Codebase Knowledge Graph and Guided Tour
Get a persistent dependency graph, clickable architecture dashboard, and guided reading tour of an unfamiliar codebase.
Before & after
Same prompt, same agent — the only difference is the skill.
I can definitely help you understand this codebase. We'd need to go through the code and identify the main files and how they connect to each other. I could explain what different parts do as you ask questions about them. It would probably help to start with the main entry point and then work through the layers. Do you have specific parts you want to focus on, or would you prefer a general walkthrough? I'm happy to answer questions as they come up.
KNOWLEDGE GRAPH + INTERACTIVE DASHBOARD Ran /understand - full codebase scan FILE INVENTORY Total files: 412 Code files: 289 (.ts, .tsx, .js) Config files: 31 Tests: 54 Docs: 38 ARCHITECTURE LAYERS API layer: 34 endpoints across 7 route files Data access: Prisma ORM (12 models) UI components: 156 React/Vue components State management: Redux store with 8 slices Middleware: 9 custom middleware functions GUIDE TOUR (Recommended Reading Order) Step 1 → Read entry point (src/index.ts) → 5 min Step 2 → Understand data models (schema.prisma) → 10 min Step 3 → Follow one user request through auth → 15 min Step 4 → Map state management flow → 10 min Step 5 → Identify your change target → varies KNOWLEDGE GRAPH Clicking any node shows: • What that code does • What it depends on • What depends on it • Full file path and line count • Related test files PERSIST FOR FUTURE Graph saved to ./.understand/graph.json Next diff will highlight what changed since today
About this skill
Opening an unfamiliar codebase can leave you reading files for hours without understanding how a request reaches the database. This skill builds a navigable architecture graph, traces representative execution paths, and gives you a reading order tied to real source locations.
What it does
- Maps packages, files, important symbols, entry points, and external systems with typed dependency edges.
- Separates verified imports and calls from inferred relationships, with source locations attached.
- Produces a clickable HTML dashboard with architecture layers, search, filters, and node explanations.
- Builds a guided tour around a real request, job, or user action rather than alphabetical file order.
- Connects readable documentation, PDFs, and diagrams to the code they describe while flagging stale or conflicting claims.
- Saves a reusable graph and compares later snapshots for added, removed, moved, or changed structure.
What you get
A persistent graph, a self-contained architecture dashboard, and an evidence-linked onboarding tour, sized to your question. The handoff states what was inspected, what remains unresolved, and whether the dashboard was actually opened and checked.
Best for
Developers inheriting services, new hires joining monorepos, and maintainers who need to understand a subsystem before changing it.
SKILL.md preview
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name: codebase-knowledge-graph-and-guided-tour
description: Maps unfamiliar code into a persistent, evidence-linked graph of files, symbols, and dependencies, then builds a clickable architecture dashboard and a guided reading tour. Uses bounded parallel scans when available and updates saved graphs from source changes. Use when the user says "help me understand this repo", "I have no idea where to start", "map this codebase", "show me how a request flows", "build an architecture dashboard", "this repo is too big to navigate", or "what changed since the last scan".
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# Codebase Knowledge Graph and Guided Tour
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