debug
Instrument web/web-app code with structured debug logging via a global variable (window.__debug_logs). Produces a clean JSON timeline for reproducing and diagnosing bugs. Use when user wants to debug a feature or track down a bug.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Weaverse/.agents /tmp/debug && cp -r /tmp/debug/skills/debug ~/.claude/skills/debugSKILL.md
Debug a web/web-app issue by instrumenting code with structured logging via `window.__debug_logs`. This skill does NOT use `console.log` — all debug data is collected in a single global array for clean export and analysis.
## How It Works
1. A global array `window.__debug_logs` collects structured log entries
2. Debug statements are inserted at key points in the code flow
3. The dev reproduces the bug, then copies `window.__debug_logs` to a JSON file
4. An agent reads that JSON to diagnose and fix the issue
---
## Phase 1: Understand the Bug
Analyze $ARGUMENTS and the relevant code to understand:
- What feature/component is affected?
- What is the expected vs actual behavior?
- What data flows through the affected code path?
Use `AskUserQuestion` if the bug description is unclear or if you need to narrow down the scope.
---
## Phase 2: Identify Key Instrumentation Points
Explore the codebase and identify **every critical point** in the code path where data changes or decisions are made. Typical points include:
- **Initial load / mount**: component mount, initial data fetch
- **Data arrival**: API responses, store hydration, prop changes
- **User interactions**: clicks, form changes, selections
- **State transitions**: state updates, effect triggers, re-renders
- **Derived computations**: filtered lists, computed values, transformations
- **Error boundaries**: catch blocks, error states, fallbacks
Map out these points before writing any code.
---
## Phase 3: Instrument the Code
### 3.1 — Initialize the global logger
Add this initialization at the **app entry point** or at the top of the **root component/page** being debugged (whichever is more appropriate):
```typescript
// --- DEBUG START ---
if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
window.__debug_logs = []
}
// --- DEBUG END ---
```
### 3.2 — Add a helper (optional, for convenience)
If there are many log points, add a small helper near the initialization:
```typescript
// --- DEBUG START ---
function __debugLog(key: string, data: Record<string, unknown>) {
if (typeof window !== 'undefined' && window.__debug_logs) {
window.__debug_logs.push({
timestamp: Date.now(),
key,
...data,
})
}
}
// --- DEBUG END ---
```
### 3.3 — Insert log points
At each instrumentation point, push a structured entry:
```typescript
// --- DEBUG START ---
__debugLog('initial_data', {
data: { id: product.id, status: product.status, price: product.price },
})
// --- DEBUG END ---
```
### Log Entry Format
Every entry MUST have these fields:
| Field | Type | Description |
|-------------|----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `timestamp` | `number` | `Date.now()` — milliseconds since epoch |
| `key` | `string` | Descriptive snake_case ID for this point (see naming conventions below) |
Additional fields are added as needed per log point (e.g., `data`, `props`, `state`, `error`, `response`).
### Key Naming Conventions
Use descriptive, snake_case keys that tell a story when read in sequence:
```
first_load
initial_props
fetch_start
fetch_response
state_after_fetch
on_filter_change
filtered_results
on_item_click
selected_item_data
on_submit
submit_response
error_caught
```
### Data Pruning Rules
**CRITICAL**: Only log what's relevant to the bug. For each log point:
- ✅ Log IDs, statuses, counts, flags, selected values
- ✅ Log the specific fields that might be wrong
- ✅ Log array lengths instead of full arrays (unless the array content matters)
- ✅ Log error messages and codes
- ❌ Do NOT log entire API responses — pick the relevant fields
- ❌ Do NOT log full component props — pick what matters
- ❌ Do NOT log DOM elements or React internals
- ❌ Do NOT log large objects (images, blobs, full user profiles)
Example — instead of logging an entire product list:
```typescript
// ❌ Bad: logs everything
__debugLog('products_loaded', { data: products })
// ✅ Good: logs what matters
__debugLog('products_loaded', {
data: {
count: products.length,
firstId: products[0]?.id,
lastId: products[products.length - 1]?.id,
statuses: [...new Set(products.map(p => p.status))],
},
})
```
### Wrapping Convention
ALL debug code MUST be wrapped in clearly marked comments for easy removal:
```typescript
// --- DEBUG START ---
__debugLog('some_key', { data: relevantData })
// --- DEBUG END ---
```
This makes cleanup trivial — search for `DEBUG START` and remove all blocks.
---
## Phase 4: Prepare the Debug Output File
### 4.1 — Find or create the output location
Check if there is a spec folder for the feature being debugged:
- Look for a matching folder in the specs directory (check project config or default `.specs/`)
- If a spec folder exists → create a `.debug/` subfolder inside it
- If no spec folder exists → create `.debug/` in the project root
### 4.2 — Create the empty log file
Determine the next available index:
```
.debug/logs-1.json
.debug/logs-2.json
.debug/logs-3.json
...
```
Create the file with a placeholder:
```json
[]
```
### 4.3 — Tell the dev what to do
After instrumenting, output clear instructions:
```
Debug instrumentation is ready.
To capture logs:
1. Reproduce the bug in your browser
2. Open DevTools console and run: copy(JSON.stringify(window.__debug_logs, null, 2))
3. Paste into: <path-to-debug-file>
4. Then ask me to analyze the logs and fix the bug
To clean up after debugging:
- Search for "DEBUG START" and remove all blocks between DEBUG START/END markers
```
---
## Phase 5: Analyze Logs (when the dev comes back with filled logs)
If the user provides a populated debug JSON file or asks to analyze:
1. Read the JSON file
2. Build a timeline of events from the `timestamp` and `key` fields
3. Identify anomalies:
- Unexpected data values
- Missing expected log entries (gaps in the flow)
- Wrong ordCreate PR from current or specified branch
Create a GitHub issue with project board integration
Explain recent code changes in simple terms a junior dev can understand
Fetch and resolve unresolved PR comments
Auto-format code and fix TypeScript issues
Capture current work context for handoff to another agent/developer. Gathers git state, todos, and modified files into a structured handoff document saved to the related spec folder.
Review uncommitted changes and suggest improvements
Create a release PR to main with version bump and draft a GitHub release