Dependency Mapping

VerifiedSafe

Map and visualize dependencies between features and work items. Identify blockers, critical path, and risks like circular or external dependencies. Helps with sequencing planning and bottleneck analysis.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DevelopmentIntermediate
6/2/2026
Claude Code
#dependency-mapping#dependency-graph#blockers#critical-path#visualization

Recommended for

Automated summary

Maps and visualizes dependencies between features and work items.

Strengths

  • Identifies blocking dependencies and critical path
  • Generates clear dependency graphs
  • Helps with feature sequencing planning
  • Detects risks like circular dependencies

Limitations

  • Requires correct dependency fields in PBIs
  • Does not automatically capture implicit or hidden dependencies
  • External dependencies must be added manually
When to use it

When planning feature sequencing or identifying blockers in a project.

When not to use it

For simple projects with few dependencies or when dependencies are already clear.

Security analysis

Safe
Quality score92/100

The skill only reads and writes files, constructs dependency graphs, and generates reports. It uses allowed tools (Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, TodoWrite) for legitimate purposes and has no dangerous commands or data exfiltration risks.

No concerns found

How this analysis is made

Examples

Analyze a single feature's dependencies
/dependency team-artifacts/pbis/260119-pbi-dark-mode-toggle.md
Analyze all features
/dependency all
Ask about blockers in natural language
What blocks the checkout feature? Show dependency graph.

name: dependency description: Map and visualize feature dependencies. Use when analyzing dependencies, identifying blockers, or creating dependency graphs. Triggers on keywords like "dependencies", "blockers", "what blocks", "dependency map". infer: true allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, TodoWrite

Dependency Mapping

Map and visualize dependencies between features and work items.

When to Use

  • Planning feature sequencing
  • Identifying blockers
  • Understanding critical path

Pre-Workflow

Activate Skills

  • Activate project-manager skill for dependency analysis best practices

Quick Reference

Workflow

  1. Read target PBI/feature or all items from team-artifacts/pbis/
  2. Extract dependency fields
  3. Build dependency graph
  4. Identify risks (circular dependencies, unresolved blockers, external dependencies)
  5. Identify critical path
  6. Generate visualization report
  7. Output to console or save to file

Dependency Types

| Type | Symbol | Description | | ---------- | ------ | ----------------------------------- | | Blocked by | -> | Cannot start until X completes | | Blocks | <- | X cannot start until this completes | | Mutual | <-> | Bidirectional dependency | | Related to | => | Shares code/design elements | | Depends on | ~> | Needs external (API, service) |

Graph Notation

Feature A -> Feature B (blocked by)
Feature A <- Feature C (blocks)
Feature A <-> Feature D (mutual)

Visualization Template

## Dependency Map

### {Feature}

**Upstream (We depend on):**
- [ ] {Dep 1} - {status}
- [ ] {Dep 2} - {status}

**Downstream (Depends on us):**
- [ ] {Dep 1} - {their deadline}

### Critical Path
{A} -> {B} -> {C} -> {D}

### Risk Areas
- Red: {Feature X} blocking 3 items
- Yellow: {External API} - timeline uncertain

Output Format

A -> B -> C (critical path)
     \-> D

Legend:
-> blocks
=> related

Related

  • Role Skill: project-manager
  • Command: /dependency

Example

/dependency team-artifacts/pbis/260119-pbi-dark-mode-toggle.md
/dependency all

IMPORTANT Task Planning Notes

  • Always plan and break many small todo tasks
  • Always add a final review todo task to review the works done at the end to find any fix or enhancement needed

From the file to a first result

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1. Download the file

Download SKILL.md

From the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.

Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.

mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw/download' --output '.skill-downloads/dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw/SKILL.md'

2. Check prerequisites

Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.

Tools declared by the author (check availability in your agent): Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, TodoWrite

Original excerpt: Quick Reference

Workflow

  1. Read target PBI/feature or all items from team-artifacts/pbis/
  2. Extract dependency fields
  3. Build dependency graph
  4. Identify risks (circular dependencies, unresolved blockers, external dependencies)
  5. Identify critical path
  6. Generate visualization report
  7. Output to console or save to file

Dependency Types

TypeSymbolDescription
Blocked by->Cannot start until X completes
Blocks<-X cannot start until this completes
Mutual<->Bidirectional dependency
Related to=>Shares code/design elements
Depends on~>Needs external (API, service)

Graph Notation

Feature A -> Feature B (blocked by)
Feature A <- Feature C (blocks)
Feature A <-> Feature D (mutual)

The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.

3. Load the skill

After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.

Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/dependency' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw' '.claude/skills/dependency'

OpenSkills

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Official OpenSkills installation
openskills install './.skill-downloads/dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw'

openskills read 'dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw'

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For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.

openskills sync

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Read .skill-downloads/dependency-mapping-mm78nnaw/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.

Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.

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