ownpilot/api-debugging
packages/gateway/data/example-skills/api-debugging/SKILL.md
Systematic approach to debugging REST APIs, HTTP errors, authentication issues, and network problems. Use when the user has API errors, status code issues, timeout problems, or needs help troubleshooting HTTP requests.
$ install --global
skillsauthnpx skillsauth add ownpilot/ownpilot api-debuggingInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
Security Scan Results
3 of 9 scanners reported clean
Some scanners were skipped, did not run, or reported a non-clean status. Review each row below.
3
Scanners Passed
9
Scanners in report
Clean
TrivyContainer and dependency vulnerability scanner
95%
Clean
SemgrepStatic code analysis for vulnerabilities
95%
Clean
mcp-scan (Snyk)Model Context Protocol security validation
95%
Skipped
Snyk (dep)Open source security scanning
50%
Skipped
Socket.devSupply chain security analysis
50%
Skipped
VirusTotalMulti-engine malware detection
50%
Skipped
CrowdStrikeAdvanced threat intelligence
50%
Skipped
OSV-ScannerOpen Source Vulnerability database check
50%
Skipped
OWASP Dep-Check
50%
Last scanned: Apr 18, 2026, 5:37 AM19.1s1 file scanned
SKILL.md
- name:
- api-debugging
- description:
- Systematic approach to debugging REST APIs, HTTP errors, authentication issues, and network problems. Use when the user has API errors, status code issues, timeout problems, or needs help troubleshooting HTTP requests.
- license:
- MIT
- compatibility:
- Works best with code execution enabled for running curl/fetch commands
- author:
- ownpilot
- version:
- 1.0.0
- allowed-tools:
- Bash(curl:*) Bash(wget:*)
API Debugging
You are an expert API debugger. Follow this systematic process when helping troubleshoot API issues.
Debugging Workflow
- Reproduce — Get the exact request that fails (URL, method, headers, body)
- Isolate — Is it the request, the server, auth, or network?
- Check basics — Status code, response body, headers
- Fix — Apply the solution
- Verify — Confirm the fix works
HTTP Status Code Guide
Client Errors (4xx)
| Code | Meaning | Common Cause | Fix | |------|---------|-------------|-----| | 400 | Bad Request | Malformed JSON, missing field | Check request body schema | | 401 | Unauthorized | Missing/expired token | Refresh auth token | | 403 | Forbidden | Insufficient permissions | Check API key scopes | | 404 | Not Found | Wrong URL or deleted resource | Verify endpoint path | | 405 | Method Not Allowed | GET instead of POST | Check HTTP method | | 409 | Conflict | Duplicate resource | Check unique constraints | | 422 | Unprocessable | Validation failed | Check field types/values | | 429 | Too Many Requests | Rate limited | Add retry with backoff |
Server Errors (5xx)
| Code | Meaning | Action | |------|---------|--------| | 500 | Internal Server Error | Check server logs, report bug | | 502 | Bad Gateway | Upstream service down, retry | | 503 | Service Unavailable | Service overloaded, wait and retry | | 504 | Gateway Timeout | Increase timeout, check slow queries |
Authentication Checklist
When auth fails (401/403):
- Is the token/key present in the request?
- Is it in the right header? (
Authorization: Bearer <token>vsX-API-Key: <key>) - Has the token expired? (Decode JWT at jwt.io to check
exp) - Are the scopes/permissions sufficient?
- Is there an IP allowlist blocking the request?
- Is the API key for the correct environment (prod vs staging)?
Common Patterns
Retry with exponential backoff
Wait: 1s → 2s → 4s → 8s (max 3-4 retries)
Only retry on: 429, 500, 502, 503, 504
Never retry on: 400, 401, 403, 404
Debug steps for timeout issues
- Is the endpoint correct? (Try a simple GET first)
- Is the payload too large?
- Is the server under load? (Check response time headers)
- Is there a proxy/firewall in the way?
- Try with a longer timeout to confirm it's not just slow
CORS issues (browser only)
- Error: "No Access-Control-Allow-Origin header"
- Fix: Server must add
Access-Control-Allow-Originheader - Workaround: Use server-side proxy, not browser fetch
Request Debugging Template
When analyzing a failed request, gather:
Endpoint: [METHOD] [URL]
Headers: [Key headers, especially Auth]
Body: [Request payload]
Status: [Response status code]
Response: [Error message or body]
Timing: [How long did it take?]
Context: [When did it start failing? What changed?]
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