What do I need to use Error Decoder?

The error; The language or runtime; The relevant code; What the user was doing.

Is Error Decoder free to use?

Yes — run it free in the browser playground (no API key needed for the sponsored trial, or bring any provider key), or install it into Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT and more via npx pm-claude-skills. MIT-licensed and open source.

Error Decoder

Q: How do I know the Error Decoder output is good?

The skill verifies itself against its own quality checks: The explanation translates the error into plain language (no restating the raw message); The cause points to a specific line/frame or condition, not "something went wrong"; The fix is concrete and runnable, not "check your code"; Assumptions about language/context are labelled.

🔵 Stable🕐 updated 2026-10-06 ✅ 4/5 🔷 SkillSpec L3 pm-engineering

Decode an error message or stack trace into a plain-English cause, the exact fix, and how to prevent it. Use when asked to explain an error, debug a stack trace, figure out why code is throwing, or make sense of a cryptic exception. Produces a structured diagnosis: what the error means, the most likely cause, a concrete fix with code, and a prevention tip.

▶ Run it free — no key needed 📝 Grade your existing draft ⬇ Add to Claude (works in Duet) 📱 Use as an app View SKILL.md ↗ What changed

🗣 Say this to your agent

“Explain an error.”“Debug a stack trace.”“Figure out why code is throwing.”“Make sense of a cryptic exception.”

What to give it

▸The error — the message, stack trace, or crash output, unabridged

▸The language or runtime — and version, if the error does not name it

▸The relevant code — the frame the trace points at, if available

▸What the user was doing — the command or action that triggered it; infer anything missing

✅ The bar it holds itself to

Every skill in this library self-verifies — these are this skill's own quality checks, straight from its definition.

✓The explanation translates the error into plain language (no restating the raw message)

✓The cause points to a specific line/frame or condition, not "something went wrong"

✓The fix is concrete and runnable, not "check your code"

✓Assumptions about language/context are labelled

⚠️ What it refuses to do

Do not just paraphrase the error — explain what it *means* and why it happened

Do not give a generic "try reinstalling" answer when the trace points to a specific cause

Do not invent file names or code that wasn't given — infer and label, or ask for the one missing thing only if truly blocking

Do not stop at the fix — always add the one prevention step

Install

npx pm-claude-skills add --agent claude   # or codex · cursor · gemini · hermes
# or one-line MCP (every skill, any client):
claude mcp add pm-skills -- npx -y -p pm-claude-skills pm-claude-skills-mcp

Start with

Related skills

🔌 Embed this skill

Drop this on your blog, docs, or site — it renders a "Run this skill" card:

<div data-pm-skill="error-decoder"></div>
<script src="https://mohitagw15856.github.io/pm-claude-skills/embed.js" async></script>

💬 Discussion

Error Decoder is one of 1326 open-source professional AI agent skills — all SkillSpec L3. Try them all in the browser · ⭐ Star on GitHub · Browse the full catalog