Error Handling
affaan-m/ECC
Patterns for robust error handling across TypeScript, Python, and Go.
Handle web research failures with explicit error recognition and domain-specific fallback strategies
MITAuto-check passed
Install Research Fallback Robust
$ npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill research-fallback-robust -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace research-fallback-robust --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/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced .claude/skills/research-fallback-robust && 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 "research-fallback-robust" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced into .claude/skills/research-fallback-robust/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "research-fallback-robust", 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/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhancedType 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 HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill research-fallback-robust -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace research-fallback-robust --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced .agents/skills/research-fallback-robust && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "research-fallback-robust" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced into .agents/skills/research-fallback-robust/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "research-fallback-robust", 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 HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill research-fallback-robust -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace research-fallback-robust --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced .cursor/skills/research-fallback-robust && 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 "research-fallback-robust" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced into .cursor/skills/research-fallback-robust/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "research-fallback-robust", 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/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git --path benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced--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 HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill research-fallback-robust -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace research-fallback-robust --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced .gemini/skills/research-fallback-robust && 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 "research-fallback-robust" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced into .gemini/skills/research-fallback-robust/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "research-fallback-robust", 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 HKUDS/OpenSpace research-fallback-robustInstalls 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 HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill research-fallback-robust -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced .github/skills/research-fallback-robust && 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 "research-fallback-robust" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced into .github/skills/research-fallback-robust/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "research-fallback-robust", 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 HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill research-fallback-robust -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install HKUDS/OpenSpace research-fallback-robust --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced .opencode/skills/research-fallback-robust && 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 "research-fallback-robust" agent skill from https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenSpace/tree/main/benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced into .opencode/skills/research-fallback-robust/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "research-fallback-robust", 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
research-fallback-robust- GitHub stars
- 7.7k
- Token cost
- ~1.5k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 610 words
- Files
- 2
- Skills in repo
- 199
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Handle web research failures with explicit error recognition and domain-specific fallback strategies
- Works in 5 steps: Attempt External Research First → Detect Tool Failure → Pivot to Internal Knowledge → …
- SKILL.md covers When to Use, Workflow Steps, Example Decision Flow and Best Practices, plus 2 more sections
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Research Fallback Robust is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace. Handle web research failures with explicit error recognition and domain-specific fallback strategies
Its SKILL.md is about 1.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 1 other file.
The repository describes itself as: "OpenSpace: The Skill Management Layer for AI Agents" -- https://open-space.cloud/. The licence is MIT.
Example prompts
- “/research-fallback-robust”
Workflow steps
5 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 3827781. 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
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
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
Research Fallback Robust loads about 1.5k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 31 tokens; SKILL.md has 610 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 HKUDS/OpenSpace at commit 3827781, republished under its MIT licence (© HKUDS). 610 words, ~1,465 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/research-fallback-robust/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- research-fallback-robust
- description
- Handle web research failures with explicit error recognition and domain-specific fallback strategies
Research Fallback Workflow
This skill provides a workflow for handling tasks that require external research when web search or webpage reading tools fail due to network issues or tool unavailability.
When to Use
- Task requires external research (legal analysis, market research, technical documentation, anatomical/medical information, etc.)
- Web search or webpage reading tools are failing or unavailable
- You have sufficient internal knowledge to proceed with reasonable accuracy
- Task completion is prioritized over perfect external sourcing
Workflow Steps
Step 1: Attempt External Research First
Begin by attempting to use available web research tools:
1. Use search_web for current information, statistics, or recent developments
2. Use read_webpage for detailed source material when URLs are provided
3. Document what you attempted to findStep 2: Detect Tool Failure
Recognize when to pivot — including explicit error patterns:
- Web search returns errors, timeouts, or empty results
unknown errorfrom search_web — immediately recognize this as a tool failure trigger (do not retry excessively)- Page extraction fails repeatedly
- Network errors persist after 1-2 retry attempts
- Tool explicitly reports unavailability
Do not spend excessive time retrying failed tools. After 1-2 attempts with unknown error or similar failures, proceed to Step 3.
Step 3: Pivot to Internal Knowledge
When external tools fail:
- Acknowledge the limitation: Note that external research was attempted but tools were unavailable
- Assess internal knowledge: Determine what you know from training that covers the topic
- Identify gaps: Be transparent about what information may be dated or unavailable
- Proceed with available knowledge: Generate content using internal understanding
Step 4: Generate Content with Appropriate Disclaimers
When producing deliverables:
- Include a note that external verification is recommended for time-sensitive information
- Flag any claims that would benefit from current source verification
- Focus on established principles, frameworks, and well-documented facts
- Avoid making specific claims about very recent events or statisticsStep 5: Complete File Creation
Proceed with the original task deliverable:
- Create the requested file format (PDF, DOCX, markdown, etc.)
- Ensure content meets quality standards despite the research limitation
- Stay within any specified constraints (page limits, word counts, etc.)
Example Decision Flow
Task requires research on [TOPIC]
|
v
Attempt search_web / read_webpage
|
+----+----+
| |
Success Failure (after 1-2 attempts)
| |
| | **Note: `unknown error` = immediate pivot signal**
v v
Use sources Pivot to internal knowledge
| |
+----+----+
|
v
Generate content with appropriate disclaimers
|
v
Create deliverable fileBest Practices
- Recognize error patterns quickly:
unknown errorfrom search_web is a clear signal to pivot, not a reason for extended retries - Be transparent: Clearly note when external verification wasn't possible
- Prioritize accuracy: Only assert what you're confident about from training
- Flag uncertainties: Mark areas where current sources would be valuable
- Don't block progress: Tool failures shouldn't prevent task completion
- Maintain quality: Internal knowledge can still produce high-quality, useful content
- Leverage stable knowledge domains: Anatomical, medical, legal, and technical fundamentals from training are reliable even without external verification
Show full SKILL.md (238 more words)Show less
Example Applications
Example 1: Legal Memo
Task: Create legal memo on privacy law violations
Workflow:
- Attempt search_web for recent COPPA enforcement cases →
unknown error - Attempt read_webpage on provided URLs → Connection timeout
- Pivot: Use internal knowledge of COPPA requirements, California privacy laws, established case law principles
- Generate memo with note that recent case citations should be verified
- Create PDF deliverable within page limits
Outcome: Comprehensive memo produced despite tool failures, with appropriate disclaimers about verification.
Example 2: Anatomical/Medical Content
Task: Create proposal with anatomical utilization analysis and procedure capacity estimates
Workflow:
- Attempt search_web for anatomical area statistics →
unknown error - Attempt execute_code_sandbox for analysis →
unknown error - Pivot: Use internal training knowledge of:
- Anatomical structures and terminology
- Standard medical procedures and their requirements
- Established frameworks for capacity estimation
- Common cost structures in medical/cadaver programs
- Generate content using reliable internal knowledge (anatomical facts are well-established)
- Create DOCX deliverable with appropriate verification notes for any statistics
Outcome: High-quality proposal with anatomical tables, procedure estimates, and cost analysis created using internal knowledge, with transparent disclaimers about statistical verification.
When NOT to Use This Skill
- Task explicitly requires current, verified external sources (e.g., real-time stock prices, breaking news)
- Legal/medical advice where current regulations are critical and disclaimer is insufficient
- Client specifically requires cited external sources for the deliverable
In these cases, report the tool failure and request guidance rather than proceeding with internal knowledge alone.
© HKUDS, MIT. 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 benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced of HKUDS/OpenSpace.
- SKILL.md
- .skill_id
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 3827781
Compare with similar skills
Research Fallback Robust 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Fallback Robust this skillHKUDS/OpenSpace | 7.7k | — | ~1.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Error Handlingaffaan-m/ECC | 275k | 1 repos | ~2.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Handle PR CI FailureDataDog/datadog-agent | 3.8k | — | ~2.9k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Python Error Handlingwshobson/agents | 40k | — | ~1.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Error Handlingthedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist | 74k | — | ~416 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Robust Error Handling In Scriptsaiming-lab/MetaClaw | 3.5k | — | ~225 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
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Questions about Research Fallback Robust
What does Research Fallback Robust do?
Handle web research failures with explicit error recognition and domain-specific fallback strategies. Research Fallback Robust is an agent skill from HKUDS/OpenSpace.
How do I install Research Fallback Robust in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill research-fallback-robust -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .claude/skills/research-fallback-robust in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Research Fallback Robust in Codex?
Run `npx skills add HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill research-fallback-robust -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (benchmarks/gdpval/skills/research-fallback-enhanced in HKUDS/OpenSpace) into .agents/skills/research-fallback-robust in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Research Fallback Robust 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 HKUDS/OpenSpace --skill research-fallback-robust -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/research-fallback-robust, .gemini/skills/research-fallback-robust, .github/skills/research-fallback-robust and .opencode/skills/research-fallback-robust in your project.
What does Research Fallback Robust need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Research Fallback Robust is instructions for the agent only.
Does Research Fallback Robust access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Research Fallback Robust 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 Research Fallback Robust use?
Research Fallback Robust is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Research Fallback Robust use?
About 1.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.9k 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 Research Fallback Robust?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Research Fallback Robust: Error Handling (affaan-m/ECC, 275k stars), Handle PR CI Failure (DataDog/datadog-agent, 3.8k stars), Python Error Handling (wshobson/agents, 40k stars) and Error Handling (thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist, 74k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Research Fallback Robust?
HKUDS (a GitHub organization) maintains it in HKUDS/OpenSpace, which has 7,749 GitHub stars. The repository holds 199 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 12, 2026.
Source: HKUDS/OpenSpace on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.