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Explain

Organization
greenfield-inc
explain

Use when the person wants to understand a concept or how something works today. Never plans.

Overview

Publishergreenfield-inc
RepositoryPane
Skill nameexplain
Stars
529
Forks
227
Bundled files
Instructions only
Links
Skill sourceRepositoryHomepage
  • Markdown instructions

    A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

  • Works with any LLM

    AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

  • Self-contained

    Everything the model needs lives in the instructions — no extra files to sync.

  • Open source

    Published by greenfield-inc on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Explain AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

1

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
    https://github.com/greenfield-inc/Pane/tree/main/main/src/services/paneChatBundle/skills/explain
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/greenfield-inc/Pane.git /tmp/Pane
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/Pane/main/src/services/paneChatBundle/skills/explain .claude/skills/explain
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Explain in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Explain on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Explain is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

  • Loaded only when it is needed

    The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

  • Switch models mid-chat

    Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

Explain

Finish when the person could teach it back. Ideas for what to build belong in options.

Inline first

Answer small questions in the conversation. Offer an HTML explainer only when the concept is big enough that the person would want to come back to it or share it, or when they ask for one.

Gather facts before teaching

Read the code yourself for small questions. For a larger trace, give a fresh-context subagent one question to answer with the gather-evidence skill, for example "how does a message travel from the API to the provider, with file references". Give the subagent just that question, and interpret what comes back yourself.

The explainer

Render it with the page house standard. Save it under explainers/ in the work's bundle and add it to the brief's "Related" list. With no brief yet, it gets a bundle of its own.

Sections, in order:

  1. Title and a one-paragraph gist
  2. How it works now, told as a story
  3. One concrete walkthrough: a real request or record from start to finish
  4. Diagrams: data flow, states, or sequence, whichever carries the idea
  5. Glossary
  6. Common misconceptions
  7. What this is not, and what has not been decided
  8. Still fuzzy: questions the explainer could not settle

End with next moves as questions only, never as actions:

  • Want this turned into a brief?
  • Want options?
  • Is this actually a bug?

Banned

  • Implementation steps, file lists of changes to make, or "next we will implement"
  • Recommending a design. If the person asks what to do, that is the options skill.
  • Editing code

When an explanation changes things

If what the person learns changes the live options, update the options document and its "What we learned" section. If it changes the problem itself, update the brief and tell them you did.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Explain AI skill do?

Use when the person wants to understand a concept or how something works today. Never plans.

Why use Explain on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Explain is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Explain in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/greenfield-inc/Pane/tree/main/main/src/services/paneChatBundle/skills/explain. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Explain?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Explain?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Explain with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Explain AI skill free?

It is published on GitHub by greenfield-inc. Check the repository for licensing terms. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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