Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Debounce and Throttle Reviewer agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The debounce-throttle skill is a set of instructions that tells an AI agent to review JavaScript for event handlers, such as scroll, resize, typing and mouse movement, that fire very often and can cause lag or excessive API calls. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it with plain requests, and what to watch for. By the end you will be able to ask an agent to review your front-end code and understand the debounce and throttle suggestions it returns.
Debounce and Throttle Reviewerthedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the debounce-throttle skill ZIP from this page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill.
- 4Ask in plain language. Name the file or component and the symptom, such as lag while scrolling or repeated API calls while typing.
- 5Review the suggestions. Check whether the agent's debounce or throttle change matches the bottleneck you see.
- 6Verify in the browser. Test the change in the browser and confirm responsiveness and request counts improve.
What does the debounce-throttle skill make the agent do?
The skill tells the agent to look for high-frequency event handlers in your JavaScript. These include handlers for scroll, resize, input, and mousemove events. The source notes that such events can fire hundreds of times per second, which can cause UI jank, excessive API calls, and poor Interaction to Next Paint (INP) scores.
Where a handler fires too often, the agent can suggest wrapping it in debounce, which waits until activity stops, or throttle, which limits how often it runs. It also explains the difference between the two. The skill asks the agent to check the browser execution path as well as the source code, so that fixes target the real bottleneck or bug.
- Debounce: delays execution until activity stops, suited to search inputs and form validation.
- Throttle: limits execution rate, suited to scroll and resize handlers.
- Typical delays given in the source: 150 to 300 ms for user input, and 100 ms for scroll and resize.
- Cleanup of event listeners is also flagged, to prevent memory leaks.
How do you install the debounce-throttle skill?
Download the ZIP for this skill from this page and unzip it. You can put the skill in one of two places: your personal skills folder at ~/.claude/skills/, or a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want it to apply only to that codebase.
If you use the Claude apps instead, you can upload the skill under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the skill
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You do not need a special command. The skill's description tells the agent when to use it: when reviewing scripts, client components, bundles, or runtime behavior related to debounce and throttle event handlers. Ask in plain language and name the file or component you want checked.
Good requests say what you are worried about and where the code lives. Mention the symptom too, such as lag while scrolling or too many API calls while typing.
- "Review src/components/Search.js for input handlers that should be debounced."
- "My scroll effect in the header stutters. Check the scroll and resize handlers and suggest debounce or throttle."
- "Explain whether debounce or throttle fits my resize handler in layout.js."
What does the skill check in your code?
The skill asks the agent to review JavaScript for scroll, resize, input, mousemove, and other high-frequency handlers that should be rate-limited. Where it applies, the agent adds debounce or throttle to limit execution rate. The reference file includes a debounce function that clears a timeout on each call and runs the function after the wait period, and a throttle function that uses a flag to block calls during the limit.
The code review part asks the agent to flag exact imports, event handlers, runtime side effects, or blocking operations that break the rule. It should also say how to verify the change in the browser.
- Search input: debounce with a delay around 300 ms, as in the reference example.
- Scroll or resize: throttle, or debounce with a short delay of about 100 ms.
- Check the result in the browser, not only by reading the code.
function debounce(func, wait) {
let timeout
return function executedFunction(...args) {
clearTimeout(timeout)
timeout = setTimeout(() => func.apply(this, args), wait)
}
}
const searchInput = document.querySelector('#search')
const handleSearch = debounce((e) => {
fetchSearchResults(e.target.value)
}, 300)
searchInput.addEventListener('input', handleSearch)What are examples of good and bad fits?
The skill suits front-end developers tuning slow search boxes, scroll effects, or resize handlers, and teams reviewing client-side code for INP issues. It is less useful for server-side code or backend-only performance problems, because the guidance targets browser event handlers.
Be prepared for the agent to suggest changes that are not needed. Review each suggestion against what you actually observe in the browser before accepting it.
- Good fit: a search box that calls an API on every keystroke.
- Good fit: a header that repaints on every scroll event.
- Poor fit: a slow database query or a backend API endpoint.
- Poor fit: a codebase that already uses a mature library for these patterns and needs no review.
What does the skill need, and what are the safety notes?
The skill lists no required tools or prerequisites. It does not run scripts and does not use the network, according to its listing. The agent does need access to the source code you want reviewed, because the skill reviews code rather than working from a description.
The skill is released under the MIT licence.
- Requires: nothing listed
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Non-developers without access to the codebase will get little value from it.
What tips help you get better results?
Give the agent a specific file or component, a symptom, and the browser behaviour you see. Ask it to explain its reasoning so you can judge whether the suggested fix matches the real problem. Keep changes small and test each one in the browser, watching for the effect on responsiveness and on the number of requests sent.
- Name the exact handler and file, not the whole project.
- Describe the symptom: lag, jank, or extra API calls.
- Ask for the reason behind debounce versus throttle for your case.
- Verify each change in the browser before merging.
What people use it for
- Reducing API calls from a search box by debouncing the input handler.
- Smoothing a scroll-based header effect by throttling the scroll handler.
- Reviewing a resize handler in a client component for runtime side effects.
- Learning when debounce fits better than throttle for a given interaction.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the debounce-throttle skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. You can also upload it in the Claude apps under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
Is the debounce-throttle skill free?
The skill is released under the MIT licence, as stated on this page. Check the licence file in the repository for the full terms.
What does the skill require to run?
Its listing shows no required prerequisites. It does not run scripts and does not use the network. You do need access to the source code you want reviewed.
What is the difference between debounce and throttle?
Debounce waits until activity stops before running the function, which suits search inputs and form validation. Throttle limits how often the function runs, which suits scroll and resize handlers.
Does the skill work on server-side code?
No. The guidance targets browser event handlers, so backend-only performance problems are outside its scope.
Can the skill suggest unnecessary changes?
Yes, the listing warns it may suggest changes that are not needed. Compare each suggestion with the behaviour you see in the browser before applying it.
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Our verdict
This skill suits front-end developers and teams who want an agent to review scroll, resize and input handlers for lag and excess API calls, and who will verify changes in the browser. It is a poor choice for backend performance problems, for codebases already using a mature library for these patterns, or for anyone without access to the source code.
Download the skill