understand-project-yylo
Has your agent understand how a project works before making changes. It analyzes the code's structure and connections.
What it does
This tool helps understand how a software project is organized and its parts before making changes. It checks connections between parts, tests, and existing documentation.
When to use it
- ✓Before planning a new feature.
- ✓Before starting to write code for a change.
- ✓When you need to know the current state of a project.
Example of what to ask your AI
“Understand the current architecture of project X and its dependencies.”
Want more? Open the sections below.
How to use
The easiest way: copy the message below and paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any AI. It reads the skill and follows the instructions.
Skill link
Ready-to-paste message
How it works
The tool reads project files, like code, tests, and documentation. It also checks pending tasks and specifications to understand what needs to be done and how parts connect.
Installation
Easiest way: copy the skill link and paste it into Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor asking it to follow the instructions.
In the terminal (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor), in your project folder:
npx skills add sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills --skill understand-project-yyloOr download just the file:
curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills/main/plugins/agentic-awesome-skills-claude/skills/understand-project-yylo/SKILL.md -o SKILL.mdTechnical content (original SKILL.md)
Original text by the author, straight from GitHub.
Understand the project
- Read
AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md, repository status, relevant source, tests, and existing product documentation in the integration or assigned feature worktree. - Read related Kanban tasks and durable specs through the canonical metadata controller. Do not assume
.juno_task/plan.mdexists and do not materialize controller-private metadata in a product worktree. - Trace only the dependencies and runtime paths needed for the requested goal. Use bounded parallel investigation when independent questions justify it.
- Report current behavior, sources of truth, affected components, risks, unknowns, and the smallest useful validation loop.
- If the user requested planning, hand the findings to
plan-ledger-tasks-yylo. If implementation was requested, work only in the task worktree returned byyy task start TASK_ID. - Write a durable operational spec only when requested or materially useful. Draft it externally, preflight the installed
yy ledger artifactAPI, capture it as an immutablereportArtifact Record with provenance/retention, and verify retrieval, digest, and history. If that API is unavailable, stop with the external draft intact; never fall back to productdocs/, task bodies/responses, new.juno_task/specs, or direct controller-store edits. Productdocs/remains reserved for documentation shipped with the product. Do not update root instructions with transient status.
Invocation contract
The structured views below intentionally alias parts of the complete request; they are not additional user arguments.
Main task
$1
Constraints and context
$2
Complete raw request
$ARGUMENTS
When to Use
- Before planning or implementing a requested change, when you need current architecture, dependencies, and validation loops.
- To hand grounded findings to
plan-ledger-tasks-yylo(planning) or a task worktree (implementation).
Limitations
- Read-only: reports current behavior, sources of truth, affected components, risks, unknowns, and the smallest validation loop - does not implement.
- Bounded investigation only; do not materialize controller-private metadata in a product worktree.
- Durable specs are captured as immutable Artifact Records only when the installed
yy ledger artifactAPI supports it; otherwise stop with the external draft intact.
Example
yy ledger search --status todo --limit 5
yy ledger get TASK_ID
Adapted from yylo-dev/yylo-skills (MIT) - v2.0.1; frontmatter, When to Use/Limitations, and safety boundaries added for upstream compliance.
FAQ
What are 'dependencies'?
These are other software parts or libraries that a project needs to function correctly.
What is a 'validation loop'?
It's the process to check if a change works as expected, usually involving tests.
Does this tool make changes to the project?
No, it only analyzes and reports the current state. It does not implement or modify code directly.
Details
Original description by the author
Inspect the current product architecture, dependencies, and validation loops before planning or implementing a requested change.
Popularity
- GitHub stars
- 48k
- Ranking position
- #4440
- License
- MIT
- Updated
- 10/15/2026
Comments
- …
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