golang-gopls Skill for Claude Code: Navigate and Refactor Go With gopls

Makes Claude use gopls, the official Go language server, to find definitions and references, check errors after each edit and rename safely.

Installs: 11.8K; on skills.sh
Stars: 3.7K; on GitHub
Files: 5; besides SKILL.md
Updated: Nov 2026; last repo commit

golang-gopls tells Claude to ask gopls instead of grepping when a question is about your real build. It sets a read workflow (find the workspace, search symbols, read file context, inspect package APIs) and an edit workflow (check references, edit, run diagnostics on every changed file, then test the changed packages). It covers navigation, hover docs, formatting, safe rename and a quick vulnerability check.

It needs the gopls binary (v0.20 or newer) and Go on your machine. The SKILL.md ranks three ways to reach gopls: its own MCP server, Claude Code's native LSP tool, and the plain CLI. It triggers on Go files and the skill is user-invocable. The folder holds 6 Markdown files and no scripts.

Good for

Go developers who want Claude to understand types and call graphs, not just grep text
Anyone exploring a large Go codebase or an unfamiliar dependency
Developers who want compiler errors checked after every Claude edit

Install golang-gopls

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the golang-gopls skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

npx skills add https://github.com/samber/cc-skills-golang --skill golang-gopls

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.

Requires Node.js.

Pick one of the first two routes, then run steps 1 and 2. The README warns that installing only a subset of its skills gives a partial view of its guidelines. The plugin manifest lists no hooks; samber/cc lists cc-skills-golang.

Built from the package data we hold. Not yet tested by us.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Golang semantic code intelligence via `gopls`, the official Go language server — go-to-definition, find references, call/implementation hierarchy, workspace symbol search, package API discovery, diagnostics, safe rename, refactors (extract/inline/fill/rewrite code actions), formatting, and generated tests. Reaches an agent via gopls's own MCP server (`go_*` tools), Claude Code's native `LSP` tool, or the `gopls` CLI. Use when navigating or refactoring Go code — jumping to a definition, finding call sites before a rename, understanding a file's or package's dependencies, running diagnostics after an edit, or extracting/inlining/renaming. Not for the published ecosystem — packages not in your `go.mod`, versions, licenses, importers — → See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-pkg-go-dev` skill (`godig`). Not for a whole-tree vulnerability audit → See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-security` skill (`govulncheck`).

Sections in SKILL.md

Three ways to reach gopls
Capability → CLI → MCP → native LSP
Use cases
Efficient workflows
gopls vs godig vs Context7 vs govulncheck

Key facts

Author: Samuel Berthe (samber)
Repo: samber/cc-skills-golang
License: MIT
Installs on skills.sh: 11,790 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 3,749 (Nov 2, 2026), whole repo
Last commit: Nov 1, 2026 (repo)
Files in the skill folder: 6 files including SKILL.md
Needs: Go and the gopls binary v0.20+ on PATH
Works in: Claude Code, Codex or a similar harness, per the SKILL.md
Part of: cc-skills-golang: 46 skills in the repo

What it includes

MCP server first, native LSP tool second, CLI last.
The SKILL.md gives a preference order: MCP, then LSP, then CLI.
Three ways to reach gopls
Detects whether the folder is a Go module, workspace or GOPATH project.
Called once at session start.
Read · go_workspace
Checks which known vulnerabilities your build actually reaches.
Run as a baseline at session start and again after go.mod changes.
Runs code · go_vulncheck
Fuzzy-finds a type, function or variable by name.
For when you do not know the exact location.
Read · go_search
Shows what a file pulls in from the rest of its package.
Run right after reading a Go file for the first time.
Read · go_file_context
Shows a package's public API.
Useful for third-party dependencies.
Read · go_package_api
Finds every reference to a symbol.
Run before changing a definition to see the blast radius.
Read · go_symbol_references
Reports build and analysis errors for changed files.
The SKILL.md calls it mandatory after every edit.
Runs code · go_diagnostics
Renames a symbol and all references across the workspace.
Blocks a rename that would break interface satisfaction.
Write · go_rename_symbol
Seven steps: read, check references, edit, diagnostics, fix, vulncheck, test.
Ends with go test on the changed packages, not the whole repo.
Runs code · Edit workflow
Editor-style operations keyed by line and character.
Needs ENABLE_LSP_TOOL=1 and the gopls-lsp plugin from the official marketplace.
Native LSP tool
Runs gopls commands by file:line:col.
The SKILL.md quotes the Go team calling it experimental and debugging-only.
Runs code · gopls CLI

From the official docs

Permissions

Medium risk

Claude can run go, gopls, git and golangci-lint commands, edit files and rename symbols across your workspace. Install gopls from the official module and review diffs after a refactor.

What it can do

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

Watch out for

It allows go, git and golangci-lint commands
The frontmatter's allowed-tools lists Bash(go:*), Bash(git:*) and Bash(golangci-lint:*) and edit tools. Keep permission prompts on for git commands that change history. github.com
It installs gopls from the Go module proxy
The dependency step is go install golang.org/x/tools/gopls@latest, which downloads and builds code. It also adds an MCP server with claude mcp add gopls -- gopls mcp. github.com
Rename and refactor rewrite many files
go_rename_symbol and the refactor operations edit every reference in the workspace. Commit first so you can review the diff. github.com
The LSP route needs a plugin and a flag
The native LSP tool needs ENABLE_LSP_TOOL=1 and the gopls-lsp plugin from the official marketplace. That is optional. github.com

Technical details

Scopes	Bash(go:), Bash(golangci-lint:), Bash(git:), Bash(gopls:) Read, Edit, Write, Glob, Grep, Agent mcp__gopls__* tools and LSP

Questions

What does golang-gopls do?

It makes Claude use gopls, the Go team's language server, for questions about your actual Go build. Claude can jump to definitions, list references, read package APIs, check errors after edits and rename symbols safely.

How do I install it?

Install the skill from the box above, then install gopls and register its MCP server as the install steps show. The skill does nothing useful without the gopls binary.

Does it need an API key?

No key is mentioned in the SKILL.md or README. It does need Go and gopls v0.20 or newer on your PATH.

Does it work in Codex, Cursor or Claude.ai?

The SKILL.md says it is designed for Claude Code, Codex or a similar harness. The README lists Cursor among supported tools. It needs local binaries, so it does not fit an upload-only chat app.

Is it safe?

The skill bundles no scripts, but it lets Claude run go, gopls, git and golangci-lint commands, edit and write files, and rename across your workspace. Install gopls from the official Go module and review diffs after refactors.

golang-gopls vs godig?

The SKILL.md splits them. gopls answers questions about your local build. For version history, licenses or CVEs of a package you have not added, it points to the golang-pkg-go-dev skill, which uses godig.

Why does Claude not see my unsaved edits?

The gopls MCP server only sees files saved to disk, according to the references. Save before asking.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: samber/cc-skills-golang
Folder: skills/golang-gopls

samber/cc-skills-golang skills.sh

Sources

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

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