fix-ci-failure

name	fix-ci-failure
description	Diagnose and fix a failing CI pipeline or GitHub Actions workflow
compatibility	>=1.4

Fix CI Failure

Skill metadata: version "1.0"; license MIT; tags [ci, github-actions, debugging, pipeline, workflow]; compatibility ">=1.4"; recommended tools [codebase, editFiles, runCommands].

Systematically diagnose and resolve a failing CI pipeline or GitHub Actions workflow.

When to use

• A CI job is red and the user asks to fix it
• A pull request is blocked by a failing check
• The user says "CI is failing", "fix the build", or "why is the pipeline red?"

When NOT to use

• The failure is in a third-party service (e.g., npm registry down) — report and wait
• The user wants to redesign the CI pipeline from scratch — use Planning Mode instead

Steps

1. Identify the failing job — Read the workflow file (.github/workflows/*.yml) and find which job and step failed. If the user has pasted log output, start there instead.

2. Categorise the failure:

   Category	Signals	Typical fix
   Lint / format	ESLint, Prettier, markdownlint, Ruff errors	Fix source files to pass linter rules
   Type check	TypeScript, mypy, cargo check errors	Fix type errors in source
   Test failure	Jest, pytest, cargo test, go test failures	Fix failing test or the code it tests
   Build failure	Compilation error, missing dependency	Fix build config or install missing dep
   Structural	Missing file, bad symlink, wrong path	Create/move the missing file
   Permission	Token expired, secret missing, scope error	Report to user — cannot fix secrets
   Timeout	Job exceeded time limit	Optimise or split the job

3. Read the relevant source — Open the files implicated by the error. Read enough context to understand the root cause (minimum 20 lines around each error location).

4. Fix the root cause — Make the minimum change needed to pass the check. Do not refactor unrelated code in the same commit.

5. Verify locally — Run the equivalent check locally:

   • For lint: run the linter command from the workflow
   • For tests: run the repository's main test command (for example, npm test, pytest, or bash tests/run-all.sh)
   • For structure: verify the file exists with ls -la

6. Check for cascade — After fixing, scan for secondary failures that the primary fix might have introduced. Run the full three-check ritual if available.

7. Summarise — Report:

   • What failed (job name, step, error message)
   • Root cause (one sentence)
   • What was changed (files + LOC delta)
   • Verification result (local check passed / still pending)

Verify

• The failing check would now pass with the changes made
• No unrelated changes were introduced
• The fix addresses the root cause, not just the symptom
• Summary includes all four items listed in step 7