codebase-recon

Use before non-trivial changes in an unfamiliar or mature repository to map real entry points, data flow, trust boundaries, similar working patterns, commands, tests, and deployment assumptions.

SKILL.md

GitHub

Codebase Recon

  1. Read project control-plane files first.
  2. Locate the real entry point and trace the relevant user/request/data flow end to end.
  3. Find at least one similar working implementation before inventing a new pattern.
  4. Identify server/client boundaries, auth checks, persistence, external calls, and error handling.
  5. Verify actual package scripts/commands; never invent a command because it is conventional.
  6. Inspect nearby tests and runtime logs/errors.
  7. Return a compact implementation map: key files, invariants, likely blast radius, unknowns, and verification route.
  8. Stop exploring when enough evidence exists to make the bounded change safely.