trace-archaeology

Trace agent-written code back to the sessions and reasoning that produced it.

137|10|Updated Aug 18, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/devdotfast/review --skill trace-archaeology-devdotfast
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: trace-archaeology
Source: https://github.com/devdotfast/review/tree/main/packages/review/skills/trace-archaeology
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/devdotfast/review --skill trace-archaeology-devdotfast

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? When AI coding agents write your code, the reasoning behind decisions is lost once the session ends. This Skill recovers that context by linking commits to their originating agent sessions, so you can answer why code exists, who or what wrote it, and whether an agent has solved a similar problem before. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Code Provenance: Use review trace blame to map lines of code to commits, then pull the agent sessions behind them via Agent-Session commit trailers. - Trace Search: Search normalized session transcripts with FFF and inspect exact events using review trace show with session, trace, and event locators. - Topic Research: Page through all published sessions with review trace sessions to find whether an agent has previously handled a problem. - Use Case: While debugging a confusing function, run blame on its lines, pull the linked session, and read the agent's original reasoning before deciding whether to change the code. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to find out why a specific piece of code exists by tracing it back to the agent session that wrote it.

Frequently Asked Questions about trace-archaeology

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I find which agent session wrote a piece of code?

Run review trace blame on the file and line range to get the commits, then read the Agent-Session trailer from each commit and pull that session with review trace pull. Inspect specific events with review trace show.

How to search past agent sessions for a solved problem?

Pull the repository traces with review trace pull, then search the normalized JSONL files with FFF. For each match, subtract 2 from the physical line number to get the event index and verify it with review trace show.

Does trace lookup work without uploading transcripts?

Yes. Local commit trailers and blame resolution work without trace storage access, and read commands use the machine's selected trace store. Publication is only needed to share transcripts with a hosted store and requires explicit authorization.

What is the difference between review trace and dev-traces?

Machines with the standalone dev-traces command expose the same subcommands without the trace prefix, such as dev-traces blame and dev-traces sessions. The --review and --storage flags are not available on dev-traces.

Can trace evidence be trusted as current code behavior?

No. Traces are historical evidence, not current specifications. The skill requires checking every historical claim against the current code, since the author may have reversed a decision after the recorded session.