Search Is Not Enough — Build AI Agents That Explore

Description

👉 Get access to the full Agentic RAG codebase & join hundreds of AI builders in our community https://www.theaiautomators.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=tutorial&utm_content=cc-vectorless-rag 🔗 Get Started: GitHub Repo (GSD Planning Documents): https://github.com/theaiautomators/claude-code-agentic-rag-series/tree/main/knowledgebase-video GSD Framework: https://github.com/glittercowboy/get-shit-done Supabase Self-Hosted: https://supabase.com/docs/guides/self-hosting Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgPWCuqLoek Claude Code Tools: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/settings.md Claude Code doesn't just search your codebase — it explores it. It reads folders, opens files, forms theories, and digs deeper. So why aren't we using this approach for AI knowledge agents? In this video, I break down how Claude Code's exploration-based retrieval actually works (glob, grep, read, bash) and why structure itself encodes meaning. Then I build a custom AI knowledge agent that can both explore AND search your private data — deciding which strategy to use depending on the question. This is episode two in our live build series where we're building a full agentic RAG system using Claude Code. You'll see real development — mistakes and all — plus my first time using the GSD framework for spec-driven development. 📌 What You'll Learn - How Claude Code retrieves information (glob, grep, read, bash tools) - Why exploration-based retrieval beats pure semantic search for structured data - When to use semantic search vs. exploration vs. hybrid retrieval - How to build parameterized navigation tools for a custom knowledge base - Three implementation approaches: Claude Cowork, MCP/API, and custom knowledge base - Real Claude Code development workflow with the GSD framework 🔍 Concepts Covered - Why vector search has silent failures with structurally similar content - How file/folder structure encodes meaning for free - Metadata filtering: when it works and its limitations - Hybrid retrieval: letting the agent decide the best strategy - Building multi-user knowledge bases with proper isolation ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00:00 Intro 00:12:31 GSD Setup & Brainstorming 00:24:35 Phase 1 - Folder Setup 00:28:44 Phase 2-3 - Document Interface 00:36:52 Phase 4-6 - Agent Tools 00:45:12 Phase 7 - Explorer Sub-Agent 01:00:09 Demo & GSD Review