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Acquire Codebase Knowledge

Maps an existing codebase into seven structured docs covering stack, structure, architecture, and risks.

Source Download skill
Repository
github/awesome-copilot
Stars
40,703
Licence
MIT
Files
11 files

What it does

When you ask an AI agent to map or onboard you into a project, this skill makes it run a local scan script over the code, read any intent documents such as README or PRD files, and write seven markdown files into docs/codebase/ (stack, structure, architecture, conventions, integrations, testing, and concerns). Every claim is meant to cite a file path, and anything it cannot verify is marked TODO or as a question for you.

Great for

  • Developers joining an unfamiliar repository who want a written orientation
  • Tech leads who want a documented baseline of an existing project's architecture and risks
  • Teams preparing a codebase for handover or audit

Skip it if

  • Routine feature work or bug fixes, which the skill itself says it should not trigger for, because it adds documentation overhead
  • Very large monorepos where the fixed scan limits (for example 200 tree entries and 3 directory levels) will miss much of the structure
  • Projects where you need the docs to be authoritative without reviewing them, since the output is only as accurate as the files it reads

Try asking

  • “Map this codebase and write the docs to docs/codebase”
  • “Onboard me to this repo and focus on testing and concerns”
  • “Document the architecture of this project”
Step-by-step guide: how to use Acquire Codebase KnowledgeInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the skill

    The ZIP contains the 11 original files, the MIT licence and an attribution note.

    acquire-codebase-knowledge.zip
  2. 2

    Add it to your agent

    Claude Code (all projects)

    mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip acquire-codebase-knowledge.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

    Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)

    mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip acquire-codebase-knowledge.zip -d .claude/skills/

    Claude apps (web/desktop): Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload skill, and choose the ZIP.

  3. 3

    Ask for the task

    No special command needed — the agent reads the skill's description and loads it when your request matches. Try one of the prompts above.

Get better results

  • Run it from the project root so the scan script and relative output path resolve correctly.
  • Give a focus area such as 'architecture only' to get deeper coverage of one document first.
  • Review the [ASK USER] questions in the final answer, since the skill cannot infer team intent from code alone.

What's inside

  • assets/templates/ARCHITECTURE.md
  • assets/templates/CONCERNS.md
  • assets/templates/CONVENTIONS.md
  • assets/templates/INTEGRATIONS.md
  • assets/templates/STACK.md
  • assets/templates/STRUCTURE.md
  • assets/templates/TESTING.md
  • references/inquiry-checkpoints.md
  • references/stack-detection.md
  • scripts/scan.py
  • SKILL.md

Redistributed unmodified from github/awesome-copilot under the MIT licence. The assessment was drafted with AI from the skill's files on 2026-10-29. Skills can instruct your agent to run code — read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing.