what-context-needed
Makes your agent ask for additional information. It asks what files or context are needed to answer a question completely.
What it does
This tool helps the AI ask for the right files before answering your question. It lists which documents are needed and why, so the AI can give you a more accurate response.
When to use it
- ✓When you have a complex code-related question.
- ✓When the AI seems to lack information.
- ✓Before asking a question to ensure the AI has the necessary context.
Example of what to ask your AI
“What files do you need to see to help me with [your question here]?”
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 AI analyzes your question and identifies the types of files that contain the relevant information. It then lists these files, explaining why each one is important for answering your query.
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 github/awesome-copilot --skill what-context-neededOr download just the file:
curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/github/awesome-copilot/main/skills/what-context-needed/SKILL.md -o SKILL.mdTechnical content (original SKILL.md)
Original text by the author, straight from GitHub.
What Context Do You Need?
Before answering my question, tell me what files you need to see.
My Question
{{question}}
Instructions
- Based on my question, list the files you would need to examine
- Explain why each file is relevant
- Note any files you've already seen in this conversation
- Identify what you're uncertain about
Output Format
## Files I Need
### Must See (required for accurate answer)
- `path/to/file.ts` — [why needed]
### Should See (helpful for complete answer)
- `path/to/file.ts` — [why helpful]
### Already Have
- `path/to/file.ts` — [from earlier in conversation]
### Uncertainties
- [What I'm not sure about without seeing the code]
After I provide these files, I'll ask my question again.
FAQ
Why does the AI need files?
To answer questions about code, the AI needs to 'read' the code itself. Just like a human would read a book to answer a question about it.
What do 'Must See' and 'Should See' mean?
'Must See' are essential files for a correct answer. 'Should See' are files that help provide a more complete answer but aren't strictly necessary.
What does the AI do if it has seen a file before?
It notes files that have already been discussed in the current conversation, so it doesn't ask for them again and knows what's already in its 'knowledge'.
Details
Original description by the author
Ask Copilot what files it needs to see before answering a question
repo: github/awesome-copilot
Popularity
- GitHub stars
- 40k
- Ranking position
- #5420
- License
- MIT
- Updated
- 10/15/2026
Comments
- …
More skills from this repository
acquire-codebase-knowledge
Helps your agent understand and document an existing code project. It's useful for onboarding new people or getting an overview of the architecture.
github/awesome-copilot
acreadiness-assess
Enables your agent to assess a project's readiness for AI and generate a report. It's useful for understanding how well a project is prepared to use AI tools.
github/awesome-copilot
acreadiness-generate-instructions
Helps your agent create instructions for AI tools based on an assessment. It's useful for improving how AI interacts with code and closing identified gaps.
github/awesome-copilot
acreadiness-policy
Enables your agent to help define or apply policies for AI project assessment. It's useful for standardizing how projects are evaluated and ensuring compliance.
github/awesome-copilot
Similar skills
bengali-nlp
Has your agent process Bengali text. It helps understand and work with the language, normalizing text and handling its unique characteristics.
affaan-m/ECC
prompt-caching-strategy
Helps your agent optimize how it uses prompts for language models. It analyzes how prompts are made to find ways to cut costs and make responses faster by reusing information when possible.
affaan-m/ECC
prompt-optimizer
Has your agent analyze and improve the prompts you write. It suggests how to add information or change the wording so the AI model understands better and gives the desired answer.
affaan-m/ECC