error-recovery

Installation
SKILL.md

Error Recovery

When things break, guide people forward instead of leaving them stranded.

How to use

  • /error-recovery Apply error recovery constraints to this conversation.

Constraints

Error Message Structure

  • What happened (in plain language, not error codes)
  • Why it might have happened (if knowable)
  • What the user can do about it (specific action)
  • NEVER show raw error codes, stack traces, or technical jargon to end users
  • MUST log the technical details for debugging separately

Recovery Patterns

  • Auto-retry for transient failures (network timeout, rate limit) with backoff
  • Save user input before showing errors. NEVER lose their work.
  • Offer offline functionality for core features when possible
  • MUST provide a manual retry button for any auto-retried action that fails
  • SHOULD offer an alternative path ("Can't upload? Try drag and drop instead")

Graceful Degradation

  • If a non-critical feature fails, hide it. Don't break the whole page.
  • MUST maintain layout stability when components fail to load
  • SHOULD show cached/stale data with a "last updated" notice rather than nothing
  • NEVER redirect to a generic error page for recoverable errors

Copy Rules

  • Use "we" language for system errors ("We couldn't save your changes")
  • Use "try" language for recovery ("Try refreshing the page")
  • NEVER blame the user ("Invalid input" -> "This field needs a valid email")
  • Include a support contact for errors that can't be self-resolved
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