# Codebase Status > Report what a repository is, what recent conversation history says about it, current application status, and outstanding work - Skill: `georgeqle/codebase-status` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add georgeqle/codebase-status` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/georgeqle/codebase-status/raw - Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Docs & Writing - Author: GeorgeQLe (https://skillmd.com/u/georgeqle) - Updated: 2026-08-19 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/georgeqle/codebase-status --- # Codebase Status Invoke as `$codebase-status`. Use this skill when the user asks what a repo or application is, where work was left, what is outstanding, whether it is ready/stable, or wants a detailed status report that combines codebase evidence with local Claude/Codex conversation history. This is read-only status synthesis. It does not replace `$roadmap`: `roadmap` maintains the task pipeline and priority queue; `codebase-status` explains the actual current state of the repo and relevant prior conversations. ## Process 1. Resolve target repo: - Default to the current working directory. - If the user provides a path, use that repo. - Confirm it is a git worktree when possible; if not, continue with filesystem evidence and report that git evidence is unavailable. 2. Read project orientation: - `README.md`, `AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, `.agents/project.json`, package/workspace files, app entrypoints, and high-signal docs. - Identify project type, main apps/packages, runtime, tests, and likely user-facing or developer-facing purpose. 3. Read planning and status docs when present: - `tasks/roadmap.md`, `tasks/todo.md`, `tasks/manual-todo.md`, `tasks/record-todo.md`, `tasks/recurring-todo.md`, `tasks/history.md`, `tasks/lessons.md`, `tasks/phases/`, `specs/`, `spec.md`, and `research/`. - Distinguish checked-off work, active work, manual blockers, advisory work, stale docs, and missing docs. 4. Read routing evidence for product, research, or spec repos: - When `research/`, `specs/`, `spec.md`, product docs, or prototype artifacts exist, read `docs/pack-workflow-matrix.md` and `docs/skill-next-step-contracts.md` if present. - Identify the last completed relevant research/product skill from artifacts, task history, or conversation history. Before recommending another research/product skill, consult that skill's active `SKILL.md` `## Next Steps` contract and any `## Next Steps` section in its output artifact. - Treat those route contracts as stronger evidence than a generic status impression. If docs disagree, report the contradiction and prefer the newest active skill contract or route matrix with file evidence. - For pack-local recommendations, check `.agents/project.json` `enabled_packs` first. If the target skill's pack is not enabled, recommend `npx skillpacks install ` from the project shell, before the skill. 5. Inspect git evidence: - `git status --short` - current branch and upstream status - last 20 commits - unpushed commits when an upstream exists - changed files in the working tree 6. Inspect codebase health signals: - Project structure and primary modules. - Test/build/lint scripts from package manifests or equivalent tool files. - Obvious TODO/FIXME markers, failing-test notes, disabled tests, and local quality scripts. - Do not run expensive commands by default. Run cheap read-only inspections freely; ask or state assumptions before long builds, network installs, destructive commands, or mutation. 7. Find related conversation history unless `--no-history` is passed: - Read full available local prompt history, not a sample: - `~/.claude/history.jsonl` - `~/.codex/history.jsonl` - `~/.codex/sessions/**/*.jsonl` for Codex session metadata only when needed to map session IDs to cwd. - Filter to records whose project/cwd matches the target repo or whose text mentions the absolute path, repo directory name, package/app name, or repository URL. - Exclude system, developer, tool output, injected skill payloads, and base instruction text from examples. - Use line-by-line parsing for scale and deduplicate Codex prompt records when compact and rich histories overlap. - Extract recent user goals, repeated requests, unresolved questions, blockers, and prior recommendations. 8. Synthesize status: - What this repo/app is. - What has happened recently. - Current implementation status by major area. - Outstanding work, grouped as blocking, next execution, advisory, manual/human-only, and uncertain. - Mismatches between conversation history, task docs, git history, and code reality. - Confidence level for each major conclusion: high, medium, or low, with evidence. 9. Recommend next route: - Use phase-aware routing before naming a command: - If `tasks/todo.md` or active phase docs contain actionable implementation work, recommend the approved task artifact route. Do not route back to research merely because advisory gaps exist. - If finished work is dirty, unpushed, unvalidated, or needs packaging/review before handoff, recommend `$ship`. - If user-facing product research/prototype artifacts are missing and no implementation/shipping queue is active, follow the canonical AFPS route from the routing evidence: `customer-discovery -> competitive-analysis -> journey-map -> positioning -> user-flow-map -> ux-variations [specific-user-flow] -> ui-interview [specific-ux-variation] -> prototype -> uat --variant-evaluation -> consolidate-prototypes -> research-roadmap --post-prototype -> spec-interview -> research-roadmap --post-spec -> roadmap`. Use `$ui-interview --requirements-only` and `$ux-variations --layout-mode` only when the user explicitly needs a fixed content/data/action contract and layout-only alternatives. - If `research/icp.md` and `research/competitive-analysis.md` exist but `research/journey-map.md` is missing, check `customer-lifecycle` availability. If it is not enabled, recommend `npx skillpacks install customer-lifecycle` from the project shell, before `$journey-map`; if enabled, recommend `$journey-map`. - Treat `value-prop-canvas` and `lean-canvas` as optional risk-driven detours only. Before recommending either, check `business-research` availability; if it is not enabled, recommend `npx skillpacks install business-research` from the project shell, before `$value-prop-canvas` or `$lean-canvas`. Recommend `$value-prop-canvas` only for contested solution-fit evidence, and `$lean-canvas` only for material business-model risk; do not make either a default blocker before `journey-map`, `positioning`, `user-flow-map`, or layout-mode UX variations. - If no research, spec, task, implementation, validation, dirty, or unpushed work remains, recommend `$brainstorm` to discover new AFPS work. - Approved task artifact route when the next task is already clear and executable. - `$roadmap` when specs exist but sequencing or task queue health needs updating. - `$feature-interview` when the next idea/direction is not yet represented in specs or tasks. - `$reconcile-dev-docs audit` or `$reconcile-dev-docs fix tasks` when task docs contradict git/code reality. - `$spec-drift` when specs and code appear out of sync. - `$guide` only for human-only external blockers. - `$brainstorm` when the repo is complete/current and the next step is discovering a new phase. ## Output Produce a structured report with: - **Overview:** repo path, project purpose, project type, primary apps/packages, branch, dirty/unpushed status. - **History Signal:** number of Claude/Codex prompt records scanned, number matched to this repo, date range, and 3-8 concise real examples. - **Recent Work:** last commits and task/history evidence. - **Current Status:** major areas and whether each appears complete, in progress, blocked, stale, or unknown. - **Outstanding Work:** prioritized list with evidence and recommended owner/skill. - **Risks And Drift:** contradictions, stale docs, missing tests, manual blockers, or uncertain claims. - **Recommended Next Step:** one concrete next work item and one command. End with exactly: ```md **Next work:** **Recommended next command:** ``` ## Constraints - Read-only by default. Do not modify files, create commits, run installs, or execute long test suites unless the user explicitly asks. - Do not include private conversation history unrelated to the target repo. - Quote only short prompt excerpts. Prefer paraphrase plus timestamp/source/project. - Do not treat `tasks/record-todo.md` or `tasks/recurring-todo.md` as execution queues unless an item has clearly become concrete work. - Do not put agent-executable work in `tasks/manual-todo.md` or route it to `$guide`. - Do not recommend `$roadmap` if the finding is only "tell me the status"; use `$roadmap` only when the task pipeline itself needs queue maintenance or roadmap extension. - When recommending a pack skill, first check `.agents/project.json` for `enabled_packs`. If the target skill's pack is not enabled, include `npx skillpacks install ` from the project shell, as a prerequisite in the recommendation. - Do not create or modify GitHub Actions workflows. ## Default Shipping Contract - **Default next-step routing:** when reporting completion, include either `Recommended next skill: ` or the two-line pair `**Next work:** ` and `**Recommended next command:** ` so the next caller has a concrete handoff. - Normally read-only and should not create or modify tracked repository files. - If the user explicitly asks this skill to create or modify tracked files, follow `docs/github-delivery-contract.md` and finish with an issue-backed non-primary branch plus ready pull request; do not merge it. - This contract does not override stricter safety rules about secrets, destructive history changes, release publication/tag confirmation, production deploy confirmation, paid actions, or public visibility changes.