Agent skill

Querying YAML

by SebastienDegodez in SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions

A skill your agent uses when querying YAML files, filtering or transforming configuration data, or extracting specific fields from large YAML files like docker-compose.yml or GitHub Actions…

Apache-2.0Auto-check passedDevOps & Cloud

Install Querying YAML

skills CLI

$ npx skills add SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions --skill querying-yaml -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions querying-yaml --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml .claude/skills/querying-yaml && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "querying-yaml" agent skill from https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions/tree/main/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml into .claude/skills/querying-yaml/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "querying-yaml", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions/tree/main/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions --skill querying-yaml -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions querying-yaml --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml .agents/skills/querying-yaml && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "querying-yaml" agent skill from https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions/tree/main/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml into .agents/skills/querying-yaml/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "querying-yaml", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions --skill querying-yaml -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions querying-yaml --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml .cursor/skills/querying-yaml && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "querying-yaml" agent skill from https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions/tree/main/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml into .cursor/skills/querying-yaml/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "querying-yaml", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions.git --path plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions --skill querying-yaml -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions querying-yaml --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml .gemini/skills/querying-yaml && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "querying-yaml" agent skill from https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions/tree/main/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml into .gemini/skills/querying-yaml/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "querying-yaml", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions querying-yaml

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions --skill querying-yaml -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml .github/skills/querying-yaml && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "querying-yaml" agent skill from https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions/tree/main/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml into .github/skills/querying-yaml/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "querying-yaml", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions --skill querying-yaml -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions querying-yaml --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml .opencode/skills/querying-yaml && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "querying-yaml" agent skill from https://github.com/SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions/tree/main/plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml into .opencode/skills/querying-yaml/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "querying-yaml", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: querying-yaml
GitHub stars: 198
Token cost: ~1.1k tokens
SKILL.md length: 412 words
Files: 2
Skills in repo: 19
Repo updated: Oct 6, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: Apache-2.0

At a glance

A skill your agent uses when querying YAML files, filtering or transforming configuration data, or extracting specific fields from large YAML files like docker-compose.yml or GitHub Actions…

Querying YAML files
SKILL.md covers When to Use yq, Tool Selection, Default Strategy and Pipeline Combinations, plus 3 more sections
Calls yq
Transforming configuration data

What it does

Querying YAML is an agent skill from SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions. Use when querying YAML files, filtering or transforming configuration data, or extracting specific fields from large YAML files like docker-compose.yml or GitHub Actions workflows without loading entire files (saves 80-95% context)

Its SKILL.md is about 1.1k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files (for example `reference/yq-guide.md`).

It sits in DevOps & Cloud, covering Containers and CI/CD. It works with Docker and GitHub Actions. The repository describes itself as: A comprehensive codebase of best practices, coding rules, and workflow automation for AI-assisted development with GitHub Copilot. Includes DDD, Clean Architecture, testing… The licence is Apache-2.0.

When your agent uses it

Querying YAML files
Transforming configuration data
Extracting specific fields from large YAML files like docker-compose.yml
GitHub Actions workflows without loading entire files (saves 80-95% context)

Example prompts

“/querying-yaml”

Requirements

Docker

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 0f0dccf. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
- yq
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Querying YAML loads about 1.1k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 61 tokens; SKILL.md has 412 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~61
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~1.1k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions at commit 0f0dccf, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© SebastienDegodez). 412 words, ~1,091 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/querying-yaml/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.

name: querying-yaml
description: Use when querying YAML files, filtering or transforming configuration data, or extracting specific fields from large YAML files like docker-compose.yml or GitHub Actions workflows without loading entire files (saves 80-95% context)

yq: YAML Query and Extraction Tool

Always invoke querying-yaml skill to extract YAML fields - do not execute bash commands directly.

Use yq to extract specific fields from YAML files without reading entire file contents, saving 80-95% context usage.

When to Use yq

Use yq when:

Need specific field(s) from structured YAML file
File is large (>50 lines) and only need subset of data
Querying nested structures in YAML
Filtering/transforming YAML data
Working with docker-compose.yml, GitHub Actions workflows, K8s configs

Just use Read when:

File is small (<50 lines)
Need to understand overall structure
Making edits (need full context anyway)

Tool Selection

JSON files → Use jq

Common: package.json, tsconfig.json, lock files, API responses

YAML files → Use yq

Common: docker-compose.yml, GitHub Actions, CI/CD configs

Both tools extract exactly what you need in one command - massive context savings.

Default Strategy

Invoke querying-yaml skill for extracting specific fields from YAML files efficiently. Use instead of reading entire files to save 80-95% context.

Common workflow: finding-files skill → querying-yaml skill → other skills (fuzzy-selecting, replacing-text, viewing-files) for extraction and transformation.

Pipeline Combinations

querying-yaml | fuzzy-selecting: Interactive selection from YAML data
querying-yaml | replacing-text: Transform YAML to other formats
querying-yaml | viewing-files: View extracted YAML with syntax highlighting

Skill Combinations

For Discovery Phase

finding-files → querying-yaml: Find YAML config files and extract specific fields
searching-text → querying-yaml: Find YAML usage patterns and extract values
extracting-code-structure → querying-yaml: Understand API structures before extraction

For Analysis Phase

querying-yaml → fuzzy-selecting: Interactive selection from structured data
querying-yaml → viewing-files: View extracted data with syntax highlighting
querying-yaml → analyzing-code: Extract statistics from YAML output

Show full SKILL.md (159 more words)Show less

For Refactoring Phase

querying-yaml → replacing-text: Transform YAML data to other formats
querying-yaml → querying-json: Convert YAML to JSON for different tools
querying-yaml → xargs: Use extracted values as command arguments

Multi-Skill Workflows

querying-yaml → querying-json → replacing-text → viewing-files: YAML to JSON transformation with preview
querying-yaml → fuzzy-selecting → xargs: Interactive selection and execution based on YAML data
finding-files → querying-yaml → searching-text: Find config files, extract values, search usage
docker-compose workflow: querying-yaml → fuzzy-selecting → nc (extract ports, test connectivity)

Common Integration Examples

bash

# Get service ports and test connectivity
yq '.services.*.ports' docker-compose.yml | sd - '[^0-9]' '' | fzf | xargs -I {} nc -zv localhost {}

# Extract and filter environment variables
yq '.services.*.environment' docker-compose.yml | sd '\s*-\s*' '' | fzf

Note: Choosing Between jq and yq

JSON files (package.json, tsconfig.json): Use jq
YAML files (docker-compose.yml, GitHub Actions): Use yq

Quick Examples

bash

# Get service ports from docker-compose
yq '.services.*.ports' docker-compose.yml

# Get specific service configuration
yq '.services.web.image' docker-compose.yml

# List all service names
yq '.services | keys[]' docker-compose.yml

Detailed Reference

For comprehensive yq patterns, syntax, and examples, load yq guide when needing:

Complex YAML structure navigation
Array manipulation and filtering
Data transformation patterns
Docker Compose and Kubernetes examples
Integration with other tools
Core patterns (80% of use cases)
Real-world workflows (Docker Compose, GitHub Actions, Kubernetes)
Advanced patterns and edge case handling
Output formats and pipe composition
Best practices and integration with other tools

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file in plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml of SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions.

SKILL.md
reference/yq-guide.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 0f0dccf

Compare with similar skills

Querying YAML next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Querying YAML compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Querying YAML this skillSebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions	198	—	~1.1k	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	4 days ago
Senior DevOps Toolkitmaslennikov-ig/claude-code-orchestrator-kit	260	6 repos	~1.1k	Automated safety check: Notes	Custom licence	7 mo ago
GitHub Actions CreatorFNOSP/FlyNarwhal	509	1 repos	~2.4k	Automated safety check: Pass	AGPL-3.0	2 days ago
Swig CI Reproswig/swig	6.3k	—	~1.2k	Automated safety check: Pass	Custom licence	3 days ago
DDNS Build and Release MaintenanceNewFuture/DDNS	4.7k	—	~444	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	2 days ago
Data Processingaiskillstore/marketplace	433	1 repos	~720	Automated safety check: Notes	MIT	today

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Works with

Questions about Querying YAML

What does Querying YAML do?

A skill your agent uses when querying YAML files, filtering or transforming configuration data, or extracting specific fields from large YAML files like docker-compose.yml or GitHub Actions…. Querying YAML is an agent skill from SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions.

When should I use Querying YAML?

Querying YAML fits situations like: querying YAML files; transforming configuration data; extracting specific fields from large YAML files like docker-compose.yml; GitHub Actions workflows without loading entire files (saves 80-95% context).

How do I install Querying YAML in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions --skill querying-yaml -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml in SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions) into .claude/skills/querying-yaml in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Querying YAML in Codex?

Run `npx skills add SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions --skill querying-yaml -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/minimal-context-tools/skills/querying-yaml in SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions) into .agents/skills/querying-yaml in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Querying YAML in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions --skill querying-yaml -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/querying-yaml, .gemini/skills/querying-yaml, .github/skills/querying-yaml and .opencode/skills/querying-yaml in your project.

What does Querying YAML need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Querying YAML needs the command-line tools its instructions call (yq). Our summary lists: Docker.

Does Querying YAML access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Querying YAML safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Querying YAML use?

Querying YAML is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Querying YAML use?

About 1.1k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.4k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Querying YAML?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Querying YAML: Senior DevOps Toolkit (maslennikov-ig/claude-code-orchestrator-kit, 260 stars), GitHub Actions Creator (FNOSP/FlyNarwhal, 509 stars), Swig CI Repro (swig/swig, 6.3k stars) and DDNS Build and Release Maintenance (NewFuture/DDNS, 4.7k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Querying YAML?

SebastienDegodez (a GitHub user) maintains it in SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions, which has 198 GitHub stars. The repository holds 19 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 6, 2026.

Source: SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Querying YAML

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Requirements

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

yq: YAML Query and Extraction Tool

When to Use yq

Tool Selection

Default Strategy

Pipeline Combinations

Skill Combinations

For Discovery Phase

For Analysis Phase

For Refactoring Phase

Multi-Skill Workflows

Common Integration Examples

Note: Choosing Between jq and yq

Quick Examples

Detailed Reference

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from SebastienDegodez/copilot-instructions

Related

Questions about Querying YAML