Architecture Explainer

What this skill does

This skill directs the agent to explore a codebase or system description and produce a clear, structured architecture overview. It maps out layers, major components, data flows, and external dependencies, then renders ASCII diagrams showing how the pieces connect. The result is a document a new engineer could read in 10 minutes and understand how the system works.

Use this when onboarding new team members, preparing for an architecture review, creating documentation for a system you inherited, or clarifying your own mental model before a large refactor.

How to use

Claude Code / Cline

Copy this file to .agents/skills/architecture-explainer/SKILL.md in your project root.

Then ask:

• "Use the Architecture Explainer skill to document this entire repo."
• "Explain the architecture of the server/ directory using the Architecture Explainer skill."
• "I'll describe our system. Use the Architecture Explainer skill to turn it into a structured overview."