Triage Issue

Use this skill when the immediate goal is diagnosis, not implementation.

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Rules

• Reproduce before theorising whenever feasible
• Prefer the narrowest failing case available
• Separate confirmed facts from hypotheses
• Do not edit code unless the user explicitly asks to move from triage into fixing
• End with a concrete recommendation for next action

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Step 1 — Define the Symptom

Establish:

• Expected behavior
• Actual behavior
• Trigger conditions
• Scope of impact

If a failing test, stack trace, or error text exists, use it as the primary entry point.

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Step 2 — Reproduce and Narrow

Prefer one or more of:

rg -n "<error text|symbol|route|function>"

<targeted test or build command>

git diff --stat

Determine:

• Whether the failure is reproducible
• Which component owns the failing behavior
• Whether the issue appears new, pre-existing, or caused by recent changes

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Step 3 — Form the Diagnosis

Summarise:

• Confirmed failure surface
• Most likely root cause
• Confidence level
• Unknowns still blocking a definitive conclusion

If multiple causes remain plausible, rank them instead of forcing certainty.

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Output

Return:

• Reproduction status
• Suspected root cause
• Evidence
• Affected files or modules
• Recommended next step

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Done Criteria

The triage is complete only when:

• The symptom was scoped clearly
• Reproduction was attempted when feasible
• The likely root cause was narrowed to a concrete area
• The final response separates evidence from speculation