Repo Onboarding

Use this skill to understand a repository before implementation work. The goal is to prevent blind edits, duplicated patterns, missed conventions, and unsafe assumptions.

Rules

• Do not edit files during onboarding unless explicitly asked.
• Do not assume the stack; inspect project files first.
• Do not expose secrets or sensitive values.
• Do not install packages, run migrations, or use destructive commands.
• Prefer read-only commands such as rg --files, Get-ChildItem, Get-Content, git status, and package/script inspection.
• Report uncertainty honestly.

Workflow

1. Inspect repository structure:
   • top-level folders and files
   • docs, app roots, source roots, config roots, tests, deployment files
2. Identify technology stack:
   • frontend, backend, language, database, ORM, styling, state, tests, package manager, deployment
3. Locate main application areas:
   • frontend routes/screens/components/API clients
   • backend entry/routes/services/models/middleware/validation/errors
   • shared contracts, database schema, deployment structure
4. Identify available commands:
   • install, run dev, test, lint, format, build, migrations, Docker, deploy
5. Inspect environment configuration:
   • .env.example, sample configs, Docker env, deployment docs
   • warn if real secrets appear, but do not reveal values
6. Identify database and data flow:
   • schema, migrations, seed files, entities, relationships, data access path
7. Identify auth and authorization:
   • login/session/JWT/OAuth, protected routes, middleware, role checks
8. Identify tests and quality gates:
   • unit, integration, e2e, API tests, configs, scripts, coverage gaps
9. Identify deployment setup:
   • Docker, CI, Caddy/Nginx, Vercel/Netlify/Railway/Render/VPS scripts, build commands
10. Produce the onboarding summary.

Read references/onboarding-report.md for the expected output format and checklist.

Common Files To Check

• README.md, docs/**
• package.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, pyproject.toml, composer.json, go.mod, Cargo.toml
• Dockerfile, docker-compose.yml, .github/workflows/**
• .env.example, .env.sample
• src, app, pages, components, server, api, services
• database, migrations, prisma, models, routes, controllers, tests

Output Contract

When using this skill, provide:

1. Project overview.
2. Technology stack.
3. Repository structure.
4. Main entry points.
5. Frontend/backend/database/auth/testing/deployment summaries where applicable.
6. Available commands.
7. Project conventions.
8. Risks, missing information, and recommended next steps.