Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Python Error Handling agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Python Error Handling skill is a set of guidance files that teaches an AI agent established Python error-handling patterns: validating inputs early, raising specific exceptions with clear messages, converting raw strings into typed values, and keeping one failed item from stopping a batch. This guide is for developers who may never have used agent skills and want the agent to write Python code that fails clearly. By the end you will know how to install the skill, trigger it with plain requests, and check the code it produces.
Python Error Handlingwshobson/agents · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the python-error-handling skill ZIP from this page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Extract it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project.
- 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. In Settings, open Capabilities and upload the skill under Skills.
- 4Check the files. Confirm that SKILL.md and references/details.md are present in the skill folder.
- 5Ask for a change in plain language. Describe the validation, exception or batch-failure work you need in your Python code.
- 6Review the output. Read the new exceptions and messages, then run your own tests on the error paths.
What the skill makes the agent do
When the skill is active, the agent writes Python error handling following a set of conventions. It validates inputs at the start of a function before doing any work, and it reports problems with specific exception types such as ValueError or TypeError rather than a generic Exception. It also converts strings into typed values, such as enums, at the edges of a program, and it tracks successes and failures separately when processing batches.
The skill is guidance for writing code. It does not run scripts or make network requests, and it does not debug a live error in a running system.
Install the skill
Option 1: download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ so the skill is available across your projects.
Option 2: unzip it into a project's .claude/skills/ folder so the skill applies only to that project.
Option 3: in the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, and upload the skill under Skills.
After installation, the folder should contain SKILL.md and references/details.md.
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Describe the task in plain language, and the agent will match it to the skill's description. The skill is meant for implementing validation logic, designing exception strategies, handling batch processing failures, or building robust APIs.
- Add input validation to this FastAPI-style endpoint for pagination parameters.
- Design an exception hierarchy for our payment client.
- Our nightly import fails on one bad row and stops everything. Change it so the other rows still process and failures are reported.
- Convert these format strings from the CLI into an enum and reject unknown values with a helpful message.
Example: early validation
The skill's basic pattern checks every input before any processing begins and gives a message that names the field and the bad value. The example below comes from the skill's guidance.
def fetch_page(url: str, page_size: int) -> Page:
if not url:
raise ValueError("'url' is required")
if not 1 <= page_size <= 100:
raise ValueError(f"'page_size' must be 1-100, got {page_size}")
# Now safe to proceed...Example: custom exceptions with context
For larger applications, the skill's advanced reference shows a base ApiError class that stores a status code and response body, with a RateLimitError subclass that stores a retry_after value. This lets callers catch a broad error or a specific one.
What it needs
The skill expects Python, and its examples use modern type hints. Pydantic is needed only if the code you are writing uses Pydantic models. The skill does not run scripts and does not use the network.
It is written for Python. For non-Python projects, the patterns and examples will not apply.
Tips for getting good results
Name the function or module you want changed so the agent can apply the patterns to real code. Ask it to report all validation errors at once when that matters to your users. Review the exceptions it chooses and the messages it writes, since the skill favours specific types and clear context.
Ask the agent to chain exceptions with raise ... from e when wrapping lower-level errors, and to write tests for the error paths it adds.
What people use it for
- Adding validation to API parameters so bad values fail with a message naming the field.
- Designing a custom exception hierarchy for an API client, with status codes and retry information.
- Turning a batch import into one that records successes and failures per row instead of stopping at the first error.
- Converting user-supplied strings such as output formats into enum values at the input boundary.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the python-error-handling skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. You can also upload it in the Claude apps under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
What do I need to use it?
You need Python, since the examples use modern type hints. You need Pydantic only if the code you are writing uses Pydantic models.
Is the python-error-handling skill free?
The skill is released under the MIT licence, as stated on this page. Check the licence file in the source repository for the full terms.
Does the skill run code or access the internet?
No. The source states that it does not run scripts and does not use the network. It provides guidance that the agent follows while writing code.
Can it debug an error that is happening in my running app?
No. The skill provides patterns for writing error handling, not diagnostics tied to your code. For a live error, you will need to share logs or the traceback with the agent and ask it to investigate separately.
Does it work for non-Python projects or for JavaScript?
No. The examples and patterns are specific to Python and, where relevant, Pydantic. Use a skill or guidance written for your language instead.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you write Python APIs or services that need consistent input validation, if you are designing exception hierarchies, or if you process batches and need partial-failure tracking. Pick something else if your project is not in Python, or if you want the agent to diagnose a live failure in a running system, since this skill only guides how code is written.
Download the skill