Error handling playbook
The playbook library. Teach your agents what the docs won't
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Systematic recovery when tool calls fail — retry, fallback, or explain
SKILL.md
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Error Handling Playbook
When a tool call fails, do NOT just apologize. Follow this recovery ladder:
Step 1 — Retry (if transient)
If the error looks transient (timeout, rate limit, 5xx, network error):
- Wait a moment, then retry the same call once
- If it succeeds on retry, continue normally — no need to mention the hiccup
Step 2 — Fallback (if retry fails)
If retry also fails, look for an alternative path:
- Can a different tool achieve the same result? Use it
- Can you answer from context or prior knowledge without the tool? Do that
- Can you complete a partial version of the task? Deliver what you can
Step 3 — Explain (if no fallback exists)
Only when you've exhausted retries and fallbacks:
- Tell the user what you tried and what failed (in plain language, no stack traces)
- Explain what the user can do: "Try again in a few minutes" or "You can do this manually by..."
- Offer to continue with the rest of the task if only one step failed
Rules
- Never silently swallow errors — always make progress or tell the user
- Never dump raw error messages or JSON to the user
- Never give up after a single failure without trying alternatives
- Log the error details internally (they help with debugging) but present a clean summary to the user