| name | kiss-c4-diagrams |
| description | Authors C4 model diagrams (Context / Container / Component) as Mermaid flowcharts. Produces three files per project so the system can be described at every zoom level. Draws what the user has declared; does not invent components. Use when creating architecture diagrams, visualising system structure, or when the project needs Context, Container, or Component-level views. |
| compatibility | Requires kiss project structure with .kiss/ directory |
| metadata | {"author":"github-kiss","source":"agent-skills/kiss-c4-diagrams/kiss-c4-diagrams.md"} |
User Input
$ARGUMENTS
Audience and tone (interactive mode)
When KISS_AGENT_MODE=interactive (the default), assume the user
has limited technical background and limited domain knowledge
— they may know basics but lack deep expertise in this skill's
area. Run this skill as a guided questionnaire:
- One question at a time. No walls of questions.
- Yes / no first. Phrase so
yes, no, not sure, or skip
is a valid answer.
- Translate jargon, don't strip it. Use the technical term but
always pair it with a plain-English gloss the first time it
appears.
- Choices, not blank fields. When yes/no isn't enough, offer
2-4 lettered options (A/B/C/D) with one-line plain-language
descriptions of the trade-off. Always include "Not sure — pick
a sensible default".
- Always recommend. State the option you would pick and why in
one sentence so the user can reply "yes" / "ok" to accept. Pull
defaults from upstream artefacts (spec, architecture, ADRs,
standards) before asking blank.
- Show, don't ask. When upstream artefacts already imply an
answer, propose it as a pre-filled finding and ask for a
yes / no confirmation rather than asking the user to fill in a
blank.
not sure / skip triggers a sensible default, marked
"(default applied — confirm later)" in the artefact, and a debt
entry in this skill's debt file.
When KISS_AGENT_MODE=auto (or --auto), skip the questionnaire
entirely: apply sensible defaults from upstream artefacts and log
decisions to the parent agent's decision log.
Inputs
.kiss/context.yml{context.paths.docs}/architecture/intake.md{context.paths.docs}/decisions/ADR-*.md
Outputs
{context.paths.docs}/architecture/c4-context.md{context.paths.docs}/architecture/c4-container.md{context.paths.docs}/architecture/c4-component.md
Level 4 (Code) is intentionally omitted — code diagrams belong in
the design skill, not the architecture skill.
Context Update
Does not mutate .kiss/context.yml.
Handoffs
kiss-dev-design uses container diagrams to identify modules.kiss-security-review references container diagrams for attack
surface.kiss-cicd / kiss-deployment reference container diagrams to
align runtime topology with pipelines.
AI authoring scope
Does: draft Mermaid diagrams using the C4 convention; cite
which actors + systems come from which intake entry.
Does not: invent containers or components not stated by the
user or an ADR; redraw on unapproved changes without asking.
Usage
<SKILL_DIR> = the integration's skills root (e.g. .claude/skills/
for Claude Code, .agents/skills/ for Antigravity / Codex,
.cursor/skills/ for Cursor, .windsurf/workflows/ for Windsurf).
Scripts live at <SKILL_DIR>/<skill-name>/scripts/….
bash <SKILL_DIR>/kiss-c4-diagrams/scripts/bash/draft-c4.sh --auto
Answer keys
| Key | Meaning | Default |
|---|
C4_LEVEL | context, container, component, or all | all |
C4_SYSTEM_NAME | the subject system | derived from current.feature |
References
references/c4-shorthand.md — how to draw C4 in plain Mermaid
(no special plugins required).assets/c4-context-example.mmd,
assets/c4-container-example.mmd — reference diagrams.
