Score
8.5
/ 10
Installs
59K
Repo Stars
106.6K
Last Updated
0d ago
Quality Ratio
86%
Description
Verified
Language
Go
First Published
Aug 2026
Summary
The Investigate First agent skill directs an AI agent to methodically diagnose ambiguous failures by gathering evidence before suggesting any code changes. This agent skill is invaluable for developers tackling complex debugging scenarios, especially when confronted with intermittent behavior, performance regressions, or failures with unknown root causes. It is a widely adopted skill in the registry, representing a skill with 12K installs. It instructs the agent to separate observed symptoms from inferred causes, trace inputs and state transitions, and rank hypotheses by evidence. Crucially, it mandates that no product code is edited until a credible mechanism explains the evidence, and exploration stops once the cause or blocker is identified.
Skill Definition
Gather evidence before changing product code.
- Separate observed symptom from inferred cause.
- Trace inputs, state transitions, ownership boundaries, and failure output.
- Rank hypotheses by evidence and cheap falsification value.
- Do not edit until one credible mechanism explains evidence.
- Stop exploration when evidence is sufficient to name cause or exact blocker.
Report cause and proof. Make no fix unless task authorizes implementation.