Automated summary
Systematically diagnose bugs before proposing fixes, following a six-step process.
Strengths
- Clear, reproducible structure for debugging.
- Encourages hypothesis testing with evidence.
- Prevents premature fixes by separating diagnosis from implementation.
Limitations
- May be overly rigid for trivial or obvious bugs.
- Requires prior understanding of the project context.
Use this skill when a bug is reported and you need a methodical approach to find the root cause.
Do not use it when the fix is obvious and immediate, or for tasks that are not debugging.
Security analysis
CautionThe skill instructs using Bash to gather diagnostic evidence, which is legitimate for debugging, but the tool is powerful and could be exploited. No explicit destructive instructions, but caution is warranted.
- •Bash tool is allowed, which can execute arbitrary commands; used for diagnostic purposes but could be risky if misused.
Examples
The app crashes when I click 'Save'. Please debug this systematically.Login endpoint returns 500 error. Diagnose the root cause.The report generator produces incorrect totals. Debug the data flow.name: debug version: 1.0.0 changelog: Initial debug skill with systematic diagnosis description: Diagnose bugs systematically before proposing fixes. Use when something is broken, failing, erroring, or not working as expected. allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Glob, Bash, Task temperature: 0.2 # Mostly systematic, slight exploration
Debug Phase
Diagnose systematically before proposing fixes.
Task
$ARGUMENTS
Instructions
Output: ## Debug Phase
State: At phase start, update STATE.md:
- Set
task:from $ARGUMENTS (if STATE.md is idle/complete or task is "None") - Set
phase: debug - Set
status: in_progress
1. Reproduce
- Confirm the failure exists
- Identify exact error message/behavior
- Note environment conditions (versions, config, state)
2. Isolate
- Narrow to smallest reproducible case
- Identify which component fails
- Trace information flow to failure point
- Use targeted reads/greps, not broad exploration
3. Hypothesize
- List possible causes (most likely first)
- For each: what evidence would confirm/reject?
- Consider: recent changes, dependencies, environment
4. Test Hypotheses
- Gather evidence systematically
- Update hypothesis ranking as evidence arrives
- Stop when root cause is confirmed
5. Produce Diagnosis
Use the diagnosis template:
## Symptom
[What's failing — exact error or behavior]
## Root Cause
[Why it's failing — the actual problem]
## Evidence
- `file:line` — observation
- Command output — what it showed
## Fix Options
1. Option A: [approach] — tradeoffs
2. Option B: [approach] — tradeoffs
## Recommended
[Which option and why]
Context Budget
- Target: complete diagnosis under 30% context
- Use subagents for exploration if needed
- Keep evidence concise — excerpts, not full files
6. Checkpoint
Update STATE.md incrementally:
- Set
phase: debug - Add root cause and fix decision to
## Decisions - Add investigated files to
## Key Files - Update
## Next Stepswith recommended fix
Run /checkpoint if context is heavy or taking a break.
Constraints
- Do not fix yet — diagnosis first
- If fix is obvious (<5 lines, isolated), may proceed with approval
- Otherwise, get approval before implementing
- Don't guess — verify with evidence
Exit Criteria
Root cause identified with evidence. Fix approach clear and approved.
Gate: "Here's the diagnosis. Approve fix approach?"
From the file to a first result
The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.
View the source and supporting filesThis download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.
1. Download the file
Download SKILL.mdFrom the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/systematic-debugging-mmio71bz/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/systematic-debugging-mmio71bz' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/systematic-debugging-mmio71bz/download' --output '.skill-downloads/systematic-debugging-mmio71bz/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/systematic-debugging-mmio71bz/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/systematic-debugging-mmio71bz/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, Grep, Glob, Bash, Task
No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.
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/systematic-debugging-mmio71bz/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/systematic-debugging-mmio71bz/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/debug' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/systematic-debugging-mmio71bz' '.claude/skills/debug'OpenSkills
OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.
Official OpenSkills installationopenskills install './.skill-downloads/systematic-debugging-mmio71bz'openskills read 'systematic-debugging-mmio71bz'Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.
For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.
openskills syncManual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.
4. Try a first task
Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:
Read .skill-downloads/systematic-debugging-mmio71bz/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.
React Hook Form Best Practices
Development
Master React Hook Form: avoid anti-patterns, manage subscriptions, and handle reset, dirty state, and controlled inputs correctly.
Emotion to Mantine Migration
Development
Migrate Emotion styled-components to Mantine components with style props and CSS modules. Use when converting .styled.tsx files or removing @emotion imports.
Scope Creep Detector
Development
Analyzes git diffs against a stated intent to detect scope creep, unrelated files, broad PRs, and oversized changes, then suggests keep, split, or justify actions.