| name | hotfix |
| source | botcore |
| description | Create a hotfix branch from the latest release tag, apply a minimal targeted fix, verify with quality gates, and fast-track through commit and PR. Enforces scope discipline — hotfixes are minimal fixes only, no refactoring or features. Delegates to commit and pr for the landing steps. Use for emergency or urgent production fixes.
|
| version | 1.0.0 |
| triggers | ["do hotfix","hotfix","emergency fix","urgent fix","patch fix","production fix","critical bug"] |
| argument-hint | issue or description |
| portable | true |
| user-invocable | true |
Do Hotfix
Create and land an emergency fix from the latest release — minimal scope, fast-tracked.
Workflow
Step 1: Branch from Latest Release
Find the latest release tag and create a hotfix branch:
git describe --tags --abbrev=0
git checkout -b hotfix/<description> v1.2.3
If no tags exist, branch from main instead.
Name the branch descriptively: hotfix/fix-auth-crash, hotfix/issue-42.
Step 2: Scope Guard
Hotfix = minimal targeted fix only. Before making changes, remind:
- Fix the specific bug. Nothing else.
- No refactoring adjacent code
- No adding features, "while we're here" changes
- No dependency upgrades (unless the dependency IS the bug)
- No formatting/style changes outside the fix
If the fix requires broader changes, it's not a hotfix — it's a regular feature branch.
Step 3: Implement Fix
The user/agent implements the actual fix. This is the one step that requires judgment and coding — the rest is process.
Keep the diff as small as possible.
Step 4: Verify
Run the quality gate in quick mode to ensure nothing breaks:
python {skill-dir}/../commit/scripts/quality_gate.py
Additionally:
- Verify the specific bug is fixed (reproduce → confirm fix)
- Check that no existing tests broke
- Add a regression test for the bug if feasible
Step 5: Fast-Track Commit
Delegate to commit in quick mode — quality gate already ran, so this is just the commit step.
Suggested commit message format:
fix(<scope>): <description>
Fixes #<issue>
Step 6: Fast-Track PR
Delegate to pr with the hotfix label:
gh pr create --title "fix: <description>" --label hotfix --base main
In the PR description, emphasize:
- What broke (symptoms)
- Root cause
- What the fix does
- How it was verified
Step 7: Post-Merge
After the hotfix PR is merged:
- If the fix should be included in an active release branch, cherry-pick:
git checkout release/X.Y
git cherry-pick <hotfix-commit>
- Consider a patch release — delegate to
release patch if urgent
- Delete the hotfix branch
Reference
See git-manager skill for hotfix branching strategy details.
