---
allowed-tools:
- Bash(gh repo view *)
- Bash(gh api *)
- Bash(gh search *)
- Bash(gh release *)
- Bash(gh issue *)
- mcp__deepwiki__read_wiki_structure
- mcp__deepwiki__read_wiki_contents
- mcp__deepwiki__ask_question
- Bash(ctx7 *)
- Bash(npx ctx7@latest *)
- Bash(bunx ctx7@latest *)
- mcp__perplexity-ask__perplexity_ask
context: fork
description: Explore public GitHub repositories in Pi using GitHub CLI, local clones,
  and web tools. Use when the user asks how a public repo works, wants architecture
  orientation, or needs repo-level Q&A. NOT for library API docs (use context7-cli)
  or local private codebases (use searching-code).
model: sonnet
name: exploring-repos
user-invocable: true
---

# Explore GitHub Repositories with DeepWiki

DeepWiki provides AI-generated wiki documentation for 30,000+ popular public GitHub repositories — architecture overviews, design patterns, component relationships, and semantic Q&A powered by Cognition's Devin.

## When to Use DeepWiki vs Context7

- **Repo architecture, design patterns, how components connect** — DeepWiki (AI-generated wiki from full codebase analysis)
- **API references, code examples, version-specific docs** — Context7 (sourced from official library documentation)
- **"How does this repo work?"** — DeepWiki (codebase-level understanding)
- **"How do I use this library?"** — Context7 (usage-level documentation)
- **Cross-repo comparison** — DeepWiki `ask_question` with multiple repos (accepts up to 10 repos)

## Workflow

### Step 1 — Understand the repository structure

Call `mcp__deepwiki__read_wiki_structure` with `repoName` in `owner/repo` format to get the topic list:

```
mcp__deepwiki__read_wiki_structure({ "repoName": "langchain-ai/langchain" })
```

### Step 2 — Read relevant topics

Call `mcp__deepwiki__read_wiki_contents` for detailed documentation on the repo:

```
mcp__deepwiki__read_wiki_contents({ "repoName": "langchain-ai/langchain" })
```

### Step 3 — Ask targeted questions

Call `mcp__deepwiki__ask_question` for semantic Q&A about specific aspects:

```
mcp__deepwiki__ask_question({
  "repoName": "langchain-ai/langchain",
  "question": "How does the retrieval chain pipeline work?"
})
```

For cross-repo questions, pass an array (max 10):

```
mcp__deepwiki__ask_question({
  "repoName": ["langchain-ai/langchain", "run-llama/llama_index"],
  "question": "How do these frameworks handle document chunking differently?"
})
```

## Query Strategies

### Start broad, then narrow

1. `read_wiki_structure` — scan available topics
2. `read_wiki_contents` — read the full wiki for an overview
3. `ask_question` — drill into specifics

### For architecture understanding

- "What is the high-level architecture?"
- "How do the core modules interact?"
- "What design patterns are used?"
- "How is error handling structured?"

### For implementation reference

- "How does X feature handle Y edge case?"
- "What is the authentication/authorization flow?"
- "How are database migrations managed?"
- "What testing patterns are used?"

### For cross-repo comparison

- Pass multiple repos to `ask_question`
- Ask about specific architectural differences
- Compare approaches to the same problem

## Examples

```
# Understand a framework's architecture
read_wiki_structure: "vercel/next.js"
ask_question: "vercel/next.js" — "How does the app router handle server components?"

# Compare two similar projects
ask_question: ["expressjs/express", "fastify/fastify"] — "How do these handle middleware differently?"

# Explore a tool's internals
read_wiki_structure: "hashicorp/terraform"
ask_question: "hashicorp/terraform" — "How does the provider plugin system work?"

# Understand patterns in a Go project
ask_question: "kubernetes/kubernetes" — "How is the controller pattern implemented?"
```

## Fallback: Repository Not Indexed

DeepWiki indexes 30,000+ popular public repos. If a repo is not indexed:

```
DeepWiki returns empty or error?
├── Check repo name format (must be "owner/repo")
├── Try the canonical repo name (not a fork)
├── Still not indexed?
│   ├── Any public repo → gh CLI (works for all GitHub repos)
│   ├── Popular library → Try Context7 for docs instead
│   ├── Open-source repo → Clone + local exploration
│   └── Niche/private → Perplexity for general info
```

### Fallback Strategies

1. **GitHub CLI** — works for any public repo, no indexing needed:

   ```bash
   # Quick overview: description, stars, language, topics
   gh repo view owner/repo

   # Full file tree (find key directories, config files)
   gh api repos/owner/repo/git/trees/main?recursive=1 --jq '.tree[].path'

   # Read specific files (README, go.mod, package.json, Makefile)
   gh api repos/owner/repo/contents/README.md --jq '.content' | base64 -d

   # Search for patterns across the repo
   gh search code "func main" --repo owner/repo --limit 20

   # Search for repos by topic, language, or description
   gh search repos "kubernetes operator" --language go --sort stars

   # Recent activity: issues, PRs, releases
   gh release list --repo owner/repo --limit 5
   gh issue list --repo owner/repo --state open --sort comments --limit 10
   ```

   **Best for:** file tree exploration, finding entry points, reading key files,
   searching code patterns, checking recent activity. Combine multiple `gh` calls
   to build a mental model when DeepWiki is unavailable.

2. **ctx7** — for library API documentation:

   ```bash
   ctx7 library fastify "middleware"
   ctx7 docs /fastify/fastify "middleware"
   ```

   Use `npx ctx7@latest` (or `bunx ctx7@latest`) when `ctx7` is not globally
   installed. The `looking-up-docs` skill wraps this workflow.

3. **Perplexity** — for repos not in DeepWiki or Context7:

   ```
   mcp__perplexity-ask__perplexity_ask({
     "messages": [{ "role": "user", "content": "Explain the architecture of <owner/repo>" }]
   })
   ```

4. **Direct exploration** — clone and read:

   ```bash
   git clone --depth=1 <repo-url>
   # Use smart-explore skill for token-efficient AST navigation
   ```

## Combining with Context7

DeepWiki and Context7 are complementary. A typical research flow:

1. **DeepWiki** — understand the architecture and design decisions
2. **Context7** — get specific API references and code examples
3. **DeepWiki ask_question** — clarify how specific APIs fit into the larger design

Do not use DeepWiki when:

- You need version-specific API syntax → use Context7
- You need official getting-started guides → use Context7
- The repo is private or very new (<1 month) → use Perplexity or local exploration