convex-explain-app
Explain an existing Convex app — data model + relationships, public vs internal functions, auth/ownership model, components, a request→data flow — read from the schema and function surface. Read-only.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/convex/agent-skills --skill convex-explain-app- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads convex-explain-app automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
Security audits
Independent scans of the skill's instructions and bundled files.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Explain this Convex app
Before you can safely change an app you have to know what it is — and reading 15 function files top-to-bottom is slow and error-prone. This capability produces the map fast and accurately by reading the two sources that can't lie: the schema (the data model) and the function surface (functionSpec / the exported queries/mutations/actions). It is deliberately DESCRIPTIVE — it explains what IS, hands judgment to the audit capabilities and changes to the fixers. It is also the natural first step of an optimize or self-heal session, and the reusable 're-explain the current architecture' that 'change what you built' depends on.
Workflow
- DETECT the app: the
convex/directory,schema.ts, and whether a deployment exists (if one does,functionSpec/tablesvia the official MCP give the authoritative live surface; if not, read the source directly). deploy-guard classifies any deployment read as read-only. - DATA MODEL: from
schema.ts, list every table with its fields and, crucially, its RELATIONSHIPS — whichv.id("other")fields point where, and which indexes exist (indexes reveal the intended access paths). Draw the foreign-key graph in words: 'tasks belong to projects (projectId) and users (ownerId); messages belong to conversations'. - FUNCTION SURFACE: enumerate every exported function, split PUBLIC (query/mutation/action — the attack/API surface) from INTERNAL (internalQuery/... — not client-reachable), and for each give a one-line 'what it does + what it touches'. The public/internal split is the single most important thing a newcomer needs and the thing source-skimming most often gets wrong.
- AUTH / OWNERSHIP MODEL: state how identity is established (auth.config.ts provider? a users table keyed by tokenIdentifier?) and how ownership is enforced (is there a requireOwner-style check? which field is the owner?). Say plainly if there is NO auth foundation — that is load-bearing context for anyone about to change the app. (Describe the model; do not audit it for holes — that's convex-authz.)
- COMPONENTS + EXTERNAL EDGES: list the
@convex-dev/*components installed (convex.config.ts) and what they provide, the HTTP routes (http.ts) and crons, and any external calls in actions (which APIs, which env vars). - FLOW: trace 1-2 representative end-to-end paths ('client calls createTask → validates → inserts into tasks scoped to the caller → listMyTasks reads it back by the by_owner index') so the reader sees the moving parts connected, not just catalogued.
- PRESENT as a scannable map (data model → public/internal functions → auth model → components/edges → a flow or two), accurate to the source. End by pointing at the next verbs: convex-reviewer/convex-authz to audit it, launch-readiness to score it, design/convex-expert to extend it. Never invent behavior the source doesn't show; if something is ambiguous, say so rather than guessing.
Rules
- Read the schema + function surface (functionSpec/source) as the source of truth — never describe behavior the code doesn't show; flag ambiguity instead of guessing.
- Lead with the two things a newcomer most needs and skimming most often gets wrong: the data-model relationship graph and the public-vs-internal function split.
- State the auth/ownership model plainly, including 'there is no auth foundation' when that's the case — but DESCRIBE it; auditing it for holes is convex-authz's job.
- Descriptive, not evaluative: explain-app maps what IS and hands judgment to the audit capabilities and changes to the fixers.
- Read-only: any deployment introspection is read-only (deploy-guard); the app is not modified.
- End by pointing at the right next verb (audit → reviewer/authz, score → launch-readiness, extend → design/expert).
FAQ
What does the convex-explain-app skill do?
Explain an existing Convex app — data model + relationships, public vs internal functions, auth/ownership model, components, a request→data flow — read from the schema and function surface. Read-only.
How do I install convex-explain-app?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/convex/agent-skills --skill convex-explain-app in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/convex-explain-app/ (personal) or .claude/skills/convex-explain-app/ (project).
Which AI agents can use convex-explain-app?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is convex-explain-app safe to install?
Security partners have reviewed it: Gen Agent Trust Hub passed; Socket passed; Snyk passed. As with any skill, read the SKILL.md and bundled scripts before installing.
Who maintains convex-explain-app?
It is published by convex in convex/agent-skills. It has 36,238 recorded installs.
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