expo-overview Skill: Start Every Expo or EAS Task Here

Official Expo skill that works out what you want to do in an Expo or EAS project and hands the task to the right Expo skill.

Installs: 17K; on skills.sh
Stars: 4K; on GitHub
Files: 2; besides SKILL.md
Updated: Nov 2026; last repo commit

It loads first whenever a request mentions Expo, EAS or an expo package, or the project has an expo dependency. It reads your goal, maps it to one of the other Expo skills (navigation, native UI, animation, upgrades, store builds, OTA updates and more), confirms with you if the goal is unclear, then follows that skill. A bare React Native project with no expo dependency is out of scope.

It is a router, so it does little without the rest of the set. Install all the Expo skills, not this one alone. It also sets shared rules: install packages with npx expo install, read docs for your SDK version, and check EAS login before builds.

Good for

React Native developers building or upgrading an Expo app with an agent
Teams shipping to the App Store or Google Play through EAS
Newcomers who say they are new to Expo and want to know where to start

Install expo-overview

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the expo-overview skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

claude plugin install expo@claude-plugins-official

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

The plugin installs the whole Expo set, 23 skills, and also registers the Expo MCP server from its .mcp.json. You can run /plugin install expo@claude-plugins-official inside Claude Code.

From the project README. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Entry point and router for every Expo or EAS task. Load this skill first — before writing code and before choosing another expo-* / eas-* skill — when the request, PRD, or spec mentions Expo, EAS, Expo Go, or an expo-* package, or the project has an `expo` dependency in `package.json`. Within that gate it also covers app specs and designs to implement (tabs, stacks, maps, lists, navigation, building from a screenshot), and phrasings like 'implement a mobile app', 'make my app look native', 'add navigation', 'fetch some data', 'upgrade my SDK', 'add Expo to my existing native app', 'ship to the App Store', or 'I'm new to Expo, where do I start'. A fully specified request (SDK pinned, libraries named, layout given) still routes through here — the shared setup rules still apply. Do NOT load it when neither signal is present: a bare React Native project with no `expo` dependency is not Expo work. Detects the real goal, routes to the right expo-* / eas-* skill, and owns the shared setup rules.

Sections in SKILL.md

Start Here — read before doing anything
Skill Map (by goal)
Translating vague asks
Shared setup rules
When to skip the router hop
Submitting Feedback

Key facts

Author: Expo
License: MIT
Installs on skills.sh: 16,951 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 4,005 (Nov 2, 2026), whole repo
Files: 3 files including SKILL.md
Last commit: Nov 1, 2026 (repo)
Official: Published by the Expo team; the README calls it official
Skills in the set: 23 skill folders under plugins/expo/skills, including this one
Plugin version: expo 1.14.3 in plugin.json

What it includes

Confirm Expo work, read the goal, classify, confirm, then load the leaf skill
Five steps. It does not guess the skill from project files alone.
Start Here steps
Routes to the 10 build skills, from expo-router to expo-web-to-native
Folder layout, native screens, navigation, motion, @expo/ui components, tokens, Tailwind, data, web code in native and web-to-native migration.
Build the app
Routes to the 8 EAS and dev-build skills, from eas-app-stores to eas-observe
Store builds, hosting, CI workflows, remote simulators, dev builds, OTA updates and launch metrics.
Ship and operate
Routes to expo-module, expo-brownfield, expo-app-clip
Swift and Kotlin modules, embedding in native apps, iOS App Clips.
Extend natively
Routes to expo-upgrade and expo-examples
SDK upgrades and version-matched integration examples.
Maintain and learn
New app, SDK detection, version-pinned docs, expo install
Starts new apps with `npx create-expo-app@latest`, reads the expo version in package.json, uses the docs for that SDK, and installs packages with `npx expo install`. Checks `eas whoami` and `eas login` before EAS work.
Runs code · Shared setup rules
Skips onboarding, dev menu and Tools button when it opens the app
Reference file with launch flags for Expo Go and dev builds; for iOS it uses xcrun simctl and edits a simulator preferences plist with PlistBuddy.
Runs code · Launch without dev menu
Sends feedback about the skill to Expo
Runs `npx --yes @expo/agent-cli@latest feedback` when it finds an error or outdated text in the skill.
Runs code · Feedback

From the official docs

Permissions

Medium risk

The skill runs npm and Expo CLI commands in your project, and the Claude Code plugin adds a hosted Expo MCP server. Approve commands one at a time, especially anything that builds or submits.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

The plugin bundles an Expo MCP server
The expo plugin includes a .mcp.json pointing at https://mcp.expo.dev/mcp. Check which tools it exposes and sign in only if you need it. github.com
It can send feedback to Expo
When it finds an error in the skill it may run npx @expo/agent-cli feedback with context. Say no if your project is private. github.com
It runs npx and EAS commands
New apps use npx create-expo-app@latest, packages use npx expo install, and EAS tasks use eas commands. Builds and submits can use your paid Expo plan. github.com
The simulator launch guide edits a preferences file
The reference uses PlistBuddy to approve a URL scheme in the iOS simulator's preferences. It touches the simulator only. github.com

Technical details

Talks to	Expo servers through EAS and expo agent-cli feedback. https://mcp.expo.dev/mcp (bundled with the Claude Code plugin)
Sign-in and keys	EAS login is handled by eas login; the skill does not describe where it is stored.
Scopes	Expo account (EAS tasks only)

Questions

What does expo-overview do?

It is the entry point for Expo and EAS tasks. It reads your goal, picks the matching Expo skill (such as expo-router, eas-update or expo-upgrade) and applies shared setup rules before anything else runs.

How do I install it?

Use the install box above. The README gives a plugin install for Claude Code and Codex, and a skills CLI command for other agents. All routes install the whole Expo set, which is what the router needs.

Can I install just expo-overview?

It works as a folder, but it would route to skills you do not have. The SKILL.md tells the agent to load the leaf skill's SKILL.md, so install the set.

Does it need an account or API key?

Not for the router. EAS skills use your Expo account: it checks eas whoami and tells you to run eas login. Some EAS services are paid, and the README groups those skills under services and paid distribution.

Is it safe?

It runs package and Expo CLI commands in your project, can send feedback about the skill to Expo through npx, and the Claude Code plugin also bundles an Expo MCP server at mcp.expo.dev. Review the commands before you approve them.

Does it work in Cursor or the Claude app?

The README documents Cursor, OpenCode, Copilot and other agents through the skills CLI, and plugins for Claude Code and Codex. It documents no Claude app upload for this skill.

Why did it not load in my React Native project?

It only applies when the request mentions Expo or EAS, or package.json has an expo dependency. A bare React Native project is out of scope.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: expo/skills
Folder: plugins/expo/skills/expo-overview

expo/skills skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 3

expo/skills README · github.com
expo-overview SKILL.md · github.com
launch-without-dev-menu.md · github.com