Codebase GPS
Navigate any codebase like you wrote it
Dropped into an unfamiliar repo? Your Claw maps the architecture, traces data flow, and answers "where does X happen?" questions — so you can start asking useful questions before you understand every file.
INGREDIENTS
PROMPT
Help me navigate this codebase. Read the project structure and key files, then act as a guide. I'll ask questions like "where does X happen?", "how does data flow from A to B?", "what would I need to change to do Y?". Start by giving me: (1) a high-level architecture overview — main components and how they interact, (2) key entry points — where requests come in, where processing starts, (3) important patterns — architectural patterns used (MVC, event-driven, microservices, etc.), (4) the critical files — the 10-15 files I should read first to understand the project. Repo: [share your repo or key directories]
How It Works
Your Claw reads the codebase structure, key files, imports, and patterns
to build a mental map of how the project works. Then it answers questions
about the code as if it were a senior engineer who wrote it.
What You Get
- Architecture overview: components, layers, data flow
- "Where does X happen?" answers with file paths and line numbers
- Dependency graph: what calls what, what depends on what
- Entry point mapping: HTTP request → handler → service → database
- Key pattern identification: "this project uses Repository pattern, event sourcing, etc."
Setup Steps
- Share your repo (or the key directories)
- Ask questions about the codebase
- Get answers with file references
Tips
- Start with "give me an architecture overview" for the big picture
- Ask "where would I change X?" to find the right file for a modification
- Great for onboarding to legacy codebases with poor documentation
- Can generate architecture diagrams from code analysis
- Pair with the README Reviver to document what it discovers