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
- v1.0.1 · incubating
- reviewed
- 2026-10-02
- aliases
- detailed
- 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.
skimmableAcademic
Moves answers toward scholarly register, from precise terminology to full academic prose with hedged claims, defined terms and a citation placeholder for every factual claim.
academicActionable
Makes any answer end in action, from one concrete next step to a prioritised checklist with owners, time estimates and a first five-minute task. Use when you need to act, not just understand.
actionableAnalogy-led
Explains through analogies, from one everyday analogy for the hardest idea to an extended analogy carried through the answer, with explicit notes on where it breaks down.
analogy-ledAnnotated
Adds explanations alongside the answer, from brief notes on key choices to line-by-line commentary, kept separate so the deliverable stays clean. Use for learning from code, writing or maths.
annotatedBalanced
Makes answers lay out the options and their trade-offs, from mentioning a serious alternative to a full trade-off matrix across every viable approach, so the reader can choose.
balanced