How do I install the Sourcegraph Nav skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add sourcegraph/sourcegraph-nav in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Sourcegraph Nav safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Sourcegraph Nav?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Sourcegraph Nav free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Sourcegraph Nav?

sourcegraph (@sourcegraph) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Sourcegraph Nav by sourcegraph — Agent Skill

Name: Sourcegraph Nav
Author: sourcegraph

File contents

Sourcegraph Code Navigation

Use this skill to precisely navigate the codebase and understand how code is connected.

When to Use

"Where is X defined?" → Use go_to_definition
"Where is X used?" or "Find all references to X" → Use find_references
Understanding code flow → Chain these tools to trace how functions call each other
Impact analysis → Before refactoring, use find_references to see all affected code

Tools Available

go_to_definition: Jump to where a symbol (function, class, variable) is defined

Required: repo, path, symbol
Optional: revision (defaults to HEAD)
Returns: File location and code snippet showing the definition

find_references: Find all places where a symbol is used

Required: repo, path, symbol
Optional: revision, limit (defaults to 10, always set to 150 for comprehensive results)
Returns: List of all usages with context
Anchor at the definition site, not a usage site. Run go_to_definition first, then call find_references against the file/repo where the symbol is defined — this is what yields complete cross-repo results. Calling it against a usage site can return partial results.

Why Use Sourcegraph Over Grep

Accurate: Understands code syntax, no false matches in strings/comments
Fast: Indexed searching, instant results even on large codebases
Cross-file: Automatically traces imports and dependencies
Safe: Perfect for refactoring analysis—see exact impact before making changes

Start From What You Already Have

If the user's IDE selection, an open file, or earlier context already references the symbol, you already have a path to navigate from — go straight to go_to_definition. Do not run a search (e.g. keyword_search) first just to locate the symbol; that's a wasted round-trip.

Example Workflow

User asks: "Where is get_logger defined?" → Call go_to_definition with symbol="get_logger" (use the path you already have)
User asks: "Where is it used?" → Take the definition's file/repo from step 1, then call find_references with symbol="get_logger", limit=150 (anchored at the definition site)
User asks: "Show me all the files that call this function" → Use find_references and summarize the results by file

---name: sourcegraph-navdescription: Navigate code using Sourcegraph to find where symbols are defined and where they're used. Use this when you need to jump to a definition or find all references to a function, class, or variable.---# Sourcegraph Code NavigationUse this skill to precisely navigate the codebase and understand how code is connected.## When to Use- **"Where is X defined?"** → Use `go_to_definition`- **"Where is X used?"** or **"Find all references to X"** → Use `find_references`- **Understanding code flow** → Chain these tools to trace how functions call each other- **Impact analysis** → Before refactoring, use `find_references` to see all affected code## Tools Available**go_to_definition**: Jump to where a symbol (function, class, variable) is defined- Required: repo, path, symbol- Optional: revision (defaults to HEAD)- Returns: File location and code snippet showing the definition**find_references**: Find all places where a symbol is used- Required: repo, path, symbol- Optional: revision, limit (defaults to 10, **always set to 150** for comprehensive results)- Returns: List of all usages with context- **Anchor at the definition site**, not a usage site. Run `go_to_definition` first, then call `find_references` against the file/repo where the symbol is *defined* — this is what yields complete cross-repo results. Calling it against a usage site can return partial results.## Why Use Sourcegraph Over Grep- **Accurate**: Understands code syntax, no false matches in strings/comments- **Fast**: Indexed searching, instant results even on large codebases- **Cross-file**: Automatically traces imports and dependencies- **Safe**: Perfect for refactoring analysis—see exact impact before making changes## Start From What You Already HaveIf the user's IDE selection, an open file, or earlier context already references thesymbol, you already have a `path` to navigate from — go straight to `go_to_definition`.Do **not** run a search (e.g. `keyword_search`) first just to locate the symbol; that's awasted round-trip.## Example Workflow1. User asks: "Where is `get_logger` defined?" → Call `go_to_definition` with symbol="get_logger" (use the path you already have)2. User asks: "Where is it used?" → Take the definition's file/repo from step 1, then call `find_references` with symbol="get_logger", limit=150 (anchored at the definition site)3. User asks: "Show me all the files that call this function" → Use `find_references` and summarize the results by file

Frequently asked questions

Sourcegraph Nav