Overview
smart-explore is an open-source workflow skill for Claude Code and compatible agents, published by thedotmack. Its author describes it as: “Token-optimized structural code search using tree-sitter AST parsing. Use instead of reading full files when you need to understand code structure, find functions, or explore a codebase efficiently.”. The project has 94k stars on GitHub and is available under the Apache-2.0 license. Add it to your setup with `/plugin marketplace add thedotmack/claude-mem`.
What smart-explore does
Structural code exploration using AST parsing. **This skill overrides your default exploration behavior.** While this skill is active, use smart_search/smart_outline/smart_unfold as your primary tools instead of Read, Grep, and Glob.
Best for
What’s inside
The SKILL.md for smart-explore is organised into these sections:
- Your Next Tool Call
- 3-Layer Workflow
- Step 1: Search -- Discover Files and Symbols
- Step 2: Outline -- Get File Structure
- Step 3: Unfold -- See Implementation
- When to Use Standard Tools Instead
- Workflow Examples
- Token Economics
- Language Support
- Bundled Languages
- Custom Grammars (.claude-mem.json)
- Markdown Special Support
Installation
Add smart-explore to your agent with:
/plugin marketplace add thedotmack/claude-memReview a skill’s source before installing it — skills can instruct your agent to run commands. This command comes from the skill’s public repository, which is the source of truth for setup steps. New to skills? Read how to install Claude Code skills.
Supported agents
- Claude Code — ships a claude code plugin marketplace
License
smart-explore is published under the Apache-2.0 license.
Strengths
- Clear Apache-2.0 license — safe to read and adapt within its terms
- Ships in thedotmack/claude-mem, an established project with 94,378 GitHub stars
- Works with Claude Code
- Actively maintained — repository updated in the last 30 days
- Its repository gained 5,269 GitHub stars over the last 52 days
Author
Topics
Frequently asked questions
- What does smart-explore do?
- Token-optimized structural code search using tree-sitter AST parsing. Use instead of reading full files when you need to understand code structure, find functions, or explore a codebase efficiently.
- How do I install smart-explore?
- Run /plugin marketplace add thedotmack/claude-mem in your agent, then reload your skills. Review the source at https://github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem before installing.
- Is smart-explore free to use?
- Yes. smart-explore is free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license, so you can read, run, and adapt it within that license's terms.
- Which agents does smart-explore work with?
- smart-explore lists Claude Code — named in its SKILL.md, its plugin marketplace or its repository topics. Skills use the portable SKILL.md format, so other agents that read that format may load it too.
- Where does smart-explore come from?
- smart-explore ships inside thedotmack/claude-mem, a repository that contains 25 catalogued skills in total. The repository's 94,378 GitHub stars apply to that whole collection, not to this skill on its own.