symbiote-impact

name	symbiote-impact
description	Trace the blast radius of a code change using Symbiote's dependency graph. This skill should be used when the user asks to "analyze impact", "what will this change break", "show affected files", "check blast radius", "impact analysis", or "what depends on this".

Symbiote Impact Analysis

Analyze the blast radius of a code change before making it — trace dependencies, find affected files, and surface risks.

When to Use

• Before refactoring a widely-used function or module
• When renaming a symbol across the codebase
• To understand what tests might break from a change
• When planning a large-scale migration

Process

Step 1: Identify the Target

Determine what the user wants to change:

• A specific symbol (function, class, type) → use get_impact
• Uncommitted git changes → use detect_changes
• A file's full dependency tree → use get_context_for_file

Step 2: Run Impact Analysis

For a specific symbol:

Use the get_impact MCP tool with the symbol name. It returns every affected file with confidence scores and traversal depth (max 3 levels).

For uncommitted changes:

Use the detect_changes MCP tool. It maps git diffs to modules and assigns risk levels.

For a file's dependency tree:

Use the get_context_for_file MCP tool to see all dependencies and dependents.

Step 3: Trace Deeper (if needed)

For high-risk changes, go deeper:

• trace_flow — trace execution from an entry point through the call graph
• trace_data — trace data flow forward or backward from a symbol
• find_implementations — find all classes implementing an interface

Step 4: Check for Safe Rename

If the change is a rename, use rename_symbol MCP tool to get a preview of all files that would change (dry-run, no writes).

Step 5: Present Results

Summarize in this format:

## Impact Analysis: {symbol or change description}

**Direct dependents:** {count} files
**Transitive impact:** {count} files (depth {N})
**Risk level:** {low|medium|high}

### Affected Files
- `path/to/file.ts` — {why it's affected}
- `path/to/other.ts` — {why it's affected}

### Recommendations
- {what to test}
- {what to update}
- {risks to watch for}