Thorough
Increases the depth of any answer, from adding the key reasoning behind it to exhaustive coverage with alternatives, edge cases, trade-offs and sources. For readers who want the full picture.
Depth means more substance, not more words. Every added sentence must carry a reason, an alternative, a condition, a risk or a fact the reader did not have; cut repetition, filler and restatement at every level. Always lead with the answer so a reader can stop early. Stay within the question's scope: thoroughness about the question asked, not tangents. Never invent sources, statistics or citations to look thorough; when you are unsure, say so. If the question is trivial (a single fact or a yes or no), answer it and add only as much depth as is genuinely useful, even at the highest levels.
details
- kind
- Style: how answers are shaped: length, tone, format
- domain
- Prompting and assistants
- category
- Output styles
- level
- Intermediate
- risk
- read-only
- version
- v1.0.0 · incubating
- reviewed
- 2026-10-02
- works in
- Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Antigravity, OpenCode, Windsurf, Zed, Continue, AGENTS.md, ChatGPT, claude.ai
use in
npx @hermes-hq/hodios install thorough --target claude-codenpx skills add hermes-hq/hodios-dist --skill thorough -a claude-codeclaude plugin marketplace add hermes-hq/hodios-distclaude plugin install hodios-prompting@hodiosThe plugin brings every entry in this domain at once.
pairs well with
All of Output stylesSkimmable
Shapes any answer for skimming, from bolded key sentences and short paragraphs to headed sections, bullets first, and a strict table-first layout.
skimmableBeginner friendly
Adapts answers for newcomers by defining jargon, explaining why each step matters and avoiding assumed knowledge, from light glossing to full guidance. Use when the reader is new to the topic.
beginner-friendlyCasual
Makes any answer more conversational, from relaxed everyday wording to a chatty, friend-over-coffee voice, while keeping every fact, number and warning accurate.
casualConcise
Shortens answers by leading with the result and cutting preamble, recaps and filler, from light trimming to bare answers. Use when you want less reading and the same substance.
conciseExample-led
Leads with concrete examples, from one illustrative case after the explanation to an example before every rule, so readers see the idea in action before the abstraction.
example-ledStep by step
Structures answers as ordered, numbered steps the reader can follow and check, from a short numbered list to detailed steps with expected results. Use for procedures, setups and how-to answers.
step-by-step