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