# why

Conducts iterative Five Whys root cause analysis for technical bugs and incidents. Helps uncover process and system gaps instead of settling for superficial patches.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1200 installs · ★ 1787
- Author: NeoLabHQ
- License: GPL-3.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit/tree/HEAD/skills/why/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-08-26
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/neolabhq-why

## What it does

This skill guides the AI assistant through structured Five Whys root cause investigations. Instead of fixing surface symptoms, it recursively asks why an event happened, tracing failures back to missing validations, config discrepancies, or procedural oversights. The default iteration limit is set to 5 via the `DEPTH` variable, which you can adjust.

Execution begins with a problem definition, followed by step-by-step questioning and backwards validation from cause to symptom. When an issue stems from multiple sources, the analysis branches out to isolate each track. If human error appears in the chain, the skill pushes further to explain why the system allowed that error to occur.

Stopping at the first technical flaw leaves the underlying workflow vulnerable. Because of this, the final output outlines concrete remediations—such as pull request checklist updates or test environment changes—addressing root causes directly.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill why -a claude-code
```

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

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill why -a codex
```

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

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill why -a cursor
```

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

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit why
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/why/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill why -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --path skills/why
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill why -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/NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit/tree/HEAD/skills/why/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- Trace intermittent end-to-end test failures to configuration drift
- Investigate production 500 error spikes during high load
- Identify bottlenecks causing slow container build pipelines
- Separate multi-factor system failures into isolated investigation branches

## Example prompts
- /why Users receive 500 errors during checkout
- /why Docker build step takes over an hour in CI
- /why Integration tests fail intermittently during database setup

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## Other versions with the same name
- [why · cursor](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/why.md) — 5700 installs

From the same set: [neolabhq/context-engineering-kit](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/neolabhq/context-engineering-kit.md) — 64 cards

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md