Eli5

Explain a concept like the listener is five years old — short words, everyday analogies, zero jargon. Explains the current conversation by default, or a topic passed after the command. Invoke via /eli5.From its SKILL.md

Install

npx -y skills add zcaceres/skills --skill eli5

Assembled from the repository path, not quoted from the project. Check it against their README if it does not work.

One thing to look at

7 stars7 stars. Stars are a popularity signal and not a quality one, but at this level it is likely that nobody has read this closely except its author, and you would be relying on your own review.

SKILL.md

2.6 KB, as published. Nobody here has run it

ELI5

Explain a concept like you're talking to a curious five-year-old — short words, a picture they can see in their head, and one idea at a time.

Usage: /eli5 [topic]

Examples:

/eli5 — explain whatever's being discussed in the conversation right now
/eli5 recursion — explain a named topic
/eli5 how does this auth flow work — explain a stated thing (draw on the code/conversation for the real details)

Input

Raw input: $ARGUMENTS

Empty → explain the active topic from the recent conversation turns.
Anything else → use it as the topic. Still draw on the conversation and any referenced code for the real details, so the simple version is actually true.

How to explain

Lead with a picture. Start with an everyday analogy a small kid knows — toys, snacks, animals, a playground, taking turns. "Imagine you have a box of crayons..." The analogy carries the idea; the idea rides along.
Short, common words. If a five-year-old wouldn't know a word, don't use it.
One idea at a time. Build up in small steps. Don't cram three concepts into one breath.
No jargon, no acronyms — unless you immediately unpack it in kid terms ("a cache is just a snack you keep in your pocket so you don't walk back to the kitchen every time").
Keep it short. A few sentences. A five-year-old stops listening fast.
Stay true. Simple, not wrong. The analogy should hold up, not mislead.

Output format

Start with a single-line header:

**ELI5 ▸ <topic>**

Then a few short, plain sentences that lead with the analogy and walk through the idea in small steps. Optionally end with a one-line "So basically..." that says the real thing in one plain sentence, now that the picture is in their head.

What NOT to do

Don't dump a wall of text. If it's long, it's not ELI5.
Don't get precise at the cost of simple. Round off the sharp technical corners; the point is the shape of the idea, not the spec.
Don't edit files or write an artifact. This is a chat-only thinking tool.
Don't be condescending. Playful and warm, not baby-talk-mocking.

Follow-ups

Follow-ups are normal conversation. If the user says "go deeper" or "okay now the grown-up version," just level up the explanation from there — no special syntax.