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whatis — Picture-First Explainer

Explains any topic as a self-contained HTML page built around big diagrams and very few words.

EducationBeginner★ 471⑂ 44AI score 8/10Last updated: Oct 19, 2026

What it does

Type /whatis <topic> — or just ask what something is or how it works — and Claude writes a picture-first HTML page instead of long paragraphs, then opens it in your browser.

  • Produces a self-contained HTML file (inline SVG/CSS, no external dependencies) in a temp directory and opens it.
  • Picks and combines whatever diagram type fits: flowchart, sequence, state, architecture/block, C4, dependency graph, call graph, ER, class, DFD, swimlane, deployment, timeline, Gantt, git graph, before/after, charts, treemap, heatmap.
  • Follows strict readability rules: one diagram, one point; the backbone reads at a glance while detail lives in a quieter annotation layer; print-magazine palette; tables count as enumerations, not diagrams.
  • Explains in your language while keeping technical terms, API names, CLI commands, and error strings verbatim in English.
  • No fabrication: every node must be evidence-backed, and it gathers context first when the current context is thin.

Who it's for

  • Developers ramping up on an unfamiliar codebase or system architecture
  • Anyone who needs a visual to explain a flow to non-technical colleagues or clients
  • Learners who absorb new concepts better from pictures than prose

Examples

  1. /whatis the OAuth 2.0 authorization code flow → a page with a sequence diagram across client, authorization server, and resource server
  2. "How does a request travel through this repo?" → Claude reads the code and draws a call graph plus an architecture block diagram
  3. "What's the difference between a Kubernetes Pod and a Deployment?" → a side-by-side comparison diagram with short captions

· · · Install guide · · ·

Try it now, no install

Paste this into Claude to use the skill without installing anything.

Read the instructions in this file and follow them to help me:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/suyuan2022/suyuan-skill/HEAD/whatis/SKILL.md

What I want: (describe your task here)

If Claude can't open the link, open it yourself and paste the contents instead.

↓ If it works for you, download the ZIP below and install it. Then it runs on its own — no pasting each time.

Install in the Claude app (no terminal)
  1. Download the ZIP with the button below.
  2. In Claude, open Settings → Capabilities and turn on 'Code execution and file creation'. (one time)
  3. Go to Customize → Skills → + → 'Upload a skill' and upload the ZIP.
↓ Download ZIP
Install in Claude Code

Let Claude do it — paste this into Claude Code

Install the skill I found on AI Skill Mart.
Copy the whatis folder from the GitHub repo suyuan2022/suyuan-skill into my ~/.claude/skills/whatis/.
When it's done, tell me in one line what this skill can do.

Install with a command instead

git clone https://github.com/suyuan2022/suyuan-skill.git /tmp/suyuan-skill && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r /tmp/suyuan-skill/whatis ~/.claude/skills/

⚠ This is a third-party skill. Check the source repository before installing.

  1. Open your terminal.
  2. Clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/suyuan2022/suyuan-skill.git /tmp/suyuan-skill
  3. Create the skills folder: mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
  4. Copy the skill: cp -r /tmp/suyuan-skill/whatis ~/.claude/skills/
  5. Verify it landed: ls ~/.claude/skills/whatis/SKILL.md
  6. Restart Claude Code and try /whatis how HTTPS works.
  7. Not on macOS? Ask Claude to open the generated file with xdg-open (Linux) or start (Windows) instead of open.
View source on GitHub ↗License: MIT