Claude Code Debug
Troubleshoot extensions, hooks, and unexpected behavior.
Quick Diagnostics
bash
# Enable debug mode claude --debug # Check loaded extensions /hooks # View registered hooks /agents # View available agents /memory # View loaded memory files /config # View current configuration
Common Issues
| Symptom | Quick Check |
|---|---|
| Skill not activating | Verify description has trigger keywords |
| Hook not running | Check chmod +x, run /hooks |
| Agent not delegating | Add "Use proactively" to description |
| MCP connection fails | Test server manually with npx |
| Permission denied | Check settings.json allow rules |
Debug Mode Output
bash
claude --debug # Shows: # - Hook execution and errors # - Skill loading status # - Subagent invocations # - Tool permission decisions # - MCP server connections
Quick Fixes
Skill Not Loading
bash
# Check structure ls -la .claude/skills/my-skill/ # Must have: SKILL.md # Verify YAML frontmatter head -10 .claude/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md # Must start/end with --- # Check name matches directory grep "^name:" .claude/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md
Hook Not Executing
bash
# Make executable
chmod +x .claude/hooks/my-hook.sh
# Test manually
echo '{"tool_name":"Bash"}' | .claude/hooks/my-hook.sh
echo $? # Check exit code
# Verify JSON syntax
jq '.' ~/.claude/settings.json
Agent Not Being Used
bash
# Check file location ls ~/.claude/agents/ ls .claude/agents/ # Verify description includes "Use for:" or "Use proactively" grep -i "use" agents/my-agent.md | head -5 # Explicitly request # "Use the my-agent agent to analyze this"
Validation
bash
# Run all validations just test # YAML validation only just validate-yaml # Name matching only just validate-names
Official Documentation
- •https://code.claude.com/docs/en/hooks - Hooks reference
- •https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills - Skills reference
- •https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sub-agents - Custom subagents
- •https://code.claude.com/docs/en/settings - Settings configuration
Additional Resources
- •
./references/common-issues.md- Issue → Solution lookup table - •
./references/debug-commands.md- All inspection commands - •
./references/troubleshooting-flow.md- Decision tree
See Also: claude-code-hooks for hook debugging, claude-code-templates for correct structure