
Understand Dashboard
FreeVisualize your codebase's knowledge graph interactively.
Free ยท Opens the source repo
What Understand Dashboard does
The Understand Dashboard skill allows developers to launch an interactive web dashboard that visualizes the knowledge graph of their current project. This visualization aids in understanding the relationships and dependencies within the codebase, making it easier to navigate complex structures and identify areas for improvement or refactoring. By leveraging this skill, users can gain insights into their code that are otherwise difficult to discern from raw code alone.
To use the Understand Dashboard, users must first ensure they have a knowledge graph generated for their project. This is done by running the /understand command, which analyzes the codebase and creates a knowledge-graph.json file. Once this prerequisite is met, the dashboard can be launched, providing a graphical representation of the project's architecture, including classes, functions, and their interconnections.
The skill is designed for developers and teams who are looking to enhance their understanding of their codebases, especially in large or legacy projects. By visualizing the knowledge graph, users can make informed decisions about code modifications, identify potential issues, and improve overall code quality. This tool is particularly beneficial during onboarding new team members or when working on collaborative projects, as it provides a shared understanding of the code structure.
Overall, the Understand Dashboard skill is a valuable addition for any developer seeking to improve their code comprehension and project management capabilities. Its integration with existing workflows allows for seamless usage, making it a practical tool for both individual developers and teams alike.
When to use it
Use this skill when you need to analyze and visualize the architecture of a codebase, especially after running the initial analysis command.
When not to use it
This skill is not suitable if you have not generated a knowledge graph for your project, as it requires the `knowledge-graph.json` file to function.
What you can build with it
Visualizing a Large Codebase
When working with a large codebase, use the Understand Dashboard to visualize the project's structure and identify key components.
Onboarding New Developers
Utilize the dashboard to help new team members understand the codebase quickly by providing a visual overview of its architecture.
Refactoring Legacy Code
Before refactoring, visualize the knowledge graph to understand dependencies and relationships, reducing the risk of introducing errors.
How to install Understand Dashboard
View source1. Install with the skills CLI
npx skills add egonex-ai/understand-anything/understand-dashboard --agent claude-code2. Or install it manually
Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.
Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs
Inside SKILL.md
Written by egonex-ai/understand-dashboard
Start the Understand Anything dashboard to visualize the knowledge graph for the current project.
Instructions
-
Determine the project directory and data directory:
- If
$ARGUMENTScontains a path, use that as the project directory - Otherwise, use the current working directory
- Prefer the legacy
.understand-anything/data directory when it exists, otherwise use.ua/
Use the Bash tool to resolve:
PROJECT_ARG="$ARGUMENTS" if [ -n "$PROJECT_ARG" ]; then PROJECT_DIR=$(cd "$PROJECT_ARG" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P) else PROJECT_DIR=$(pwd -P) fi if [ -z "$PROJECT_DIR" ] || [ ! -d "$PROJECT_DIR" ]; then echo "Error: Project directory not found: ${PROJECT_ARG:-$PWD}" exit 1 fi if [ -d "$PROJECT_DIR/.understand-anything" ]; then UA_DIR="$PROJECT_DIR/.understand-anything" else UA_DIR="$PROJECT_DIR/.ua" fi - If
-
Check that
$UA_DIR/knowledge-graph.jsonexists in the project directory. If not, tell the user:No knowledge graph found. Run /understand first to analyze this project.Use the Bash tool to check:
if [ ! -f "$UA_DIR/knowledge-graph.json" ]; then echo "No knowledge graph found. Run /understand first to analyze this project." exit 1 fi -
Find the dashboard code. The dashboard is at
packages/dashboard/relative to this plugin's root directory. Check these paths in order and use the first that exists:${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/packages/dashboard/(Claude Code runtime root, highest priority)~/.understand-anything-plugin/packages/dashboard/(universal symlink, all installs)- Two levels up from
~/.agents/skills/understand-dashboardreal path (self-relative fallback) - Two levels up from
~/.copilot/skills/understand-dashboardreal path (Copilot personal skills fallback) - Common clone-based install roots:
~/.codex/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin/packages/dashboard/~/.opencode/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin/packages/dashboard/~/.pi/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin/packages/dashboard/~/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin/packages/dashboard/
Use the Bash tool to resolve:
SKILL_REAL=$(realpath ~/.agents/skills/understand-dashboard 2>/dev/null || readlink -f ~/.agents/skills/understand-dashboard 2>/dev/null || echo "") SELF_RELATIVE=$([ -n "$SKILL_REAL" ] && cd "$SKILL_REAL/../.." 2>/dev/null && pwd || echo "") COPILOT_SKILL_REAL=$(realpath ~/.copilot/skills/understand-dashboard 2>/dev/null || readlink -f ~/.copilot/skills/understand-dashboard 2>/dev/null || echo "") COPILOT_SELF_RELATIVE=$([ -n "$COPILOT_SKILL_REAL" ] && cd "$COPILOT_SKILL_REAL/../.." 2>/dev/null && pwd || echo "") PLUGIN_ROOT="" for candidate in \ "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}" \ "$HOME/.understand-anything-plugin" \ "$SELF_RELATIVE" \ "$COPILOT_SELF_RELATIVE" \ "$HOME/.codex/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin" \ "$HOME/.opencode/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin" \ "$HOME/.pi/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin" \ "$HOME/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin"; do if [ -n "$candidate" ] && [ -d "$candidate/packages/dashboard" ]; then PLUGIN_ROOT="$candidate"; break fi done if [ -z "$PLUGIN_ROOT" ]; then echo "Error: Cannot find the understand-anything plugin root." echo "Checked:" echo " - ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-<unset CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT>}" echo " - $HOME/.understand-anything-plugin" echo " - ${SELF_RELATIVE:-<unresolved path derived from ~/.agents/skills/understand-dashboard>}" echo " - ${COPILOT_SELF_RELATIVE:-<unresolved path derived from ~/.copilot/skills/understand-dashboard>}" echo " - $HOME/.codex/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin" echo " - $HOME/.opencode/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin" echo " - $HOME/.pi/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin" echo " - $HOME/understand-anything/understand-anything-plugin" echo "Make sure you followed the installation instructions for your platform." exit 1 fi DASHBOARD_DIR="$PLUGIN_ROOT/packages/dashboard" -
Fast path โ try the prebuilt viewer first (no install, no build). Each release ships a self-contained viewer tarball; run it pinned to the installed plugin version:
: "${PLUGIN_ROOT:?Run step 3 first so PLUGIN_ROOT is set}" : "${PROJECT_DIR:?Run step 1 first so PROJECT_DIR is set}" PLUGIN_VERSION=$(node -p "require('$PLUGIN_ROOT/package.json').version") VIEWER_URL="https://github.com/Egonex-AI/Understand-Anything/releases/download/v${PLUGIN_VERSION}/understand-anything-viewer.tgz" npx --yes "$VIEWER_URL" "$PROJECT_DIR"Run this in the background. It prints the same
๐ Dashboard URLline as the dev server:- If the line appears, skip steps 5-6 and continue at step 7.
- If the process exits without printing it (no release asset for this version, or no network), fall back to steps 5-6.
-
Fallback: install dependencies and build if needed:
: "${PLUGIN_ROOT:?Run step 3 first so PLUGIN_ROOT is set}" DASHBOARD_DIR="${DASHBOARD_DIR:-$PLUGIN_ROOT/packages/dashboard}" cd "$DASHBOARD_DIR" && (pnpm install --frozen-lockfile 2>/dev/null || pnpm install)Then ensure the core package is built (the dashboard depends on it):
: "${PLUGIN_ROOT:?Run step 3 first so PLUGIN_ROOT is set}" cd "$PLUGIN_ROOT" && pnpm --filter @understand-anything/core build -
Fallback: start the Vite dev server pointing at the project's knowledge graph:
: "${PROJECT_DIR:?Run step 1 first so PROJECT_DIR is set}" : "${DASHBOARD_DIR:?Run step 5 first so DASHBOARD_DIR is set}" cd "$DASHBOARD_DIR" && GRAPH_DIR="$PROJECT_DIR" npx vite --host 127.0.0.1Run this in the background so the user can continue working.
-
Capture the access token URL from the server output. The server (viewer or Vite) prints a line like:
๐ Dashboard URL: http://127.0.0.1:<PORT>?token=<TOKEN>Extract the full URL including the
?token=parameter. The token is required to access the knowledge graph data โ without it the dashboard will show an "Access Token Required" gate. -
Report to the user, including the full tokenized URL:
Dashboard started at http://127.0.0.1:<PORT>?token=<TOKEN> Viewing: $UA_DIR/knowledge-graph.json The dashboard is running in the background. Press Ctrl+C in the terminal to stop it.Important: Always include the
?token=parameter in the URL you share. If you omit it, the user will be blocked by the token gate and have to manually find the token in the terminal output.
Notes
- The fast path (step 4) downloads a version-pinned, self-contained viewer from the GitHub release โ nothing is installed into the plugin directory and no build runs
- The dashboard auto-opens in the default browser (both the viewer and Vite's
--open) - If port 5173 is already in use, the next available port is picked (both paths)
- In the fallback, the
GRAPH_DIRenvironment variable tells the dev server where to find the knowledge graph
Frequently asked questions about Understand Dashboard
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