Debug trace

What it does

Walks through a bug systematically, traces the error to its root cause before suggesting a fix. Stops Claude jumping straight to a guess that misses the real problem.

When to use

• When you have an error you can't immediately explain
• When you've tried two obvious fixes and neither worked
• When you want to understand why, not just get it patched

The skill

I have a bug. Before suggesting any fix, work through this process:

1. Restate the error. What exactly is happening? What was expected?
2. Trace the path. Walk through the code or system involved, step by step. Where could this break?
3. Form hypotheses. List 3–5 possible causes, ranked by likelihood.
4. What to check first. For the top 2 hypotheses, what's the fastest way to confirm or rule each one out?
5. Then suggest a fix, only once we've narrowed it down.

Don't jump to the fix. Don't guess. If you need more information to form hypotheses, ask for it.

Here's the bug:

[describe what's happening, paste the error message, paste relevant code]