Map your codebase

Turn a repo into a browsable map — files, functions, and how they connect, grouped into labelled clusters with guided tours through the main paths.

Who this is for

You're getting oriented in a big codebase — your own, a teammate's, or one you're new to — and reading files one at a time is slow. Or you're onboarding a new engineer and want to hand them something better than a README: a visual, click-through tour of how the code fits together. This tool is called Atlas.

Before you start

• An operator has to turn Atlas on first. Unlike most GATE tools, there's no dashboard toggle or org setting for this one — it's turned on for the whole server by whoever operates it. If you don't see Atlas in your dashboard, ask your admin whether it's available; that's a request only they can act on, not something you can self-serve.
• A source to point it at — a public GitHub repo URL, or one of your existing GATE projects. Private repos can work too, but only if the server already has access; if it doesn't, the map fails at the first step with a plain explanation instead of something half-built.

Steps

1. Open Atlas in the dashboard. Once it's turned on, you'll find it in your tool list, with any maps that already exist for your org and a way to add a new one.

2. Add a source. Point it at a GitHub repo URL, or pick one of your GATE projects. You can also ask in chat — "Build me an Atlas map of this project" or "Map github.com/our-org/our-repo" — and your bot kicks off the build.

3. Wait for the build. This isn't instant — expect minutes, not seconds, for a real-sized repo. It clones the repo, extracts every file, class, function, and method, works out how they call and import each other, groups them into clusters, and writes short summaries. If you asked via chat, your bot posts short updates as it goes; the dashboard also has a live progress view.

4. Explore the finished map. Open it in the full-screen viewer: a zoomable graph of the whole codebase, files and functions connected by their actual import and call relationships. A side panel lists the clusters ("communities") the build grouped things into, each with a one-line summary — click one to zoom into just that part of the code. Search jumps straight to a file or function by name.

5. Take a tour. Every map ships with a handful of guided tours — short, click-through walkthroughs of the codebase's main paths, like a request lifecycle or an auth flow. The fastest way to get oriented before poking around on your own.

6. Check recent issues, if the source is GitHub. GitHub-sourced maps show the repo's most recent open issues as nodes, linked to the files they mention. GATE-project sources skip this — there's no linked issue tracker to pull from.

7. Share the link. Every map gets its own public viewer link — anyone with the URL can open it, no GATE account needed. If the repo is sensitive, ask your bot: "Put a password on that Atlas map."

8. Rebuild after changes. Ask your bot — "Rebuild the Atlas map for this project" — after a round of commits. It only re-summarizes what changed, so a routine rebuild is much faster.

What you'll see

• In the dashboard: your org's maps, each with a status (building, ready, or failed) and a link into the viewer.
• In the viewer: the zoomable graph, labelled communities with summaries, a tour stepper, and search.
• In chat: short progress updates while a build runs, then the map's link and its password status.
• At the public link: the same graph, communities, and tours — behind a password prompt if you set one.

Troubleshooting

• You don't see Atlas anywhere in your dashboard. Not turned on for your server yet — not something you or your bot can flip. Ask your admin to enable it.
• A map fails right after you point it at a private repo. The server needs its own access to that repo; without it, the build fails at the clone step with a plain-English reason.
• The map looks out of date after recent commits. Maps don't update themselves — ask your bot to rebuild it; it only re-summarizes what changed.
• Someone with the link says the map won't load. Confirm they have the exact link, and that any password was sent separately from it.
• The build seems stuck. Large repos genuinely take a few minutes — check the progress view first, then ask your bot to check the map's status.

Going deeper

• Built-in tools — how tools like this one fit into what your bot can do
• Build & deploy an app — once you're oriented, start shipping changes to the codebase you just mapped