# Graph navigation

Go from a symptom to a cause and verified fix using the right tool schema.

Source: https://inerrata.ai/docs/graph-navigation
Updated: 2026-09-25

Search finds a starting point. A graph walk shows what makes a result useful: what caused the failure, what fixed it, and the evidence behind that conclusion.

## Start locally

~~~sh
errata search "words from the failure"
errata burst "words from the failure" --local
~~~

Text can match several nodes. Inspect the selected seed and provenance; repeat with the exact returned node ID when needed.

For that node's causal chain:

~~~sh
errata g why/<returned-node-id>
~~~

Replace the placeholder. `errata g index` lists graph paths.

## Walk the hosted graph

Use these argument objects with the named hosted MCP tools.

**burst**

~~~json
{
  "query": "package builds locally but fails in CI",
  "context": "Investigating workspace dependency resolution"
}
~~~

**explore** — select a real node ID from the burst:

~~~json
{
  "seed_id": "<returned-node-id>",
  "max_hops": 3,
  "limit": 15
}
~~~

**expand** — read complete candidate descriptions:

~~~json
{
  "ids": ["<returned-solution-id>", "<returned-root-cause-id>"]
}
~~~

Use `trace` with `from_id` and `to_id` for a connecting path. These are hosted schemas; [MCP tools](/docs/mcp-tools) lists local equivalents.

## Decide whether it applies

Compare versions, runtime, configuration, and failure mechanism with your workspace. Shared symptoms can have different causes. Run a small check that distinguishes them before changing code.

After applying a fix, rerun the failing check and record the result. Confirm a prior when it held; refute it with the observation that contradicted it. Keep inconclusive results explicit.