Ask useful questions
Turn a broad code question into an explanation you can inspect and build on.
Good questions give the AI reader a destination. You can still begin with uncertainty; describing what you are trying to learn is often enough to choose a useful first step.
Name the behavior
Instead of asking “Explain this project,” start with a behavior or decision:
What happens between selecting a file and displaying its contents? Trace the main path and identify where it can fail.
For a design question, include the constraint you care about:
Which part owns this cache, and what prevents two requests from updating it at the same time?
This gives the reader something concrete to investigate and gives you a way to judge whether the answer helped.
Choose a starting context
You can attach a file, a directory, a selection, or a Git comparison. These provide a starting point for exploration. They do not necessarily include every dependency required to answer the question.
If you know where the relevant behavior begins, say so. If you are unsure, describe the visible effect and ask the reader to locate the entry point.
Ask for evidence and limits
An explanation is more useful when you can inspect its basis. Ask for the files and branches that support the conclusion, and for any uncertainty that remains.
Separate what the code establishes from what would need a runtime test. Include the source locations I should verify.
Follow the references, especially when the answer will affect an edit or an important design decision.
Follow one thread at a time
A follow-up can deepen the current explanation: What if the input is empty? What happens when cancellation arrives? Does a second caller use different settings?
When you want to explore a different direction, you can branch from a completed answer into an independent child conversation. This keeps the original thread available while you investigate another idea.
Make edit permission deliberate
The agent reads by default. If you want a controlled text edit during a normal run, enable the editing option for that run. Permission does not carry forward automatically.
Asking for a review and allowing an edit are different decisions. Fixed Git comparison conversations remain read-only. Learn more in privacy and control.