Prop Drill — React Props Origin & Drilling Path Tracer

Codex Compatibility

When running this skill in Codex, translate Claude Code-only primitives before acting: AskUserQuestion -> chat/requestuserinput, TodoWrite -> updateplan, Task/TaskCreate/TeamCreate/SendMessage -> spawnagent/sendinput/waitagent when available and allowed, and EnterPlanMode/ExitPlanMode -> a concise chat plan plus explicit approval. Resolve Read/Write/Edit/Bash/WebSearch/WebFetch to Codex file/shell/web tools, and map ~/.claude/... paths to ~/.agents/... or ~/.codex/... unless the task explicitly targets Claude Code.

Cursor Compatibility

When running this skill in Cursor Agent, translate Claude Code-only primitives before acting: AskUserQuestion -> AskQuestion; TodoWrite -> Cursor TodoWrite or an equivalent checklist; Task/TaskCreate/TeamCreate/SendMessage/multi-agent flows -> Cursor Task (subagents), parallel Tasks, or runinbackground when allowed (TeamCreate/SendMessage may have no exact match); EnterPlanMode/ExitPlanMode -> Plan mode (SwitchMode / CreatePlan) plus explicit user approval. Resolve Read/Write/Edit/StrReplace/Bash/web/search/MCP via Cursor Composer or Agent equivalents. MCP names written as mcpservertool typically map to callmcptool with configured server identifiers. Map ~/.claude/... to ~/.cursor/skills/, .cursor/skills/, and .cursor/rules/ unless the task explicitly targets Claude Code.

Core Value

Find where an unknown prop is originally defined and show the complete drilling path through the component tree. The origin code is displayed as a clickable code block in Cursor IDE so the user can jump to it instantly.

Input

Parse the user's input to extract:

• prop name (required) — the prop to trace
• component name or file path (optional) — narrows the search scope

Examples of valid inputs:

• orderData
• orderData OrderTable
• orderData src/features/shared/orderstatustabs/order_table/OrderTable.tsx
• isOpen NewOrderModal

Workflow

Phase 1: Find the Prop's Type Definition

Locate the type or type ... Props that declares this prop.

If Serena MCP is available:

1. searchforpattern with propName in .tsx / .ts files filtered to type definitions
2. findsymbol with includebody=True on the matched Props type
3. If the prop is inherited via & (intersection) or utility types, trace to the original type

Otherwise (standard tools):

1. Grep for the pattern propName\s[\?:] in .ts / *.tsx to find type declarations
2. Read the matched files to confirm the type definition context
3. Follow intersection types / imported types to the original declaration

Phase 2: Find the Data Origin

Identify where the prop's value is first created (not just passed through).

Look for patterns:

• useState / useReducer — local state
• useQuery / useSWR / fetch — API data
• useMemo / useCallback — computed values
• Literal values / constants — static data
• Function parameters — from parent (continue tracing upward)

If Serena MCP is available:

• findreferencingsymbols on the Props type to list all components using it
• Read component bodies to find where the value is generated vs merely forwarded

Otherwise:

• Grep for <ComponentName or propName={ to find where the prop value is created
• Read those files to distinguish origin from passthrough

Phase 3: Trace the Drilling Path

Starting from the origin component, trace downward through JSX:

1. Read the origin component body
2. Find JSX where propName={...} is passed to a child component
3. Move to that child component's file
4. Check if the child uses the prop directly (consumer) or passes it further (passthrough)
5. Repeat until reaching all leaf consumers

Record for each step:

• Component name
• File path and line number
• Prop name at that level (detect renames like data={orderData})
• Role: origin | passthrough | consumer
• Code snippet (abbreviated)

If Serena MCP is available:

• findreferencingsymbols to efficiently discover child usage
• getsymbolsoverview to quickly map component structure

Phase 4: Knowledge Enrichment (optional)

If available:

• context7: Look up React documentation on props patterns if the user seems unfamiliar
• exa: Search for prop-drilling alternative patterns (Context, composition) for the improvement suggestions section

Output Format

Output in this exact order. The clickable code block is the most important part.

Section 1: Origin Definition (REQUIRED, FIRST)

Show the prop's type definition and value origin as Cursor IDE clickable code blocks. Use the startLine:endLine:filepath format (relative path from project root).

````markdown

Origin: propName

Value created at:

```25:30:src/pages/orders/table.tsx const orderData = useQuery({ queryKey: ["orders"], queryFn: fetchOrders, });

### Type defined at:

```12:16:src/types/order.ts
type OrderData = {
  id: string;
  status: OrderStatus;
};

````

Rules for code blocks:

• Use startLine:endLine:filepath — NO language tag, NO other metadata
• Path must be relative from project root
• Include enough surrounding lines for context (typically 3-8 lines)
• Always include at least 1 line of actual code

Section 2: Drilling Path Table (REQUIRED)

````markdown

Drilling Path

````

Role definitions:

• origin: Where the prop value is first created
• passthrough: Receives and forwards without transformation
• consumer: Uses the prop value directly (renders, calls methods, etc.)
• transform: Receives, transforms, then passes a derived value

Section 3: Mermaid Flowchart (REQUIRED)

````markdown

Component Flow

flowchart TD
    OrderPage["OrderPage\n(origin)"] --> OrderStatusTabs["OrderStatusTabs\n(passthrough)"]
    OrderStatusTabs --> OrderTable["OrderTable\n(consumer)"]

````

Mermaid rules:

• No spaces in node IDs (use PascalCase)
• Label in double quotes with \n for line breaks
• Show role in parentheses under component name
• If prop is renamed between components, add edge label: -->|"renamed: data"|

Section 4: Improvement Suggestions (OPTIONAL)

Only show when drilling depth >= 3 layers.

````markdown

Suggestions

This prop passes through N layers. Consider:

• Context API: Extract propName into a Context provider at the OriginComponent level
• Composition pattern: Pass the consuming component as children instead of drilling the data

````

If exa MCP is available, search for real-world examples of the suggested pattern.

Tool Priority

All MCP tools are optional. Use when available, fall back to standard tools.

Success Criteria

• Prop's type definition located and shown as clickable code block
• Prop's value origin located and shown as clickable code block
• Complete drilling path from origin to all consumers documented in table
• Mermaid flowchart accurately represents the component tree
• Prop renames between components detected and noted
• No false positives (components listed that don't actually handle this prop)