onboard · parcadei — Claude Code skill: map a codebase, write a ledger
Reads an unfamiliar repository and writes a starting ledger, so the agent knows the layout from the first session.
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill onboard -a claude-codeWhat onboard does
The skill spawns a subagent called onboard. It makes the directories thoughts/shared/handoffs/<project-name> and .claude, then walks the code. Its first attempt is tldr tree . && tldr structure .; without those tools it falls back to a find over *.py, *.ts and *.js files. Stack detection looks for package.json, requirements.txt, Cargo.toml, go.mod. Before writing anything it asks what you want to achieve, through AskUserQuestion.
The result is a YAML handoff at thoughts/shared/handoffs/<project-name>/onboard-<date>.yaml. It holds the date, your stated goal, the detected stack, important files with their purpose, a short architecture note and a suggested first action. Session start loads that file on its own, which is why the agent stops asking the same questions. Exploration happens in the subagent, so code dumps stay out of your main context.
This one targets brownfield work. On an empty repository there is nothing to map, and /create_plan covers that case. The ledger is not frozen: /create_handoff rewrites it later. Install runs through npx skills add, or gh skill install on GitHub Copilot.
What it helps with
- get oriented in an unfamiliar repository before touching code
- record the stack and important files in one place
- hand the agent starting context without retelling the architecture
- keep codebase dumps out of the main session
- pick a first action for the task at hand
Example prompts for the agent
- Onboard me to this project at $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR
- Analyze this codebase and create the initial continuity ledger
- Explore the repo, detect the tech stack and suggest where to start
How to install onboard
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill onboard -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/onboard/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/onboard/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill onboard -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/onboard/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill onboard -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/onboard/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 onboard2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/onboard/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill onboard -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --path .claude/skills/onboardManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/onboard/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill onboard -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about onboard
How do I install onboard in Claude Code?
Run npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill onboard -a claude-code. The skill lands in ~/.claude/skills/onboard/SKILL.md.
What does onboard do?
It spawns a subagent that explores an existing project, detects the tech stack, asks about your goals and writes a YAML handoff with starting context.
How is onboard different from /create_plan?
onboard is for projects that already have code; /create_plan is for new ones. Later updates to the ledger go through /create_handoff.
Source text
SKILL.md · MIT
---
name: onboard
description: Analyze brownfield codebase and create initial continuity ledger
user-invocable: true
---
# Onboard - Project Discovery & Ledger Creation
Analyze a brownfield codebase and create an initial continuity ledger.
## When to Use
- First time working in an existing project
- User says "onboard", "analyze this project", "get familiar with codebase"
## How to Use
**Spawn the onboard agent:**
Use the Task tool with `subagent_type: "onboard"` and this prompt:
```
Onboard me to this project at $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR.
1. Create required directories if they don't exist:
mkdir -p thoughts/shared/handoffs/<project-name> .claude
2. Explore the codebase using available tools:
- Try: tldr tree . && tldr structure .
- Fallback: find . -type f -name "*.py" -o -name "*.ts" -o -name "*.js" | head -50
3. Detect tech stack (look for package.json, requirements.txt, Cargo.toml, go.mod, etc.)
4. Ask the user about their goals using AskUserQuestion
5. Create a YAML handoff at thoughts/shared/handoffs/<project-name>/onboard-<date>.yaml:
---
date: <ISO date>
type: onboard
status: active
---
goal: <user's stated goal>
now: Start working on <first priority>
tech_stack: [list of detected technologies]
key_files:
- path: <important file>
purpose: <what it does>
architecture: <brief description>
next:
- <suggested first action>
```
## Why an Agent?
The onboard process:
- Requires multiple exploration steps
- Should not pollute main context with codebase dumps
- Returns a clean summary + creates the handoff
## Output
- Directories created: `thoughts/shared/handoffs/<project>/`, `.claude/`
- YAML handoff created (loaded automatically on session start)
- User has clear starting context
- Ready to begin work with full project awareness
## Notes
- This skill is for BROWNFIELD projects (existing code)
- For greenfield, use `/create_plan` instead
- Handoff can be updated anytime with `/create_handoff`
© parcadei · MIT · parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3
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