failure-recovery

Diagnose automated tool failures and select Retry, Pivot, Escalate, or Abort recovery actions.

Updated Mar 14, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/dgroch/metacognition --skill failure-recovery-dgroch
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: failure-recovery
Source: https://github.com/dgroch/metacognition/tree/main/skills/failure-recovery
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/dgroch/metacognition --skill failure-recovery-dgroch

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

When something goes wrong, you should diagnose the cause and select a safe recovery instead of blindly retrying or giving up, reducing wasted effort and user impact.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Failure detection and classification across explicit, silent, behavioral, and cascading failures.
  • Structured recovery actions (Retry, Pivot, Escalate, Abort) with guardrails and plan integration.
  • Seamless integration with task decomposition and execution plans to update steps after recovery.

Quick Start

Run a failure diagnosis on the current step and apply the recommended recovery action using the failure-recovery framework.

Frequently Asked Questions about failure-recovery

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I diagnose and recover from automated task failures instead of blindly retrying?

To recover from automated task failures, you can apply a structured framework that diagnoses the cause and selects a safe action like Retry, Pivot, Escalate, or Abort to minimize wasted effort.

What is the best way to handle silent or behavioral failures in automated tool usage?

Handling silent or behavioral failures requires a diagnosis framework that detects and classifies these non-explicit errors, guiding safe pivots and retries to reduce user impact and wasted effort.

How do I integrate failure recovery actions into my existing task decomposition workflow?

You can integrate failure recovery into task decomposition workflows by applying structured recovery actions that update execution plan steps seamlessly after diagnosing a failure.

When should I choose to escalate or abort an automated task rather than retrying it?

You should escalate or abort an automated task rather than retrying when the failure recovery framework determines the failure is unsafe to retry, applying guardrails to prevent wasted effort.

Can I generate auditable logs for failed automation steps and their recovery pivots?

Yes, the failure recovery framework satisfies requirements for auditable failure logs, ensuring that failed automation steps and their selected recovery actions are tracked and reviewed.

Does this failure recovery framework work without external dependencies or components?

Yes, the failure recovery framework operates independently without requiring external dependencies or components to diagnose failures and apply structured recovery actions.