Guide · Agent skill
How to use the what-the agent skill: plain-English breakdowns
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The what-the skill is a small agent skill from the thedotmack/claude-mem project that changes how your agent explains technical material. When you ask for a technical topic to be explained, it breaks the answer into five simple questions: who, what, where, why and when. This guide is for anyone who has not used agent skills before, and it walks through what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it and where it falls short.
Plain-English Breakdownthedotmack/claude-mem · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the what-the skill ZIP from this skill's page in the directory.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into your project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project.
- 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the ZIP.
- 4Confirm SKILL.md is present. Check that the folder contains SKILL.md, the only file in the skill.
- 5Ask in plain language. Paste the technical text and ask for the who, what, where, why and when of it.
- 6Check the result. Read the five-part answer and verify any facts you plan to rely on.
What does the what-the skill make the agent do?
Agent skills are instruction files that give an agent extra guidance for a particular kind of task. The what-the skill is one of these. Its job is narrow: when you ask the agent to explain something technical, it tells the agent to frame the explanation around five questions. Who is involved, what it is, where it happens, why it matters and when it applies.
The result is a plain-English explanation aimed at someone who is not an expert. The skill contains no extra tools or data. It only changes how the agent frames its answer, so the knowledge still comes from the agent itself.
How do you install the what-the skill?
You can install the skill in one of three places. Download the ZIP file from the skill's page in this directory and unzip it into your personal skills folder at ~/.claude/skills/. To make it available only inside one project, unzip it into that project's .claude/skills/ folder instead. You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
After unzipping, the skill's folder should contain a file named SKILL.md. That file is the whole skill.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You do not need a special command. The skill's description says it applies when you want a plain-English breakdown of something technical, so ask the agent in ordinary language. Saying the topic is confusing or full of jargon, and asking for the who, what, where, why and when, both work well.
The skill's own example request is the clearest model: ask the agent to explain the who, what, where, why and when of a technical message or document you paste in.
- that sounds mad technical. explain to me the who, what, where, why, and when of this
- Explain the who, what, where, why and when of this error message.
- Give me the gist of this technical discussion, in plain English, using who, what, where, why and when.
What does a typical result look like?
Suppose you paste in a paragraph of jargon-heavy material and ask for the who, what, where, why and when. The agent should reply with five short parts, each answering one question in everyday language. The source does not define a fixed output format, so the exact wording and length will vary between answers.
Treat the result as a readable summary, not a verified reference. It is only as accurate as the agent's own understanding of the topic.
What does the skill need, and is it safe to use?
The skill lists no requirements. It does not run scripts and does not use the network. Its only file is SKILL.md, which contains instructions and an example request, with no executable code. That makes it one of the simpler skills to review before you install it.
As with any skill, read the SKILL.md file yourself before installing if you want to confirm what it tells the agent to do.
- Requires: nothing listed
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Files: SKILL.md only
Tips for getting better breakdowns
Paste the exact text you want explained rather than describing it from memory. Ask for the five questions by name so the agent uses that structure. If one part of the answer is unclear, follow up and ask the agent to go deeper on that question only.
Because the skill does not check accuracy against any source, verify any facts you plan to act on, especially numbers, dates, legal or medical points, and anything you will repeat to others.
- Paste the original text rather than a summary
- Name the five questions explicitly
- Ask follow-ups on one question at a time
- Check important facts against a primary source
What people use it for
- Turning a jargon-heavy technical document into a summary for a non-expert colleague
- Understanding an unfamiliar concept while studying
- Getting the gist of a technical meeting discussion before joining it
- Making sense of a dense error message or announcement at a high level
Frequently asked questions
Is the what-the skill free?
The source lists the skill under the Apache-2.0 licence, from the thedotmack/claude-mem project. It does not state any price, so check the project's licence terms for the details of use and redistribution.
What do I need to use the what-the skill?
The skill lists no requirements. You need an agent that supports skills, such as Claude, and a way to install the SKILL.md file, either in a skills folder or by uploading the ZIP in the Claude apps.
Where do I install the what-the skill?
Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps, you can upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the what-the skill run scripts or use the internet?
No. The skill runs no scripts and uses no network. It consists only of SKILL.md, which changes how the agent frames its explanation.
Can I use the what-the skill for writing code or debugging?
Not really. The skill only shapes explanations and adds no specialist knowledge, so it is not suited to detailed technical work such as writing code or debugging.
Is the what-the skill accurate?
The skill does not check accuracy against any source. Use it for the gist, and verify facts that matter before you rely on them.
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Our verdict
The what-the skill is a good fit for non-experts, students and managers who need the gist of jargon-heavy material quickly. It is free to install, runs no scripts and needs no setup beyond placing the file. Pick something else if you need detailed technical work such as coding or debugging, or exact facts that have been verified against a source.
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