| 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
