# Spawn Investigator

> Investigate a codebase question using an isolated subagent. Use when you need to read many files without bloating the main context.

- Skill: `majiayu000/spawn-investigator` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add majiayu000/spawn-investigator`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/majiayu000/spawn-investigator/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: majiayu000 (https://skillmd.com/u/majiayu000)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/majiayu000/spawn-investigator

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# Spawn Investigator

Launch an isolated investigation subagent to answer a codebase question without polluting the main conversation context.

## Why This Exists

Reading many files to answer a question fills up the main context window. By spawning an Explore-type subagent, the investigation happens in a separate context. Only the concise answer comes back, keeping the main context clean for actual work.

## Usage

- `/spawn-investigator <question>` — User-invoked investigation
- Claude can also auto-invoke this when it recognizes a question requiring broad codebase exploration

## Procedure

### Step 1: Formulate the Question

Parse `$ARGUMENTS` into a clear, specific investigation question. If the question is vague, refine it:

- BAD: "How does auth work?"
- GOOD: "What authentication middleware is used, where is it configured, and what are the auth routes?"

### Step 2: Spawn the Subagent

Use the Task tool with these parameters:

```
subagent_type: Explore
description: "Investigate: [short summary]"
prompt: |
  Investigate this question about the codebase:

  **Question:** [the question]

  Instructions:
  - Search broadly first (Glob for file patterns, Grep for keywords)
  - Read the most relevant files
  - Trace the code path if needed (follow imports, function calls)
  - Return a CONCISE answer (max 500 words) with:
    1. Direct answer to the question
    2. Key file paths discovered
    3. Any important caveats or gotchas
  - Do NOT include full file contents in your response
```

### Step 3: Report Back

When the subagent returns, present the findings to the user:

```
## Investigation Results: [question summary]

[Subagent's concise answer]

### Key Files
- `path/to/file1` — [what it does]
- `path/to/file2` — [what it does]
```

If the answer is insufficient, offer to spawn a follow-up investigator with a more specific question.

## When to Auto-Invoke

Claude should consider auto-invoking this skill when:
- The user asks a broad "how does X work?" question
- Answering requires reading 5+ files
- The main context is already large (approaching compaction)
- The question is about understanding, not modifying, code