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Give the Agent a Precise Source to Inspect

2026-07-19claude-code, context

You know which authentication helper handles the failing request. Give the agent its path and the failing case instead of asking it to rediscover both.

An @src/utils/auth.ts reference can supply the relevant file. Check the path exists in this checkout and that the session received the intended version. A screenshot can show an error state; a documentation URL can identify a source to fetch. None establishes what the agent actually inspected until you check its evidence.

For an external service, an approved CLI may provide a focused, structured response. Use only the access the task requires and inspect the command before authorizing effects.

The useful habit is precise provenance: this file, this revision, this input, this observed result. It makes the next engineering decision easier to test and the eventual handover easier to explain.