| name | github-explore |
| description | Explore a GitHub repo structure, README, and layout. |
| stack | vcs |
| tags | ["github","explore","readme","structure","research"] |
GitHub Repository Exploration
When to use
Understand an unfamiliar repo before changing it, or research a project from GitHub.
Prefer gh/git over browser
gh repo view OWNER/REPO
gh repo view OWNER/REPO --json description,defaultBranchRef,url,stargazerCount,languages
gh api repos/OWNER/REPO/readme --jq .content | base64 -d | head -120
gh api "repos/OWNER/REPO/git/trees/HEAD?recursive=1" --jq '.tree[].path' | head -200
gh api repos/OWNER/REPO/contents/ --jq '.[].name'
Clone when you need real search/edit:
gh repo clone OWNER/REPO /tmp/OWNER-REPO
cd /tmp/OWNER-REPO
Then use read / bash and project docs (README, AGENTS.md, docs/).
Structured notes template
## Purpose
## Layout (key dirs)
## Build / test commands
## Entry points
## Risks / unknowns
Pitfalls
- raw.githubusercontent.com can 404 on renamed defaults — use
gh api + default branch
- Do not treat README marketing as verified benchmarks