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github/what-context-needed

github

what-context-needed

Ask Copilot what files it needs to see before answering a question

global
New~207
v1.0Saved Jun 26, 2026

What Context Do You Need?

Before answering my question, tell me what files you need to see.

My Question

{{question}}

Instructions

  1. Based on my question, list the files you would need to examine
  2. Explain why each file is relevant
  3. Note any files you've already seen in this conversation
  4. Identify what you're uncertain about

Output Format

## Files I Need

### Must See (required for accurate answer)
- `path/to/file.ts` — [why needed]

### Should See (helpful for complete answer)
- `path/to/file.ts` — [why helpful]

### Already Have
- `path/to/file.ts` — [from earlier in conversation]

### Uncertainties
- [What I'm not sure about without seeing the code]

After I provide these files, I'll ask my question again.

Files1
1 files · 1.0 KB

Select a file to preview

Overall Score

72/100

Grade

B

Good

Safety

95

Quality

68

Clarity

78

Completeness

60

Summary

This skill instructs an AI agent to proactively identify what files it needs to examine before answering a user's question. The agent analyzes the question, lists required and helpful files with justifications, notes already-seen context, and flags uncertainties. It is a meta-skill designed to improve answer quality by ensuring the agent has adequate context before proceeding.

Detected Capabilities

analyze user intentidentify file relevancereason about codebase structurecommunicate file requirements to user

Trigger Keywords

Phrases that MCP clients use to match this skill to user intent.

identify needed filesrequest context filesdetermine codebase scopewhat files to examineclarify code context

Use Cases

  • Help agent determine what codebase files to examine before answering a technical question
  • Identify gaps in context before providing code refactoring or debugging advice
  • Request relevant configuration, test, or documentation files before designing a solution
  • Clarify what the agent still needs to understand a complex codebase question

Quality Notes

  • Skill purpose is clear: meta-guidance to improve reasoning about context needs
  • Instructions are simple and actionable (4 sequential steps)
  • Output format is well-defined with clear categories (Must See, Should See, Already Have, Uncertainties)
  • Minimal scope — the skill does not interact with the filesystem or execute commands
  • Weakness: no guidance on how the agent should *prioritize* files if there are many candidates
  • Weakness: no examples showing how an agent might categorize files for different question types (e.g., API design vs. bug fix)
  • Weakness: the instruction to 'note files you've already seen' assumes agent has memory of prior messages, but no clarification on how to retrieve that context
Model: claude-haiku-4-5-20251001Analyzed: Jun 26, 2026

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