Agent skill · research science · aiskillstore
codebase-analysis
Patterns and techniques for analyzing brownfield codebases. Use when onboarding to unfamiliar code, preparing for refactoring, conducting architecture reviews, or identifying technical debt.
Why this skill is useful
Provides specific techniques and patterns for analyzing complex codebases that the AI may not reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
About 2k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 405 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Codebase Analysis Skill Systematically explore and understand existing codebases, including entry point discovery, dependency tracing, pattern detection, and technical debt identification. Variables Variable Default Description ---------- --------- ------------- ANALYSISDEPTH standard quick (5min), standard (30min), deep (1hr+) OUTPUTFORMAT markdown markdown, json, c4 INCLUDEDEBT true Include technical debt assessment INCLUDEDIAGRAMS true Generate C4 diagrams Instructions MANDATORY - Follow the Workflow steps below in order. Do not skip steps. Start with entry points, not random files Trace dependencies before analyzing patterns Document findings as you go Red Flags - STOP and Reconsider If you're about to: Analyze random files without finding entry points first Make architectural claims without tracing dependencies Skip pattern detection before identifying anti-patterns Report technical debt without severity classification STOP -> Read the appropriate cookbook file -> Follow the workflow -> Then proceed Workflow 1. [ ] Quick Assessment: Project size, structure, config files 2. [ ] CHECKPOINT: Identify entry points (read cookbook/entry-point-discovery.md) 3. [ ] Trace dependencies from entry points 4. [ ] Detect architectural patterns 5. [ ] CHECKPOINT: Verify pattern detection before anti-pattern search 6. [ ] Identify anti-patterns and technical debt 7. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills aiskillstore/codebase-analysis--5f3a02