# explore

A skill for reading unfamiliar projects: a quick structure pass, a deep analysis, or a map of layers and dependencies. It never edits code.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 577 installs · ★ 3946
- Author: parcadei
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/explore/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-01-26
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/explore

## What it does

\`/explore` is a meta-skill for internal codebase exploration. The workflow is read-only, so your files stay untouched. Three depths: `quick` returns a file tree and codemaps in about a minute, `deep` adds pattern research and writes a report in about five, `architecture` builds a call graph and sorts code into layers in about three.

You call it as `/explore <depth> [options]`. Run it bare and the skill asks what you want to understand, which area to focus on, and what to produce. Options cover `--focus "area"` for a specific topic, `--output doc` or `--output handoff` for a documentation file or context for the next agent, and `--entry "func"` to start from a named function. The `deep` depth leans on `tldr` and the research-codebase agent, so it first checks whether the project is indexed under `.claude/cache/tldr/` and runs onboard if it is not.

The `architecture` depth looks for circular dependencies and layer boundaries. That is worth running before a big refactor: if your layers are tangled, you find out before you start pulling code apart. Reports land in `thoughts/shared/research/` or `thoughts/shared/handoffs/`.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill explore -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/explore/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/explore/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill explore -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/explore/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill explore -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/explore/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 explore
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/explore/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill explore -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --path .claude/skills/explore
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/explore/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill explore -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/explore/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- get oriented in an unfamiliar repo on day one
- locate where a feature or function lives
- map layers and dependencies before a refactor
- spot circular dependencies between modules
- prepare context for the next coding agent

## Example prompts
- /explore quick --focus "hooks"
- /explore deep --focus "auth" --output doc
- /explore architecture --entry "cli" --output handoff

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 227153d78836de53.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 227153d78836de53
````text
---
name: explore
description: Meta-skill for internal codebase exploration at varying depths (quick/deep/architecture)
allowed-tools: [Bash, Task, Read, Glob, Grep, Write]
keywords: [explore, codebase, architecture, understand, analyze, layers, call graph, brownfield]
---

# Explore - Internal Codebase Exploration

Meta-skill for exploring an internal codebase at varying depths. READ-ONLY workflow - no code changes.

## Usage

```
/explore <depth> [options]
```

## Question Flow (No Arguments)

If the user types just `/explore` with no or partial arguments, guide them through this question flow. Use AskUserQuestion for each phase.

### Phase 0: Workflow Selection

```yaml
question: "How would you like to explore?"
header: "Explore"
options:
  - label: "Help me choose (Recommended)"
    description: "I'll ask questions to pick the right exploration depth"
  - label: "Quick - fast overview"
    description: "Chain: tldr tree → tldr structure (~1 min)"
  - label: "Deep - comprehensive analysis"
    description: "Chain: onboard → tldr → research → document (~5 min)"
  - label: "Architecture - layers & dependencies"
    description: "Chain: tldr arch → call graph → layer mapping (~3 min)"
```

**Mapping:**
- "Help me choose" → Continue to Phase 1-4 questions
- "Quick" → Set depth=quick, skip to Phase 2 (scope)
- "Deep" → Set depth=deep, skip to Phase 2 (scope)
- "Architecture" → Set depth=architecture, skip to Phase 2 (scope)

**If Answer is Unclear (via "Other"):**
```yaml
question: "I want to understand how deep you want to explore. Did you mean..."
header: "Clarify"
options:
  - label: "Help me choose"
    description: "Not sure - guide me through questions"
  - label: "Quick - fast overview"
    description: "Just want to see what's here"
  - label: "Deep - comprehensive analysis"
    description: "Need thorough understanding"
  - label: "Neither - let me explain differently"
    description: "I'll describe what I need"
```

### Phase 1: Exploration Goal

```yaml
question: "What are you trying to understand?"
header: "Goal"
options:
  - label: "Get oriented in the codebase"
    description: "Quick overview of structure"
  - label: "Understand how something works"
    description: "Deep dive into specific area"
  - label: "Map the architecture"
    description: "Layers, dependencies, patterns"
  - label: "Find where something is"
    description: "Locate specific code/functionality"
```

**Mapping:**
- "Get oriented" → quick depth
- "Understand how" → deep depth
- "Map architecture" → architecture depth
- "Find where" → quick with --focus

### Phase 2: Scope

```yaml
question: "What area should I focus on?"
header: "Focus"
options:
  - label: "Entire codebase"
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 227153d78836de53

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