Evolve
Analyze instincts and suggest or generate evolved structures
- Type
- Slash Command
- Repository
- affaan-m/ECC
- GitHub stars
- 268k
- License
- MIT
- Repo last updated
- Sep 24, 2026
- Source file
- commands/evolve.md
What Evolve is
Evolve is a slash command published in the affaan-m/ECC repository on GitHub, which has about 268k stars. The repository describes itself as: “The agent harness performance optimization system. Skills, instincts, memory, security, and research-first development for Claude Code, Codex, Opencode, Cursor and beyond.”
A slash command is a reusable prompt saved as a markdown file and run by typing its name after a slash. In Claude Code, custom commands have been merged into skills: a file in .claude/commands/ and a skill folder in .claude/skills/ both create the same kind of command, and existing command files keep working.
Evolve gives you a repeatable way to run the same instructions without retyping them, optionally with arguments.
How to install Evolve
Claude Code
- Download evolve.md from the repository.
- Save it to ~/.claude/commands/ (all projects) or .claude/commands/ (one project). As a skill, you can instead save it as ~/.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md.
- Run it by typing / followed by its name.
Claude Cowork
- Turn the command into a skill: create a folder with the file saved as SKILL.md and zip it.
- In Customize → Skills, click +, then upload the ZIP.
- Run it from any task with / and the skill name.
New to extending Cowork? Our plugins guide and Customize guide explain how skills, plugins, and connectors fit together.
Inside the source file
An excerpt from commands/evolve.md, shared under the repository's MIT license. Read the full file on GitHub.
Implementation
Run the instinct CLI using the plugin root path:
python3 "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/continuous-learning-v2/scripts/instinct-cli.py" evolve [--generate]Or if CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT is not set (manual installation):
python3 ~/.claude/skills/continuous-learning-v2/scripts/instinct-cli.py evolve [--generate]Analyzes instincts and clusters related ones into higher-level structures:
- Commands: When instincts describe user-invoked actions
- Skills: When instincts describe auto-triggered behaviors
- Agents: When instincts describe complex, multi-step processes
Usage
/evolve # Analyze all instincts and suggest evolutions
/evolve --generate # Also generate files under evolved/{skills,commands,agents}Evolution Rules
→ Command (User-Invoked)
When instincts describe actions a user would explicitly request:
- Multiple instincts about "when user asks to..."
- Instincts with triggers like "when creating a new X"
- Instincts that follow a repeatable sequence
Example:
- new-table-step1: "when adding a database table, create migration"
- new-table-step2: "when adding a database table, update schema"
- new-table-step3: "when adding a database table, regenerate types"
→ Creates: new-table command
→ Skill (Auto-Triggered)
When instincts describe behaviors that should happen automatically:
- Pattern-matching triggers
- Error handling responses
- Code style enforcement
Example:
- prefer-functional: "when writing functions, prefer functional style"
- use-immutable: "when modifying state, use immutable patterns"
- avoid-classes: "when designing modules, avoid class-based design"
→ Creates: functional-patterns skill
→ Agent (Needs Depth/Isolation)
When instincts describe complex, multi-step processes that benefit from isolation:
- Debugging workflows
- Refactoring sequences
- Research tasks
Example:
- debug-step1: "when debugging, first check logs"
- debug-step2: "when debugging, isolate the failing component"
- debug-step3: "when debugging, create minimal reproduction"
- debug-step4: "when debugging, verify fix with test"
→ Creates: debugger agent
What to Do
- Detect current project context
- Read project + global instincts (project takes precedence on ID conflicts)
- Group instincts by trigger/domain patterns
- Identify:
- Skill candidates (trigger clusters with 2+ instincts)
- Command candidates (high-confidence workflow instincts)
- Agent candidates (larger, high-confidence clusters)
- Show promotion candidates (project -> global) when applicable
- If --generate is passed, write files to:
- Project scope: ~/.claude/homunculus/projects/ /evolved/
- Global fallback: ~/.claude/homunculus/evolved/
Output Format
============================================================
EVOLVE ANALYSIS - 12 instincts
Project: my-app (a1b2c3d4e5f6)
Project-scoped: 8 | Global: 4
============================================================
High confidence instincts (>=80%): 5
## SKILL CANDIDATES
1. Cluster: "adding tests"
Instincts: 3
Avg confidence: 82%
Domains: testing
Scopes: project
## COMMAND CANDIDATES (2)
/adding-tests
From: test-first-workflow [project]
…Flags
- --generate: Generate evolved files in addition to analysis output
Generated File Format
Command
---
name: new-table
description: Create a new database table with migration, schema update, and type generation
command: /new-table
evolved_from:
- new-table-migration
- update-schema
- regenerate-types
---
# New Table Command
[Generated content based on clustered instincts]
## Steps
1. ...
2. ...Skill
---
name: functional-patterns
description: Enforce functional programming patterns
evolved_from:
- prefer-functional
- use-immutable
- avoid-classes
---
# Functional Patterns Skill
[Generated content based on clustered instincts]Agent
---
name: debugger
description: Systematic debugging agent
model: sonnet
evolved_from:
- debug-check-logs
- debug-isolate
- debug-reproduce
---
# Debugger Agent
[Generated content based on clustered instincts] Before you install
- Read the whole file first. Skills, commands, and subagents are instructions Claude will follow, so make sure they match what you want.
- Check which tools, scripts, or MCP servers it uses. Local servers and scripts run with your permissions.
- Try it in a test project or a copy of your files before pointing it at real work.
- Pin the version you tested, and review changes before updating.
- Watch for instructions that fetch web content or run shell commands; those are where prompt injection risks start. See our prompt injection guide.
FAQ
What is Evolve?
Evolve is a slash command for Claude Code and Claude Cowork from the affaan-m/ECC repository on GitHub. Analyze instincts and suggest or generate evolved structures
How do I install Evolve in Claude Code?
Download evolve.md from the repository. Save it to ~/.claude/commands/ (all projects) or .claude/commands/ (one project). As a skill, you can instead save it as ~/.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md. Run it by typing / followed by its name.
Can I use Evolve in Claude Cowork?
Turn the command into a skill: create a folder with the file saved as SKILL.md and zip it. In Customize → Skills, click +, then upload the ZIP. Run it from any task with / and the skill name.
Is Evolve safe to install?
It is a third-party community resource, not reviewed by Anthropic or this site. Read the source file first, check which tools and connectors it uses, and install only from sources you trust.
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