Systematic Debugging
ChrisWiles/claude-code-showcase
Applies a four-phase debugging routine that finds the root cause of a bug or failing test before any fix is written.
AI DevKit · Guide structured debugging before code changes by clarifying expected behavior, reproducing issues, identifying likely root causes, and agreeing on a fix plan with validation steps.
Install Structured Debug
$ npx skills add codeaholicguy/ai-devkit --skill structured-debug -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install codeaholicguy/ai-devkit structured-debug --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/structured-debug .claude/skills/structured-debug && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "structured-debug" agent skill from https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit/tree/main/skills/structured-debug into .claude/skills/structured-debug/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "structured-debug", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit/tree/main/skills/structured-debugType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add codeaholicguy/ai-devkit --skill structured-debug -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install codeaholicguy/ai-devkit structured-debug --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/structured-debug .agents/skills/structured-debug && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "structured-debug" agent skill from https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit/tree/main/skills/structured-debug into .agents/skills/structured-debug/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "structured-debug", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add codeaholicguy/ai-devkit --skill structured-debug -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install codeaholicguy/ai-devkit structured-debug --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/structured-debug .cursor/skills/structured-debug && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "structured-debug" agent skill from https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit/tree/main/skills/structured-debug into .cursor/skills/structured-debug/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "structured-debug", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit.git --path skills/structured-debug--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add codeaholicguy/ai-devkit --skill structured-debug -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install codeaholicguy/ai-devkit structured-debug --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/structured-debug .gemini/skills/structured-debug && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "structured-debug" agent skill from https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit/tree/main/skills/structured-debug into .gemini/skills/structured-debug/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "structured-debug", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install codeaholicguy/ai-devkit structured-debugInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add codeaholicguy/ai-devkit --skill structured-debug -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/structured-debug .github/skills/structured-debug && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "structured-debug" agent skill from https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit/tree/main/skills/structured-debug into .github/skills/structured-debug/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "structured-debug", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add codeaholicguy/ai-devkit --skill structured-debug -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install codeaholicguy/ai-devkit structured-debug --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/structured-debug .opencode/skills/structured-debug && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "structured-debug" agent skill from https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit/tree/main/skills/structured-debug into .opencode/skills/structured-debug/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "structured-debug", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
structured-debug- GitHub stars
- 1.6k
- Token cost
- ~668 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 296 words
- Files
- 2
- Skills in repo
- 28
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
At a glance
AI DevKit · Guide structured debugging before code changes by clarifying expected behavior, reproducing issues, identifying likely root causes, and agreeing on a fix plan with validation steps.
- Users ask to debug bugs
- SKILL.md covers Hard Rule, Workflow, Validation and Task Tracing, plus 2 more sections
- Calls npx
- Investigate regressions
What it does
Structured Debug is an agent skill from codeaholicguy/ai-devkit. AI DevKit · Guide structured debugging before code changes by clarifying expected behavior, reproducing issues, identifying likely root causes, and agreeing on a fix plan with validation steps. Use when users ask to debug bugs, investigate regressions, triage incidents, diagnose failing behavior, handle failing tests, analyze production incidents, investigate error spikes, or run root cause analysis (RCA).
Its SKILL.md is about 670 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files (for example `agents/openai.yaml`).
It sits in Development, covering Root cause analysis, Debugging and Failing and flaky tests. The repository describes itself as: The control plane for AI coding agents. The licence is Apache-2.0.
When your agent uses it
- Users ask to debug bugs
- Investigate regressions
- Triage incidents
- Diagnose failing behavior
Example prompts
- “/structured-debug”
Requirements
- Node.js
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 7ef0cd5. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
npx
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use npx, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Structured Debug loads about 668 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 107 tokens; SKILL.md has 296 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from codeaholicguy/ai-devkit at commit 7ef0cd5, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© codeaholicguy). 296 words, ~668 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/structured-debug/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- structured-debug
- description
- AI DevKit · Guide structured debugging before code changes by clarifying expected behavior, reproducing issues, identifying likely root causes, and agreeing on a fix plan with validation steps. Use when users ask to debug bugs, investigate regressions, triage incidents, diagnose failing behavior, handle failing tests, analyze production incidents, investigate error spikes, or run root cause analysis (RCA).
Local Debugging Assistant
Debug with an evidence-first workflow before changing code.
Hard Rule
- Do not modify code until the user approves a selected fix plan.
Workflow
- Clarify
- Restate observed vs expected behavior in one concise diff.
- Confirm scope and measurable success criteria.
- Before investigating, search for similar past incidents:
npx ai-devkit@latest memory search --query "<observed behavior>" --tags "debug,root-cause"
- Reproduce
- Capture minimal reproduction steps.
- Capture environment fingerprint: runtime, versions, config flags, data sample, and platform.
- Hypothesize and Test For each hypothesis, include:
- Predicted evidence if true.
- Disconfirming evidence if false.
- Exact test command or check.
- Prefer one-variable-at-a-time tests.
- Plan
- Present fix options with risks and verification steps.
- Recommend one option and request approval.
Validation
- Confirm a pre-fix failing signal exists.
- Confirm post-fix success using the
verifyskill — including regression verification for bug fixes. - Summarize remaining risks and follow-ups.
- Store root cause and fix for future sessions:
npx ai-devkit@latest memory store --title "<root cause>" --content "<diagnosis and fix>" --tags "debug,root-cause"
Task Tracing
If task tracing is usable, choose a short kebab-case debug task name when no
task name exists, then use task optionally: record repro/final results as
evidence, the current hypothesis as next, and blockers only when they
materially affect progress. Never block debugging because task tracing is
unavailable.
Red Flags and Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Why It's Wrong | Do Instead |
|---|---|---|
| "I already know the cause" | Assumptions skip evidence | Reproduce and prove it first |
| "This is urgent, just fix it" | A wrong fix wastes more time | 10 minutes of diagnosis saves hours |
| "The fix is obvious from the stack trace" | Stack traces show symptoms, not causes | Trace backward to the root cause |
Output Template
Use this response structure:
- Observed vs Expected
- Repro and Environment
- Hypotheses and Tests
- Options and Recommendation
- Validation Plan and Results
- Open Questions
© codeaholicguy, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 1 other file in skills/structured-debug of codeaholicguy/ai-devkit.
- SKILL.md
- agents/openai.yaml
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 7ef0cd5
Compare with similar skills
Structured Debug next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Debug this skillcodeaholicguy/ai-devkit | 1.6k | — | ~668 | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Systematic DebuggingChrisWiles/claude-code-showcase | 6.1k | 3 repos | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | None | |
| Debugging and Error Recoveryaddyosmani/agent-skills | 103k | 1 repos | ~2.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Systematic Debugginged3dai/ed3d-plugins | 250 | 3 repos | ~2.4k | Automated safety check: Pass | None | |
| Debugging And Error Recoveryabashev/vfs-s3 | 106 | 6 repos | ~2.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Veomni DebugByteDance-Seed/VeOmni | 2.2k | — | ~2.8k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 |
Similar skills
Debugging and Error Recovery
addyosmani/agent-skills
Applies a stop-the-line rule and a step-by-step triage when tests fail, builds break or something stops working, aiming at the root cause instead of guesses.
Systematic Debugging
ed3dai/ed3d-plugins
A skill your agent uses when encountering any bug, test failure, or unexpected behavior, before proposing fixes - four-phase framework (root cause investigation, pattern analysis, hypothesis…
Debugging And Error Recovery
abashev/vfs-s3
Guides systematic root-cause debugging. An agent skill from abashev/vfs-s3.
Veomni Debug
ByteDance-Seed/VeOmni
A skill your agent uses for ANY bug, error, crash, wrong output, loss divergence, gradient explosion, test failure, CUDA error, distributed training hang, checkpoint load failure, or unexpected…
Root Cause Debugging
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Runs a reproduce, localize, hypothesize, test, fix and verify loop to find a bug's root cause, applies the minimal fix and hands off a regression test.
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Related
Categories
Questions about Structured Debug
What does Structured Debug do?
AI DevKit · Guide structured debugging before code changes by clarifying expected behavior, reproducing issues, identifying likely root causes, and agreeing on a fix plan with validation steps. Structured Debug is an agent skill from codeaholicguy/ai-devkit. AI DevKit · Guide structured debugging before code changes by clarifying expected behavior, reproducing issues, identifying likely root causes, and agreeing on a fix plan with validation steps.
When should I use Structured Debug?
Structured Debug fits situations like: users ask to debug bugs; investigate regressions; triage incidents; diagnose failing behavior.
How do I install Structured Debug in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add codeaholicguy/ai-devkit --skill structured-debug -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/structured-debug in codeaholicguy/ai-devkit) into .claude/skills/structured-debug in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Structured Debug in Codex?
Run `npx skills add codeaholicguy/ai-devkit --skill structured-debug -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/structured-debug in codeaholicguy/ai-devkit) into .agents/skills/structured-debug in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Structured Debug in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add codeaholicguy/ai-devkit --skill structured-debug -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/structured-debug, .gemini/skills/structured-debug, .github/skills/structured-debug and .opencode/skills/structured-debug in your project.
What does Structured Debug need to run?
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Structured Debug needs the command-line tools its instructions call (npx). Our summary lists: Node.js.
Does Structured Debug access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use npx, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Structured Debug safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Structured Debug use?
Structured Debug is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Structured Debug use?
About 668 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 2.7k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to Structured Debug?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Structured Debug: Systematic Debugging (ChrisWiles/claude-code-showcase, 6.1k stars), Debugging and Error Recovery (addyosmani/agent-skills, 103k stars), Systematic Debugging (ed3dai/ed3d-plugins, 250 stars) and Debugging And Error Recovery (abashev/vfs-s3, 106 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Structured Debug?
codeaholicguy (a GitHub user) maintains it in codeaholicguy/ai-devkit, which has 1,642 GitHub stars. The repository holds 28 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.
Source: codeaholicguy/ai-devkit on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.