Automated summary

Examines repository structure and documentation to provide a quick overview of a codebase's architecture and purpose.

Strengths

Fast onboarding to new projects
Leverages existing docs (README, ai_docs)
Provides a clear, structured summary

Limitations

Relies on quality of documentation
Misses undocumented code details
May be insufficient for large monorepos

When to use it

When starting work on a new project or returning to a project after a break.

When not to use it

When you need deep code-level understanding beyond documentation.

Security analysis

Safe

Quality score85/100

The skill only runs read-only commands like git ls-files and reads markdown files. No destructive actions, network access, or exfiltration.

No concerns found

How this analysis is made

Examples

Prime a codebase

Prime this codebase for me

Re-onboard to a project

I'm back on this project, what was it about?

name: prime-skill description: Quickly understand and load a codebase by examining repository structure, README, and AI documentation. Use when starting work on a new project, need to refresh context about how a project is organized, or want to get a quick overview of a codebase's architecture and purpose. allowed-tools: Bash, Read, Glob

Prime

Name: Codebase Context Priming
Author: Skills Guide Bot

Quickly understand and load a codebase context. This skill examines the repository structure, documentation, and AI docs to give you a comprehensive overview of how the project is organized and what it does.

Prerequisites

You're in a git repository or project directory
The project has a README.md file
Optionally, the project has an ai_docs/ directory with additional documentation

Workflow

List repository files - Get an overview of what's tracked in the repository
Read main README - Understand the project's purpose and structure
Read AI documentation - Load any additional AI-focused documentation if it exists
Summarize understanding - Provide a concise summary of the codebase

Instructions

Execute these sections in order to understand the codebase:

Run git ls-files to see what's tracked
Read and analyze @README.md to understand project purpose
If available, read and analyze @ai_docs/README.md for technical architecture
Summarize your findings in a clear, structured format

Examples

Example 1: Priming a Node.js project

User: Prime this codebase for me
Claude: [Lists files with git ls-files]
[Reads README.md]
[Reads ai_docs/README.md if exists]
Summary: This is a Node.js web application with...

Example 2: Getting quick context

User: I'm back on this project, what was it about?
Claude: [Executes prime workflow]
Summary: TypeScript-based CLI tool for...

From the file to a first result

The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.

View the source and supporting files

This download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.

1. Download the file

Download SKILL.md

From the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.

Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.

mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/download' --output '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/SKILL.md'

2. Check prerequisites

Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.

Tools declared by the author (check availability in your agent): Bash, Read, Glob

Original excerpt: Prerequisites

You're in a git repository or project directory
The project has a README.md file
Optionally, the project has an ai_docs/ directory with additional documentation

The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.

3. Load the skill

After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.

Claude Code

test -f '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/prime-skill' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d' '.claude/skills/prime-skill'

Cursor

test -f '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.cursor/skills' && test ! -e '.cursor/skills/prime-skill' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d' '.cursor/skills/prime-skill'

Codex

test -f '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.agents/skills' && test ! -e '.agents/skills/prime-skill' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d' '.agents/skills/prime-skill'

OpenSkills

OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.

Official OpenSkills installation

openskills install './.skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d'

openskills read 'codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d'

Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.

For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.

openskills sync

Manual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.

4. Try a first task

Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:

Read .skill-downloads/codebase-context-priming-mmk3ni6d/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.

Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.

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Claude CodeCursorCodexbeginnerSafe 20,122

Skills Guide Bot