Hs:scout

Scout

Fast, token-efficient codebase scouting using parallel agents to find files needed for tasks.

Arguments

• Default: Scout using built-in Explore subagents in parallel when delegation is permitted (./references/internal-scouting.md)
• ext: Scout using the external Gemini CLI (consent-gated, off by default — see ./references/external-scouting.md)

When to Use

• Beginning work on feature spanning multiple directories
• User mentions needing to "find", "locate", or "search for" files
• Starting debugging session requiring file relationships understanding
• User asks about project structure or where functionality lives
• Before changes that might affect multiple codebase parts

Quick Start

1. Analyze user prompt to identify search targets
2. Use a wide range of search_files patterns to find relevant files and estimate scale of the codebase
3. Spawn parallel agents with divided directories only when the active runtime permits delegate_agent usage
4. Collect results into concise report

Runtime Tooling

Use portable capabilities first:

• search_files for local discovery.
• read_file for scoped file reads.
• run_shell for local commands such as rg, wc, or sed.
• manage_plan for progress tracking when useful.
• delegate_agent for Explore subagents only when user request and runtime policy allow delegation.

Do not spawn subagents only because this skill mentions Explore. Some runtimes, including Codex Desktop, require the actual user request to explicitly ask for subagents, delegation, or parallel agent work. If that explicit request is absent, scout in the main agent with search_files and read_file.

Runtime mapping for delegate_agent:

• Claude Code: use the native delegate call with subagent_type: "Explore".
• Codex Desktop: Explore is a deferred multi-agent role. If multi_agent_v1 is not visible, call tool_search for multi-agent spawn tools first, then use multi_agent_v1.spawn_agent with agent_type: "Explore". Do not set a model override; the Explore role owns its runtime model configuration.

Prerequisites & Environment

Read from .hs.json:

The kit ships no configuration-value file for this skill — no API keys, no auth tokens. Internal (Explore agent) scouting is the default and needs none of this; users who want the external Gemini path supply their own gemini CLI install/auth through their own local setup. See references/external-scouting.md and ../_shared/gemini-fallback.md.

Workflow

1. Analyze Task

• Parse user prompt for search targets
• Identify key directories, patterns, file types, lines of code
• Determine optimal SCALE value of subagents to spawn

2. Divide and Conquer

• Split codebase into logical segments per agent
• Assign each agent specific directories or patterns
• Ensure no overlap, maximize coverage

3. Register Scout Tasks

• Skip if: Agent count ≤ 2 (overhead exceeds benefit)
• Skip if: plan/task tracking tools are unavailable — use the local manage_plan fallback instead
• manage_plan capability first — check for existing scout tasks in session
• If not found, manage_plan capability per agent with scope metadata
• Keep task metadata concise: scope, assigned directories, current status, and timeout.

4. Spawn Parallel Agents

Load appropriate reference based on decision tree:

• Internal (Default): references/internal-scouting.md (Explore subagents)
• External (opt-in, skills.scout.useGemini: true): references/external-scouting.md (Gemini CLI)

Notes:

• manage_plan capability each task to in_progress before spawning its agent (skip if plan/task tracking is unavailable)
• Prompt detailed instructions for each subagent with exact directories or files it should read
• Remember that each subagent has less than 200K tokens of context window
• Amount of subagents to-be-spawned depends on the current system resources available and amount of files to be scanned
• Each subagent must return a detailed summary report to a main agent
• In Codex Desktop, first expose deferred multi-agent tools through tool_search if they are not already visible.
• If runtime policy blocks subagents because the user did not explicitly request delegation, continue with main-agent scouting instead of forcing a spawn.

5. Collect Results

IMPORTANT: Invoke the hs:project-organization skill to organize the outputs.

• Timeout: 3 minutes per agent (skip non-responders)
• manage_plan capability completed tasks; log timed-out agents in report (skip if plan/task tracking is unavailable)
• Aggregate findings into single report
• List unresolved questions at end

Report Format

# Scout Report

## Relevant Files

- `path/to/file.ts` - Brief description
- ...

## Unresolved Questions

- Any gaps in findings

References

• references/internal-scouting.md - Using Explore subagents
• references/external-scouting.md - Using the Gemini CLI (consent-gated, off by default)

Workflow Position

Typically precedes: hs:fix (debug after scouting), /hs:fix (fix after locating code), hs:code-review (scout edge cases before review) Related: hs:fix (investigate after scouting), /hs:brainstorm (explore after scouting)