AI agent skill

Systematic Debugging

A root-cause debugging loop for coding agents: reproduce, isolate, hypothesize, then change one thing — instead of shotgun patches.

Listed 2026-07-14 · Updated 2026-08-21

When to use this skill

Use Systematic Debugging when a test is red, a prod error is looping, or the agent keeps editing unrelated files. It forces a repro and a single hypothesis before a patch.

When not to use it

Skip it for greenfield scaffolding (use TDD or Skill Creator). Skip it when the task is a known refactor with tests already covering the change.

How to install

Personal install: create ~/.claude/skills/systematic-debugging/SKILL.md (and any bundled scripts) so Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and compatible agents can load it in every project.
Project install: commit the same folder at .claude/skills/systematic-debugging/ so teammates get the skill with the repo.
Restart the agent session after copying files so it re-scans the skills directory, then ask for the task in words that match the skill description.

Full install guide for Claude, Cursor, and Codex

What this skill does

Agents patch symptoms. This skill makes them write down the failing signal, the smallest repro, and the check that would prove the fix — then edit.

Intended uses

A flaky test the agent "fixed" three times
A production error with a stack trace in-session
A regression after a large diff

Related skills

Related skills in this directory, for comparison before you install another skill.

coding

Test-Driven Development

Force a coding agent to write a failing test first, then the minimum implementation, then refactor — so it cannot claim done without a red-green loop.

View skill

coding