Issue Brief
VasiHemanth/tokentelemetry
Explain a GitHub issue, discussion, or feature request in plain language before deciding whether to build it.
Takes a GitHub PR URL or the current branch and writes a plain-English explanation of what it does and why, then posts it as a PR comment.
Install Explain This PR
$ npx skills add Varnan-Tech/opendirectory --skill explain-this-pr -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install Varnan-Tech/opendirectory explain-this-pr --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/explain-this-pr .claude/skills/explain-this-pr && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "explain-this-pr" agent skill from https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory/tree/main/skills/explain-this-pr into .claude/skills/explain-this-pr/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "explain-this-pr", 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 install https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory/tree/main/skills/explain-this-prType 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.
$ npx skills add Varnan-Tech/opendirectory --skill explain-this-pr -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install Varnan-Tech/opendirectory explain-this-pr --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/explain-this-pr .agents/skills/explain-this-pr && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "explain-this-pr" agent skill from https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory/tree/main/skills/explain-this-pr into .agents/skills/explain-this-pr/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "explain-this-pr", 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.
$ npx skills add Varnan-Tech/opendirectory --skill explain-this-pr -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install Varnan-Tech/opendirectory explain-this-pr --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/explain-this-pr .cursor/skills/explain-this-pr && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "explain-this-pr" agent skill from https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory/tree/main/skills/explain-this-pr into .cursor/skills/explain-this-pr/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "explain-this-pr", 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 https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory.git --path skills/explain-this-pr--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add Varnan-Tech/opendirectory --skill explain-this-pr -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install Varnan-Tech/opendirectory explain-this-pr --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/explain-this-pr .gemini/skills/explain-this-pr && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "explain-this-pr" agent skill from https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory/tree/main/skills/explain-this-pr into .gemini/skills/explain-this-pr/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "explain-this-pr", 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.
$ gh skill install Varnan-Tech/opendirectory explain-this-prInstalls 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).
$ npx skills add Varnan-Tech/opendirectory --skill explain-this-pr -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/explain-this-pr .github/skills/explain-this-pr && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "explain-this-pr" agent skill from https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory/tree/main/skills/explain-this-pr into .github/skills/explain-this-pr/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "explain-this-pr", 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.
$ npx skills add Varnan-Tech/opendirectory --skill explain-this-pr -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install Varnan-Tech/opendirectory explain-this-pr --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/explain-this-pr .opencode/skills/explain-this-pr && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "explain-this-pr" agent skill from https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory/tree/main/skills/explain-this-pr into .opencode/skills/explain-this-pr/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "explain-this-pr", 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
explain-this-pr- GitHub stars
- 674
- Token cost
- ~1.2k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 459 words
- Files
- 3
- Skills in repo
- 61
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Takes a GitHub PR URL or the current branch and writes a plain-English explanation of what it does and why, then posts it as a PR comment.
- Works in 5 steps: Check Setup → Fetch PR Context → Write the Explanation → …
- Asked to explain a PR
- SKILL.md covers Step 1: Check Setup, Step 2: Fetch PR Context, Step 3: Write the Explanation and Step 4: Self-QA, plus 1 more section
- Calls gh; reaches github.com
What it does
Explain This PR is an agent skill from Varnan-Tech/opendirectory. Takes a GitHub PR URL or the current branch and writes a plain-English explanation of what it does and why, then posts it as a PR comment. Use when asked to explain a PR, summarize a pull request, write a plain-English description of a PR, add a summary comment to a PR, or understand what a PR changes. Trigger when a user says "explain this PR", "summarize this pull request", "what does this PR do", "add a comment explaining the PR", or shares a GitHub PR URL and asks what it does.
Its SKILL.md is about 1.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 3 other files (for example `README.md` and `evals/evals.json`). Compatibility notes: ["claude-code","gemini-cli","github-copilot"]
It sits in Development, covering Plain language and style rules and Pull requests. It works with GitHub. The repository describes itself as: AI Agent Skills built for Founders who hate Marketing. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Asked to explain a PR
- Summarize a pull request
- Write a plain-English description of a PR
- Add a summary comment to a PR
Example prompts
- “explain this PR”
- “summarize this pull request”
- “what does this PR do”
- “/explain-this-pr”
Requirements
- Compatibility (from SKILL.md): ["claude-code","gemini-cli","github-copilot"]
Workflow steps
5 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 62e437a. 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:
gh
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:
github.com
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.
Compatibility
["claude-code","gemini-cli","github-copilot"]
From compatibility in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Context cost
Explain This PR loads about 1.2k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 126 tokens; SKILL.md has 459 words of instructions outside code blocks.
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 Varnan-Tech/opendirectory at commit 62e437a, republished under its MIT licence (© Varnan-Tech). 459 words, ~1,160 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/explain-this-pr/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 2 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- explain-this-pr
- description
- Takes a GitHub PR URL or the current branch and writes a plain-English explanation of what it does and why, then posts it as a PR comment. Use when asked to explain a PR, summarize a pull request, write a plain-English description of a PR, add a summary comment to a PR, or understand what a PR changes. Trigger when a user says "explain this PR", "summarize this pull request", "what does this PR do", "add a comment explaining the PR", or shares a GitHub PR URL and asks what it does.
- compatibility
- ["claude-code","gemini-cli","github-copilot"]
- author
- OpenDirectory
- version
- 1.0.0
Explain This PR
Read a GitHub pull request, understand what it changes, and write a plain-English explanation. Post it as a PR comment so reviewers have instant context.
Step 1: Check Setup
Confirm gh is authenticated:
gh auth statusIf not authenticated: gh auth login and follow the prompts.
Confirm input. The user must provide one of:
- A GitHub PR URL (e.g.
https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/123) - A PR number in the current repo (e.g.
#123) - The keyword "current" to use the PR for the current branch
If no input, ask: "Which PR should I explain? Share the URL, PR number, or say 'current' for the active branch."
Step 2: Fetch PR Context
Get PR metadata:
gh pr view PR_URL_OR_NUMBER --json number,url,title,body,author,baseRefName,headRefName,additions,deletions,changedFiles,commits,labels,state,isDraftIf isDraft is true, note this to the user: "This PR is still in draft. The explanation is based on its current state."
Get the diff:
gh pr diff PR_URL_OR_NUMBERIf the diff is over 400 lines, read the --stat summary and the first 200 lines of the diff:
gh pr view PR_URL_OR_NUMBER --json files
gh pr diff PR_URL_OR_NUMBER | head -200Get existing comments (to avoid repeating what is already there):
gh pr view PR_URL_OR_NUMBER --json comments --jq '.comments[].body' 2>/dev/null | head -20Step 3: Write the Explanation
Write two paragraphs. Read each rule before writing.
Paragraph 1: What it does (technical)
- One sentence per major change
- Name the specific files, functions, or systems that changed
- State the before/after if the diff makes it clear
- Include concrete numbers if present in the diff (lines removed, tables dropped, endpoints added)
- Active voice, present tense
Example:
Replaces the in-memory session cache in auth.middleware.ts with a Redis-backed cache (src/cache/redis.ts). Adds get, set, and invalidate methods to the new Redis module and wraps UserService.getById() with a 5-minute TTL. Removes the Map-based cache that was limited to a single process and caused session drift across multiple instances.Paragraph 2: Why it matters (business/product impact)
- Who benefits and how
- What problem this solves or what risk it reduces
- If the commit messages contain a "why", use that context
- If there is no clear "why" in the diff or commits, omit this paragraph rather than guessing
Example:
Users hitting the /api/me endpoint under load were getting inconsistent session data across server instances, causing intermittent 401 errors. This change makes session state consistent across all instances and reduces database load by eliminating one query per authenticated request.Rules for both paragraphs:
- No em dashes — use a comma or period
- No filler: "this PR", "this change", "as you can see"
- No invented outcomes. Only state impacts that are directly visible in the diff or commit messages
- If the PR is a pure refactor with no behavior change, say that explicitly: "Refactors X to Y with no change in observable behavior."
- Under 150 words total
Show full SKILL.md (120 more words)Show less
Step 4: Self-QA
Before posting, check:
- Paragraph 1 names specific files or functions from the diff
- No invented metrics or outcomes
- No em dashes
- No filler phrases
- Under 150 words total
- If no clear "why" exists, paragraph 2 is omitted rather than guessing
Fix any violation before posting.
Step 5: Post as PR Comment
Present the explanation to the user. Ask: "Ready to post this as a PR comment, or would you like to edit it first?"
On confirmation, pass the body via stdin to handle backticks, quotes, and newlines safely:
gh pr comment PR_URL_OR_NUMBER --body-file - << 'EOF'
EXPLANATION_HERE
EOFAfter posting: "Comment added. View it at: [url from Step 2]"
If the user says "output only", present the explanation in a code block for manual copy-paste without posting.
© Varnan-Tech, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 2 other files in skills/explain-this-pr of Varnan-Tech/opendirectory.
- SKILL.md
- README.md
- evals/evals.json
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 62e437a
Compare with similar skills
Explain This PR 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.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explain This PR this skillVarnan-Tech/opendirectory | 674 | — | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Issue BriefVasiHemanth/tokentelemetry | 376 | — | ~1.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Repo System Maptamdogood/builder-essential-skills | 219 | — | ~3k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Gh Issuelatitude-dev/latitude-llm | 4.7k | — | ~1.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Docs Reviewerstrands-agents/box | 110 | — | ~1.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| GitHub Voicetobihagemann/turbo | 407 | — | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
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Review a Box documentation draft in docs/user/ or docs/design/ for placement, structure, altitude, readability, terminology, and claim scope, and give a verdict (Ship it, Tighten, or Rethink).
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Related
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Categories
Questions about Explain This PR
What does Explain This PR do?
Takes a GitHub PR URL or the current branch and writes a plain-English explanation of what it does and why, then posts it as a PR comment. Explain This PR is an agent skill from Varnan-Tech/opendirectory. Takes a GitHub PR URL or the current branch and writes a plain-English explanation of what it does and why, then posts it as a PR comment.
When should I use Explain This PR?
Explain This PR fits situations like: asked to explain a PR; summarize a pull request; write a plain-English description of a PR; add a summary comment to a PR.
How do I install Explain This PR in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add Varnan-Tech/opendirectory --skill explain-this-pr -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/explain-this-pr in Varnan-Tech/opendirectory) into .claude/skills/explain-this-pr in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Explain This PR in Codex?
Run `npx skills add Varnan-Tech/opendirectory --skill explain-this-pr -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/explain-this-pr in Varnan-Tech/opendirectory) into .agents/skills/explain-this-pr in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Explain This PR 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 Varnan-Tech/opendirectory --skill explain-this-pr -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/explain-this-pr, .gemini/skills/explain-this-pr, .github/skills/explain-this-pr and .opencode/skills/explain-this-pr in your project.
What does Explain This PR need to run?
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Explain This PR needs the command-line tools its instructions call (gh). Compatibility (from SKILL.md): ["claude-code","gemini-cli","github-copilot"].
Does Explain This PR access the network?
SKILL.md names 1 domain. In commands or code: github.com; the agent is likely to contact it when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Explain This PR 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 Explain This PR use?
Explain This PR is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Explain This PR use?
About 1.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.6k 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 Explain This PR?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Explain This PR: Issue Brief (VasiHemanth/tokentelemetry, 376 stars), Repo System Map (tamdogood/builder-essential-skills, 219 stars), Gh Issue (latitude-dev/latitude-llm, 4.7k stars) and Docs Reviewer (strands-agents/box, 110 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Explain This PR?
Varnan-Tech (a GitHub organization) maintains it in Varnan-Tech/opendirectory, which has 674 GitHub stars. The repository holds 61 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 16, 2026.
Source: Varnan-Tech/opendirectory on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.