---

name: before-file-search description: Use BEFORE running grep or glob commands. Reminds you to use codebase-locator agent instead of basic file search tools.

Before File Search

STOP: You're about to use grep or glob.

Use codebase-locator Instead

The codebase-locator agent is specifically designed for finding files and components. It's more efficient and comprehensive than grep/glob.

Instead of:

CopyGrep(pattern="authentication", ...)
Glob(pattern="**/auth*.js")

Do this:

CopyTask(
  subagent_type="codebase-locator",
  prompt="Find all authentication-related files",
  description="Locate auth files"
)

When Basic Tools Are OK

Only use grep/glob when:

• User explicitly asks for a simple file listing
• You need to check if a specific file exists
• You're doing a quick verification of a known path

For all exploratory searches, use codebase-locator.