# Explore mode

Explore mode is the leap from *"do this objective"* to *"find an objective worth
doing, then do it"*. A read‑only **scout** surveys your repo and proposes small,
verifiable objectives; you (Pro) or the scheduler (Max) pick what runs. Nothing
ships without the [Verification Gate](/docs/verification-gate).

## Two modes

| Plan | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| **Pro** | **Propose‑only** — candidates appear in a queue; you click *Run this* |
| **Max / Enterprise** | **Autonomous** — the scheduler auto‑selects the top candidate, runs it, and re‑scouts when the queue empties |

Enable it in **Repo settings → Features → Explore**.

## Working the queue

Proposals appear in two places:

- **Repo settings drawer** — per‑repo candidates after clicking *Scout now*
- **Explore tab** (sidebar) — **all pending proposals across your repos** in one
  view, with a badge count on the sidebar. Accept or dismiss from either place.

## How scouting works

1. Click **Scout now** in the repo settings drawer (or let the scheduler trigger
   it on Max).
2. A scout agent does a **read‑only** survey of the repo (it never opens a PR).
3. It writes a short list of candidate objectives, each with a category, a
   procedural focus, and a suggested verify command.
4. Candidates are validated against hard **guardrails**, de‑duplicated, scored,
   and added to the queue.

## Guardrails (enforced in code, not prompt)

- **Allowed categories only:** docs, lint, tests, deps, todo, refactor.
- **No risky changes:** no public API changes, no major dependency bumps, no file
  deletions, no schema/auth/payment/secret/config edits.
- **Size caps:** small by estimate (files & lines); the gate re‑checks real size.
- **Must be verifiable:** every candidate carries a verify command, or it's dropped.
- **Per‑day cap:** autonomous runs per repo are bounded so a Max repo never burns
  the whole budget.

## Each candidate shows

- **Category** (docs, lint, tests, …)
- **Title** and **rationale** — why it's worth doing
- **Suggested verify command** — the gate it will run against
- **Estimated size** — files and lines touched
- **Accept & run** — applies the candidate's focus + verify and triggers a verified run
- **Dismiss** — removes it and records the rejection for taste learning

## It learns your taste

Every accept (run) and reject is remembered. Future scouts receive that history
as hints — they prefer the *kinds* of work you accept and stop re‑proposing things
you've dismissed. Track per‑repo stats in the repo settings drawer:
*proposed · run · dismissed*.

## Standing objectives win

While a repo has an active [objective](/docs/objectives), explore mode stands down
— the human goal takes priority.

## Related

- [Objectives](/docs/objectives) · [Playbooks](/docs/playbooks)
- [Trust ladder & plans](/docs/trust-and-plans)