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Slash Command

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

  1. Download evolve.md from the repository.
  2. 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.
  3. Run it by typing / followed by its name.

Claude Cowork

  1. Turn the command into a skill: create a folder with the file saved as SKILL.md and zip it.
  2. In Customize → Skills, click +, then upload the ZIP.
  3. 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

  1. Detect current project context
  2. Read project + global instincts (project takes precedence on ID conflicts)
  3. Group instincts by trigger/domain patterns
  4. Identify:
  • Skill candidates (trigger clusters with 2+ instincts)
  • Command candidates (high-confidence workflow instincts)
  • Agent candidates (larger, high-confidence clusters)
  1. Show promotion candidates (project -> global) when applicable
  2. 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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Listing data comes from the public GitHub repository and was last checked in September 2026. Excerpts are © their authors and shared under MIT. This directory is independent and not affiliated with Anthropic or the resource's authors.