
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Use specific terms - Name files, functions, or patterns explicitly
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Chain explorations - Use results to ask follow-up questions
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Combine with other agents - After exploring, switch to Build agent to make changes
Integration with Workflow
After exploring, transition to implementation:
@explore [your exploration query]
[Review results, then:]
Now let's implement the changes. [Switch to Build agent or continue with main agent]