---
description: "Run cxpak trace to find a symbol and pack relevant code paths within a token budget"
---
# /cxpak:trace
Trace a symbol through the codebase dependency graph.
## Steps
1. **Parse arguments.** The user must provide a symbol name (e.g., `/cxpak:trace handle_request`). If no symbol is provided, ask for one. The user may also provide a path (default `.`) and `--all` for full BFS traversal.
2. **Ask for token budget.** Ask: "Token budget for the trace? (default: 50k)" Use their answer or default to `50k`.
3. **Resolve cxpak binary:**
```bash
CXPAK="$("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/lib/ensure-cxpak")"
```
4. **Run the trace:**
```bash
"$CXPAK" trace --tokens <budget> --format markdown [--all] <symbol> <path>
```
Add `--all` only if the user requested full graph traversal.
5. **Present the output.** The trace contains:
- The target symbol and where it's defined
- Files that use/call the symbol (dependencies)
- Full source of relevant files, prioritized by dependency distance
6. **Explain what was found.** Summarize the symbol's role and how it connects to the rest of the codebase.