---
name: spec-debug
description: 'Systematically find root causes and fix bugs. Use when debugging errors, investigating test failures, reproducing bugs from issue trackers (GitHub, Linear, Jira), or when stuck on a problem after failed fix attempts. Also use when the user says ''debug this'', ''why is this failing'', ''fix this bug'', ''trace this error'', or pastes stack traces, error messages, or issue references.'
argument-hint: "[issue reference, error message, test path, or description of broken behavior]"
---

# Debug and Fix

Find root causes, then fix them. This skill investigates bugs systematically — tracing the full causal chain before proposing a fix — and optionally implements the fix with test-first discipline.

<bug_description> #$ARGUMENTS </bug_description>

## Workflow Contract Summary

### When To Use

Use for failing tests, runtime errors, broken behavior, regressions, stack traces, issue references, or repeated failed fix attempts where root cause must be established before changing code.

### When Not To Use

Do not use for planned feature implementation, requirements/plan review, setup/update/runtime drift repair, or obvious non-bug enhancements that belong in `spec-work` or `spec-plan`.

### Inputs

Bug description, issue or error evidence, reproduction path, repo instructions, package/test commands, nearby source/tests, logs, and graph/MCP evidence as advisory debugging context.

### Outputs

Root-cause explanation, hypothesis/probe evidence, fix when authorized, verification results, residual risks, and a structured handoff or PR-ready summary.

### Artifacts

Tests, traces, logs, issue summaries, code changes, and final debug summary. Generated runtime mirrors are not source unless the bug explicitly targets setup/update/runtime drift.

### Failure Modes

Unreproducible bug, missing environment or credentials, ambiguous target repo, stale graph for graph-heavy debugging, contradicted hypothesis, unsafe branch state, or failed validation.

### Workflow

Triage the symptom, reproduce or record a not-possible reason, trace the causal path, test hypotheses, apply one scoped fix at a time, rerun the feedback loop, then hand off.

### Downstream Consumers

`spec-work` for larger fixes, `spec-code-review`, PR preparation, issue trackers, and `spec-compound` when the lesson is reusable.

## Scenario Capability

Follows `docs/contracts/workflows/scenario-capability-matrix.md` with high-risk overrides because this workflow can establish root cause and apply fixes.

Overrides: high-risk

- `foreign-residual-workspace` -> `blocked-action-required`: stop before root-cause claims or fixes that rely on stale local artifacts until `spec-first clean --workspace-orphans` preview and `spec-first init` refresh local state, or the user explicitly accepts degraded evidence.
- `unavailable-provider` condition -> `fallback-only`: use reproduction, logs, tests, and bounded source reads; do not claim graph-backed causal links or blast radius.
- `non-git-build-workspace` coverage gaps -> `partial`: debug covered git roots normally, and inspect uncovered build modules directly before concluding they are unaffected.

## Core Principles

These principles govern every phase. They are repeated at decision points because they matter most when the pressure to skip them is highest.

1. **Investigate before fixing.** Do not propose a fix until you can explain the full causal chain from trigger to symptom with no gaps. "Somehow X leads to Y" is a gap.
2. **Predictions for uncertain links.** When the causal chain has uncertain or non-obvious links, form a prediction — something in a different code path or scenario that must also be true. If the prediction is wrong but a fix "works," you found a symptom, not the cause. When the chain is obvious (missing import, clear null reference), the chain explanation itself is sufficient.
3. **One change at a time.** Test one hypothesis, change one thing. If you're changing multiple things to "see if it helps," stop — that is shotgun debugging.
4. **When stuck, diagnose why — don't just try harder.**

## Context Orientation Anchor

Orient debugging from the reported symptom, reproduction path, already-loaded host/project instructions, package manifests and command registries, nearby implementation files, nearby tests, recent diffs, and runtime logs. Treat `AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, and project role docs as host instruction sources that are normally already loaded by the current session, not automatic re-read targets for every debug run. Read those source instruction files only when `docs/contracts/context-governance.md`'s Host Instruction Reuse Policy allows it, such as a user-named path, missing/stale loaded context, source/runtime governance work, or a directory-scoped instruction file that may govern changed files. In a parent workspace containing multiple independent Git repos, use `workspace-graph-targets.v1` only as advisory read-only evidence: prefer bounded candidate repos with `primary` status, try GitNexus-first queries for the concrete symptom, and treat `degraded-fallback` or definitions-only GitNexus results as file/symbol pointers to verify with tests, logs, runtime probes, or direct source reads. `workspace-gitnexus-readiness.v1` can orient investigation with group or bounded registry/per-repo evidence, but `group-missing` is fallback context, not provider failure. Before Phase 3 writes, the bug must have a single explicit `target_repo` or per-fix repo scope, even when GitNexus group evidence is ready; do not let cwd, graph target facts, group readiness facts, or live MCP results choose a sibling repo for edits.

## Domain Language And Decision Ledger

When symptoms involve domain terminology, policy names, workflow-specific concepts, or ADR-like tradeoffs, consume existing context before asking questions that repo/docs can answer: already-loaded project standards and host instructions, `docs/contracts/`, existing plans/solutions, and any repo-local glossary or ADR-like artifacts that actually exist. Read `AGENTS.md` / `CLAUDE.md` source only under the Host Instruction Reuse Policy, not as a default domain-context step. Do not require a fixed `CONTEXT.md`, `docs/adr/`, or glossary directory. If those artifacts are absent, treat the gap as advisory and continue with direct reproduction/source evidence.

For major debugging decisions, carry a lightweight decision note: `question`, `recommended_answer`, `source_tag`, `chosen_answer`, `consequence`, and `deferred_reason` when unresolved. Use source tags such as `confirmed`, `advisory`, `session-local`, `stale`, or `user`. Suggest creating an ADR-like artifact only when the fix direction is hard to reverse, would be surprising without context, and reflects a real tradeoff.

## Runtime Context Exclusion

Follow `docs/contracts/context-governance.md`: ordinary Debug context excludes `.spec-first/audits/**` and generated mirrors (`.claude/**`, `.codex/**`, `.agents/skills/**`) by default. Runtime logs are task evidence only when they directly reproduce the symptom or the user points to them; do not scan audit snapshots or generated mirrors as source context unless debugging setup/update/runtime drift/audit behavior.

Maintain a run-local context ledger for this workflow: paths read, reason, phase, and compact summary. Reuse loaded summaries within the same workflow run. Re-read only when exact wording is needed, the file changed, prior evidence is insufficient, or the user explicitly asks.

## Graph Freshness / Refresh Trigger Boundary

Before using compiled graph facts as primary debugging evidence, check `.spec-first/graph/provider-status.json`, `.spec-first/graph/graph-facts.json`, and `.spec-first/impact/bootstrap-impact-capabilities.json` for provider `query_ready=true`, current `source_revision`, `worktree_dirty`, `worktree_status_hash`, and setup-owned provider projection / fingerprint freshness. Branch switch, pull, rebase, merge, dirty worktree changes, and provider fingerprint mismatch are stale / bootstrap-required signals, not permission for Debug to rebuild providers.

For stale graph + lightweight debugging, such as a single-file typo, missing import, null dereference, off-by-one, or a small local bug with direct source evidence, disclose limitations and continue with bounded direct reads, tests, logs, or session-local live GitNexus pointers. For stale graph + graph-heavy debugging, such as shared helper/API/route/provider contract/core workflow/cross-module failures, review-pre-facts failures, high-risk regressions, or symptoms where execution flows and blast radius materially shape the root-cause search, recommend `$spec-graph-bootstrap` / `/spec:graph-bootstrap` before claiming graph-backed impact evidence. Debug must not run GitNexus analyze/build/index refresh, provider repair, default git hooks, watchers, or daemons.

When a debugging run has an explicit stack-trace symbol, named file, or diff scope and graph evidence is fresh or explicitly session-local, the hidden pre-facts helper may be called with `--workflow debug`. Its neutral facts may include `query`, `context`, `impact`, and `detect_changes` summaries for hypothesis focus, but root cause still requires reproduction/source/log/runtime/test confirmation and raw diff or full provider output must stay out of durable summaries.

## Execution Flow

| Phase | Name | Purpose |
|-------|------|---------|
| 0 | Triage | Parse input, fetch issue if referenced, proceed to investigation |
| 1 | Investigate | Reproduce the bug, trace the code path |
| 2 | Root Cause | Form hypotheses with predictions for uncertain links, test them, **causal chain gate**, smart escalation |
| 3 | Fix | Only if user chose to fix. Test-first fix with workspace safety checks |
| 4 | Handoff | Structured summary, then prompt the user for the next action |

All phases self-size — a simple bug flows through them in seconds, a complex bug spends more time in each naturally. No complexity classification, no phase skipping.

**Trivial-bug fast-path:** When investigation proves the full causal chain is a narrow, directly observable defect — a single-file typo, missing import, explicit null dereference, or off-by-one — compress Phase 1 and Phase 2 into the smallest evidence pass needed to explain it. Fast-path does not skip Phase 2: still present the root cause, proposed fix, tests, and the **Fix it now** / **Diagnosis only** choice gate. If the user chooses to fix, Phase 3 still starts with the **Workspace and branch check**.

**Negative boundary:** Do not use the fast-path for multi-file causal chains, architecture regressions, state races, permission or environment failures, flaky behavior, or any issue whose invalid state cannot be directly located. Non-trivial bugs still require the full investigation path.

## Feedback Loop And Hypothesis Ledger

Before declaring root cause or proposing a fix, establish or attempt the smallest feedback loop that can observe the symptom: a failing test, CLI invocation, HTTP/browser script, trace replay, throwaway harness, property/fuzz loop, or another concrete reproducer. If no loop can be created in the current environment, record `feedback_loop_not_possible` with the exact missing condition and continue with bounded evidence; do not pretend a loop exists.

Maintain a lightweight hypothesis ledger for non-obvious bugs: `hypothesis`, `prediction`, `evidence_for`, `evidence_against`, `probe_result`, and `final_root_cause`. The ledger is working evidence, not a durable schema. Add optional `graph_evidence` when GitNexus evidence shaped the hypothesis. Use `graph_evidence` only when GitNexus evidence shaped the hypothesis; include the capability name, compact result summary, freshness/grade, and which causal-chain link it informs. `graph_evidence` does not replace `evidence_for` source/test confirmed facts. If graph evidence is `stale` or `dirty-advisory`, mark that in the field; stale graph + graph-heavy debugging should still recommend `$spec-graph-bootstrap` before claiming graph-backed causality. After a fix, rerun the same feedback loop or state why it cannot be rerun before handoff.

---

### Phase 0: Triage

Parse the input and reach a clear problem statement.

**If the input references an issue tracker**, fetch it:
- GitHub (`#123`, `org/repo#123`, github.com URL): Parse the issue reference from `<bug_description>` and fetch with `gh issue view <number> --json title,body,comments,labels`. For URLs, pass the URL directly to `gh`.
- Other trackers (Linear URL/ID, Jira URL/key, any tracker URL): Attempt to fetch using available MCP tools or by fetching the URL content. If the fetch fails — auth, missing tool, non-public page — ask the user to paste the relevant issue content. Ensure the fetch includes the full comment thread, not just the opening description.

Read the full conversation — the original description AND every comment, with particular attention to the latest ones. Comments frequently contain updated reproduction steps, narrowed scope, prior failed attempts, additional stack traces, or a pivot to a different suspected root cause; treating the opening post as the whole picture often sends the investigation in the wrong direction. Extract reported symptoms, expected behavior, reproduction steps, and environment details from the combined thread. Then proceed to Phase 1.

**Everything else** (stack traces, test paths, error messages, descriptions of broken behavior): Proceed directly to Phase 1.

**Questions:**
- Do not ask questions by default — investigate first (read code, run tests, trace errors)
- Only ask when a genuine ambiguity blocks investigation and cannot be resolved by reading code or running tests
- When asking, ask one specific question

**Prior-attempt awareness:** If the user indicates prior failed attempts ("I've been trying", "keeps failing", "stuck"), ask what they have already tried before investigating. This avoids repeating failed approaches and is one of the few cases where asking first is the right call.

---

### Phase 1: Investigate

#### 1.1 Reproduce the bug

Confirm the bug exists and understand its behavior. Run the test, trigger the error, follow reported reproduction steps — whatever matches the input.

- **Browser bugs:** Prefer `agent-browser` if installed. Otherwise use whatever works — MCP browser tools, direct URL testing, screenshot capture, etc.
- **Manual setup required:** If reproduction needs specific conditions the agent cannot create alone (data states, user roles, external services, environment config), document the exact setup steps and guide the user through them. Clear step-by-step instructions save significant time even when the process is fully manual.
- **Does not reproduce after 2-3 attempts:** Read `references/investigation-techniques.md` for intermittent-bug techniques.
- **Cannot reproduce at all in this environment:** Document what was tried and what conditions appear to be missing.

#### 1.2 Verify environment sanity

Before deep code tracing, confirm the environment is what you think it is:

- Correct branch checked out; no unintended uncommitted changes
- Dependencies installed and up to date (`bun install`, `npm install`, `bundle install`, etc.) — stale `node_modules`/`vendor` is a frequent false lead
- Expected interpreter or runtime version (check `.tool-versions`, `.nvmrc`, `Gemfile`, etc. against what's actually active)
- Required env vars present and non-empty
- No stale build artifacts (`dist/`, `.next/`, compiled binaries from an earlier branch)
- Dependent local services (database, cache, queue) running at expected versions *when the bug plausibly involves them*

#### 1.3 Trace the code path

Read the relevant source files. Follow the execution path from entry point to where the error manifests. Trace backward through the call chain:

- Start at the error
- Ask "where did this value come from?" and "who called this?"
- Keep going upstream until finding the point where valid state first became invalid
- Do not stop at the first function that looks wrong — the root cause is where bad state originates, not where it is first observed

As you trace:
- Check recent changes in files you are reading: `git log --oneline -10 -- [file]`
- If the bug looks like a regression ("it worked before"), use `git bisect` (see `references/investigation-techniques.md`)
- Check the project's observability tools for additional evidence:
  - Error trackers (Sentry, AppSignal, Datadog, BetterStack, Bugsnag)
  - Application logs
  - Browser console output
  - Database state
- Each project has different systems available; use whatever gives a more complete picture

#### 1.4 Trivial-bug fast-path check

After tracing, decide whether the defect qualifies for the fast-path:

- It is confined to one obvious location.
- The observed value or error directly identifies the bad line.
- The causal chain can be stated without uncertain links.
- A focused test or existing failing test can prove the correction.

If all are true, proceed to Phase 2 with a concise root cause. If any are false, continue the normal investigation path.

---

### Phase 2: Root Cause

*Reminder: investigate before fixing. Do not propose a fix until you can explain the full causal chain from trigger to symptom with no gaps.*

Read `references/anti-patterns.md` before forming hypotheses.

**Assumption audit (before hypothesis formation):** List the concrete "this must be true" beliefs your understanding depends on — the framework behaves as expected here, this function returns what its name implies, the config loads before this runs, the caller passes a non-null value, the database is in the state the test implies. For each, mark *verified* (you read the code, checked state, or ran it) or *assumed*. Assumptions are the most common source of stuck debugging. Many "wrong hypotheses" are actually correct hypotheses tested against a wrong assumption.

**Form hypotheses** ranked by likelihood. For each, state:
- What is wrong and where (file:line)
- **Concrete observation**: the runtime value, log line, instrumented boundary, working comparison, or specific code reference that grounds the hypothesis
- The causal chain: how the trigger leads to the observed symptom, step by step
- **For uncertain links in the chain**: a prediction — something in a different code path or scenario that must also be true if this link is correct

When the causal chain is obvious and has no uncertain links (missing import, clear type error, explicit null dereference), the chain explanation itself is the gate — no prediction required. Predictions are a tool for testing uncertain links, not a ritual for every hypothesis.

Before forming a new hypothesis, review what has already been ruled out and why.

**Causal chain gate:** Do not proceed to Phase 3 until you can explain the full causal chain — from the original trigger through every step to the observed symptom — with no gaps. The user can explicitly authorize proceeding with the best-available hypothesis if investigation is stuck.

If a hypothesis ledger entry uses `graph_evidence`, every uncertain link informed by that graph evidence must be closed by at least one non-graph observation before declaring root cause: reproduction, source read, log line, runtime value, or test result. A GitNexus-backed root cause with no non-graph confirmation violates this gate. This requirement applies only to hypotheses that use `graph_evidence`; trivial-bug fast-path and hypotheses without graph evidence keep the existing chain gate.

*Reminder: if a prediction was wrong but the fix appears to work, you found a symptom. The real cause is still active.*

#### Present findings

Once the root cause is confirmed, present:
- The root cause (causal chain summary with file:line references)
- The proposed fix and which files would change
- Which tests to add or modify to prevent recurrence (specific test file, test case description, what the assertion should verify)
- Whether existing tests should have caught this and why they did not

Then offer next steps.

Use the platform's blocking question tool (`AskUserQuestion` in Claude Code or `request_user_input` in Codex). In Claude Code, call `ToolSearch` with `select:AskUserQuestion` first if its schema isn't loaded — a pending schema load is not a reason to fall back. Fall back to numbered options in chat only when no blocking tool exists in the harness or the call errors (e.g., Codex edit modes). Never silently skip the question.

Options to offer:

1. **Fix it now** — proceed to Phase 3
2. **Diagnosis only — I'll take it from here** — skip the fix, proceed to Phase 4's summary, and end the skill
3. **Rethink the design** (current host's brainstorm entrypoint) — only when the root cause reveals a design problem (see below)

Do not assume the user wants action right now. The test recommendations are part of the diagnosis regardless of which path is chosen.

**When to suggest brainstorm:** Only when investigation reveals the bug cannot be properly fixed within the current design — the design itself needs to change. Concrete signals observable during debugging:

- **The root cause is a wrong responsibility or interface**, not wrong logic. The module should not be doing this at all, or the boundary between components is in the wrong place. (Observable: the fix requires moving responsibility between modules, not correcting code within one.)
- **The requirements are wrong or incomplete.** The system behaves as designed, but the design does not match what users actually need. The "bug" is really a product gap. (Observable: the code is doing exactly what it was written to do — the spec is the problem.)
- **Every fix is a workaround.** You can patch the symptom, but cannot articulate a clean fix because the surrounding code was built on an assumption that no longer holds. (Observable: you keep wanting to add special cases or flags rather than a direct correction.)

Do not suggest brainstorm for bugs that are large but have a clear fix — size alone does not make something a design problem.

#### Smart escalation

If 2-3 hypotheses are exhausted without confirmation, diagnose why:

| Pattern | Diagnosis | Next move |
|---------|-----------|-----------|
| Hypotheses point to different subsystems | Architecture/design problem, not a localized bug | Present findings, suggest the current host's brainstorm entrypoint |
| Evidence contradicts itself | Wrong mental model of the code | Step back, re-read the code path without assumptions |
| Works locally, fails in CI/prod | Environment problem | Focus on env differences, config, dependencies, timing |
| Fix works but prediction was wrong | Symptom fix, not root cause | The real cause is still active — keep investigating |

**Parallel investigation option:** When hypotheses are evidence-bottlenecked across clearly independent subsystems, dispatch read-only sub-agents in parallel, each with an explicit hypothesis and structured evidence-return format. No code edits by sub-agents, and skip this when hypotheses depend on each other's outcomes. If the platform does not support parallel sub-agent dispatch, run the same hypothesis probes sequentially in ranked-likelihood order instead — the parallelism is a latency optimization, not a correctness requirement.

Present the diagnosis to the user before proceeding.

---

### Phase 3: Fix

*Reminder: one change at a time. If you are changing multiple things, stop.*

If the user chose "Diagnosis only" at the end of Phase 2, skip this phase and go straight to Phase 4 for the summary — the skill's job was the diagnosis. If they chose "Rethink the design", control has transferred to the current host's brainstorm entrypoint and this skill ends.

**Workspace and branch check:** Before editing files:

- Check for uncommitted changes (`git status`). If the user has unstaged work in files that need modification, confirm before editing — do not overwrite in-progress changes.
- If the current branch is the default branch, ask whether to create a feature branch first using the platform's blocking question tool (see Phase 2 for the per-platform names). To detect the default branch, compare against `main`, `master`, or the value of `git rev-parse --abbrev-ref origin/HEAD` with its `origin/` prefix stripped (the raw output is `origin/<name>`, so an unstripped comparison will never match the local branch name). Default to creating one; derive a name from the bug and run `git checkout -b <name>`. On any other branch, proceed.

**Test-first:**
1. Read the nearby or project-level testing convention before adding a reproduction test; match the existing test style, fixture pattern, and command shape
2. Write a failing test that captures the bug (or use the existing failing test)
3. Verify it fails for the right reason — the root cause, not unrelated setup
4. Implement the minimal fix — address the root cause and nothing else
5. Verify the test passes
6. Self-review every changed line against the root cause; remove only debris introduced by this fix and do not refactor unrelated code
7. Run the broader test suite for regressions

**Review scope:** For non-trivial fixes, run the host's lightweight code review or the current host's code-review entrypoint when the touched surface is sensitive, broad, or user-facing. Do not invoke a full review ritual for an obvious mechanical fix after the focused test and self-review have covered it.

**3 failed fix attempts = smart escalation.** Diagnose using the same table from Phase 2. If fixes keep failing, the root cause identification was likely wrong. Return to Phase 2.

**Failed fix evidence reset:** When a fix attempt fails, record the invalidated evidence before forming the next hypothesis: which prediction failed, which observed value/log/test contradicted the hypothesis, and what assumption is now ruled out. Do not stack another fix attempt on top of a contradicted hypothesis.

**Conditional defense-in-depth** (trigger: grep for the root-cause pattern found it in 3+ other files, OR the bug would have been catastrophic if it reached production): Read `references/defense-in-depth.md` for the four-layer model (entry validation, invariant check, environment guard, diagnostic breadcrumb) and choose which layers apply. Skip when the root cause is a one-off error with no realistic recurrence path.

**Conditional post-mortem** (trigger: the bug was in production, OR the pattern appears in 3+ locations):
Analyze how this was introduced and what allowed it to survive. Note any systemic gap or repeated pattern found; it informs Phase 4's decision on whether to offer learning capture.

---

### Phase 4: Handoff

**Structured summary** — always write this first:

```
## Debug Summary
**Problem**: [What was broken]
**Root Cause**: [Full causal chain, with file:line references]
**Recommended Tests**: [Tests to add/modify to prevent recurrence, with specific file and assertion guidance]
**Graph evidence** (when applicable):
- graph_claims_validated_by: [Which graph findings were confirmed by reproduction/source/log/test, or "none"]
- graph_claims_remaining_advisory: [Which graph findings were not independently confirmed, or "none"]
**Fix**: [What was changed — or "diagnosis only" if Phase 3 was skipped]
**Prevention**: [Test coverage added; defense-in-depth if applicable]
**Confidence**: [High/Medium/Low]
```

**If Phase 3 was skipped** (user chose "Diagnosis only" in Phase 2), stop after the summary — the user already told you they were taking it from here. Do not prompt.

**If Phase 3 ran**, the next move depends on whether this skill created the branch in Phase 3.

#### Skill-owned branch: default to commit-and-PR without prompting

When Phase 3 created the branch, default to finishing the bugfix by committing and opening a PR.

1. **Check contextual overrides first.** Look at the user's original prompt, loaded memories, and already-loaded repo instructions for explicit preferences that conflict with automatic commit-and-PR, such as "always review before pushing", "open PRs as drafts", or "do not open PRs from skills". Read `AGENTS.md` / `CLAUDE.md` source only if the loaded instruction context is missing, stale, or the override itself is being verified. If any apply, honor them by switching to the pre-existing-branch menu below or skipping the PR step, whichever matches the instruction.
2. **Briefly preview what will happen**: what will be committed, on which branch, and that a PR will be opened. This preview lets the user interrupt; it is not a blocking question.
3. **Run `git-commit-push-pr`.** When the entry came from an issue tracker, include the appropriate close syntax in the place that tracker parses, such as `Fixes #N` in GitHub PR descriptions or the relevant Jira/Linear close syntax. Surface the resulting PR URL.

#### Pre-existing branch: ask the user

If this skill did not create the branch, prompt the user for the next action via the platform's blocking question tool (`AskUserQuestion` in Claude Code or `request_user_input` in Codex). In Claude Code, call `ToolSearch` with `select:AskUserQuestion` first if its schema isn't loaded — a pending schema load is not a reason to fall back. Fall back to numbered options in chat only when no blocking tool exists in the harness or the call errors (e.g., Codex edit modes). Never end the phase without collecting a response.

Options:

1. **Commit and open a PR (`git-commit-push-pr`)** — default for most cases
2. **Commit the fix** — local commit only
3. **Stop here** — user takes it from there

#### After a PR is open: consider offering learning capture

Most bugs are localized mechanical fixes where the only lesson is the bug itself. Compounding those clutters `docs/solutions/` without adding value. Decide which path applies:

- **Skip silently** when the fix is mechanical and there is no generalizable insight. Default to this when in doubt.
- **Offer neutrally** when the lesson can be stated in one sentence, such as a surprising framework return type or a non-obvious diagnostic path worth recording. If you cannot articulate the lesson, skip rather than offer.
- **Lean into the offer** when the pattern appears in 3+ locations or the root cause reveals a wrong assumption about a shared dependency, framework, or convention that other code is likely to repeat.

When offering, use the same blocking question tool described above. If the user accepts, run `spec-compound`, then commit the resulting learning doc to the same branch and push so the open PR picks up the new commit.
