root-cause-analysis
Conduct systematic root cause analysis to identify underlying problems. Use structured methodologies to prevent recurring issues and drive improvements.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill root-cause-analysis- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads root-cause-analysis automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Root Cause Analysis
Table of Contents
Overview
Root cause analysis (RCA) identifies underlying reasons for failures, enabling permanent solutions rather than temporary fixes.
When to Use
- Production incidents
- Customer-impacting issues
- Repeated problems
- Unexpected failures
- Performance degradation
Quick Start
Minimal working example:
Example: Website Down
Symptom: Website returned 503 Service Unavailable
Why 1: Why was website down?
Answer: Database connection pool exhausted
Why 2: Why was connection pool exhausted?
Answer: Queries taking too long, connections not released
Why 3: Why were queries slow?
Answer: Missing index on frequently queried column
Why 4: Why was index missing?
Answer: Performance testing didn't use production-like data volume
Why 5: Why wasn't production-like data used?
Answer: Load testing environment doesn't mirror production
Root Cause: Load testing environment under-provisioned
Solution: Update load testing environment with production-like data
Prevention: Establish environment parity requirements
Reference Guides
Detailed implementations in the references/ directory:
| Guide | Contents |
|---|---|
| The 5 Whys Technique | The 5 Whys Technique |
| Systematic RCA Process | Systematic RCA Process |
| RCA Report Template | RCA Report Template |
| Root Cause Analysis Techniques | Root Cause Analysis Techniques |
| Follow-Up & Prevention | Follow-Up & Prevention |
Best Practices
✅ DO
- Follow established patterns and conventions
- Write clean, maintainable code
- Add appropriate documentation
- Test thoroughly before deploying
❌ DON'T
- Skip testing or validation
- Ignore error handling
- Hard-code configuration values
FAQ
What does the root-cause-analysis skill do?
Conduct systematic root cause analysis to identify underlying problems. Use structured methodologies to prevent recurring issues and drive improvements.
How do I install root-cause-analysis?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill root-cause-analysis in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/root-cause-analysis/ (personal) or .claude/skills/root-cause-analysis/ (project).
Which AI agents can use root-cause-analysis?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is root-cause-analysis safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains root-cause-analysis?
It is published by aj-geddes in aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts. It has 886 recorded installs.
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