# crontap-debug-failed-runs

Walks through failed Crontap schedule runs using saved config and execution history. Useful when a scheduled HTTP job is late, failing or returning 401.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 879 installs · ★ 1
- Author: Crontap
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/Crontap/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/crontap-debug-failed-runs/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-16
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/crontap-debug-failed-runs

## What it does

The skill works from evidence. It pulls the schedule configuration with `get_schedule`, then the newest history page with `get_schedule_history`, compares several runs and only then suggests a fix. A cursor in the response gets passed back untouched to reach older runs.

A decision tree sorts the failure. No history plus a future next run points at cron, timezone, pause state or the account cadence floor. Codes 401 and 403 mean the target credential needs repair, 404 means the route or deployment environment is wrong, 429 means target rate limits, and 500 through 599 send you to endpoint logs. Network errors split into DNS, TLS, firewall and public reachability. For timeouts the skill suggests trimming endpoint work or moving long processing behind a queue.

Before any tool call it checks availability and offers two routes: connect Crontap MCP at `https://mcp.crontap.com/mcp`, or set `$CRONTAP_CLIENT_ID` and `$CRONTAP_API_KEY` for the raw API. MCP access works on every Crontap tier; raw API access requires Ultra. The skill waits for you to pick one and never asks for secret header values.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Crontap/skills --skill crontap-debug-failed-runs -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/crontap-debug-failed-runs/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/crontap-debug-failed-runs/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Crontap/skills --skill crontap-debug-failed-runs -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/crontap-debug-failed-runs/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Crontap/skills --skill crontap-debug-failed-runs -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/crontap-debug-failed-runs/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install Crontap/skills crontap-debug-failed-runs
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/crontap-debug-failed-runs/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Crontap/skills --skill crontap-debug-failed-runs -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/Crontap/skills --path skills/crontap-debug-failed-runs
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/crontap-debug-failed-runs/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Crontap/skills --skill crontap-debug-failed-runs -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/Crontap/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/crontap-debug-failed-runs/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- find out why a scheduled HTTP job ran late
- tell a one-off failure apart from a repeating one
- trace a 401 or 403 back to the right credential
- pin down the first failing timestamp and last known success
- confirm the downstream side effect after a fix

## Example prompts
- Debug why schedule `<schedule-id>` fails with 403 and show me the first failing run
- Compare recent runs for `<schedule-id>` and tell me if this is persistent
- Check the config for `<schedule-id>` — did the timezone drift?

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 9a60efa88f6818e0.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 9a60efa88f6818e0
````text
---
name: crontap-debug-failed-runs
description: >
  Diagnose failed Crontap schedule runs from saved configuration and retained
  execution history, separating scheduler, network, timeout, and endpoint
  failures. Use when a scheduled HTTP job is late, failing, or unexpectedly
  unauthorized.
license: MIT
metadata:
  version: "1.0.0"
  group: main
  order: 6
  title: Debug failed schedule runs
  summary: Trace failed runs through status, timing, and authentication evidence, then confirm the fix on the next attempt.
  bestFor: HTTP errors, timeouts, auth, and run history
  guide: https://crontap.com/guides/cron-troubleshooting
  guideTitle: Cron troubleshooting
  tools: get_schedule_history,get_schedule
---

# Debug failed schedule runs

Diagnose from evidence before changing cadence, retries, or credentials.

## Prerequisites

Before using the required tools, check whether they are available. If any are
missing, stop and offer the user exactly two choices:

1. Connect Crontap MCP at `https://mcp.crontap.com/mcp`. MCP access works on
   every Crontap tier.
2. Configure `$CRONTAP_CLIENT_ID` and `$CRONTAP_API_KEY` for the raw API. Raw
   API access requires Ultra.

Do not silently choose a path or continue until the user selects one.

- Obtain the schedule ID from the user or the schedule list.
- Define the incident window and the expected endpoint behavior.
- Do not ask the user to paste secret header values or full tokens.

## Workflow

1. Read the current schedule configuration with `get_schedule`.
2. Read the latest history page with `get_schedule_history`.
3. Compare several runs to identify a persistent error or a one-off event.
4. Classify the failure before proposing a bounded fix.
5. Verify the next run or a separately authorized test after a change.

## MCP examples

Read the active configuration:

```json
{
  "tool": "get_schedule",
  "arguments": {
    "scheduleId": "<schedule-id>"
  }
}
```

Read recent outcomes:

```json
{
  "tool": "get_schedule_history",
  "arguments": {
    "scheduleId": "<schedule-id>",
    "limit": 50
  }
}
```

If the response includes a cursor, pass it unchanged to inspect older runs:

```json
{
  "tool": "get_schedule_history",
  "arguments": {
    "scheduleId": "<schedule-id>",
    "limit": 50,
    "cursor": "<opaque-cursor>"
  }
}
```

## Failure decision tree

- No history and a future next run: verify cron, timezone, pause state, and
  account cadence floor.
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 9a60efa88f6818e0

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 9a60efa88f6818e0 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2441 of 4801 bytes. © Crontap · MIT · https://github.com/Crontap/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/crontap-debug-failed-runs/SKILL.md

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