| name | profiling |
| description | Classify an incoming request by type and complexity before routing to a specialist agent. Use when a request needs to be categorized to determine which agent and pipeline to invoke. |
Profiling skill
Profiling classifies a request across three dimensions before any work begins.
It is the first step in every non-trivial session and the entry point for any
request that could go to more than one agent.
When to invoke
Invoke this skill when:
- A new user request arrives and the destination agent is unclear.
- A request spans multiple types (e.g. "find the bug and fix it and review it").
- A request is ambiguous enough that the wrong agent would waste a full turn.
- A task mid-flight reveals a scope larger than initially classified.
Do not invoke this skill for pure lookup requests that clearly target a single
library or API — route directly to doc-library instead.
Dimension 1 — Request type
| Type | Signal keywords / patterns |
|---|
lookup | "how does", "what option/version/API", "does X support Y" |
design | "architecture", "ADR", "pattern", "data model", "integrate" |
feature | "implement", "add", "build", "write", "create", "refactor" |
review | "review", "check my code", "is this right", "any issues" |
bug | "broken", "error", "exception", "crash", "not working" |
compound | Two or more types present in the same request |
When type is compound: list each sub-type in order of logical execution.
Standard sequences:
- Bug + fix:
bug → feature → review
- New feature:
design → feature → review (skip design for S)
- Refactor:
review → design → feature → review
Dimension 2 — Size
| Size | Definition |
|---|
S | Single file, self-contained, answer fits in one reply. |
M | Multi-file, one subsystem, clear bounded scope. |
L | Cross-subsystem or cross-library, requires design before code. |
XL | Greenfield, major refactor, or scope is not yet determined. |
When size is XL: do not profile fully. Ask one clarifying question to
bound the scope, then re-profile.
Dimension 3 — Risk
| Risk level | Triggers |
|---|
low | Read-only queries, internal tooling, isolated utility code. |
medium | User-facing features, external API integrations, data mutations. |
high | Auth, payment, PII, secrets handling, LLM prompt construction. |
When risk is high: the reviewer must review the design (if L) before
implementation starts, and must review the implementation before it is done.
Profiling output format
Type: <type> | Size: <S/M/L/XL> | Risk: <low/medium/high>
Sub-types (if compound): <ordered list>
Clarifying question (if XL): <single question>
Transition
After profiling, hand the result to the task-breakdown skill to produce the
task list, or route directly to the target agent for S + lookup cases.
