Real file from a public repo · synced Sep 3, 2026
handling-failures
Use when writing or touching any error path, catch block, fallback, default value, retry, or degraded mode - in any language, any repo. Encodes the no-silent-swallows contract and the fail-loud discipline. Use whenever an exception is about to be caught, a null is about to get a default, or a failure could pass unnoticed, even if the goal is "just make it not crash".
Works with
Install in three steps
- 1
Download the ZIP
One file per agent, plus INSTALL.md with the exact paths below.
- 2
Claude Code: copy SKILL.md into your skills folder
.claude/skills/handling-failures/SKILL.md # this project ~/.claude/skills/handling-failures/SKILL.md # every project
- 3
Other agents: use the matching file
skill.mdc goes in Cursor’s .cursor/rules/. AGENTS.md works as GitHub Copilot instructions, a legacy .cursorrules, or a Codex / Gemini CLI instructions file.

