Critical thinking for complex decisions

Claude Code thinking skills

28 portable Agent Skills for structured reasoning in Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Codex, Cursor, and other compatible tools

Claude Code Thinking Skills is a public catalog of Agent Skills. Use it for decisions, diagnosis, systems, risk, strategy, and innovation. Each skill gives an agent a clear procedure. Use a skill when its mechanism fits the task.

Contents

Jump to why use this catalog, quick start, use a skill, skill catalog, evidence, repository layout, checks and contribution, questions, or license.

Why use this catalog

Use these skills when a problem needs a clear reasoning frame. The catalog covers diagnosis, decisions, creation, risk, execution, product, and strategy.

Read the catalog audit before making performance claims.

Quick start

Skills CLI

npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

Install all skills without prompts:

npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --all

Claude Code plugin

/plugin marketplace add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills
/plugin install thinking-skills@thinking-skills-marketplace

Copy from a clone

git clone https://github.com/tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills.git
mkdir -p /path/to/project/.agents/skills
cp -R cc-thinking-skills/skills/* /path/to/project/.agents/skills/

Claude Code can also load the same directories from ~/.claude/skills/ or .claude/skills/.

Use a skill

Start with the router when the right frame is unclear:

Use thinking-model-router to choose the right framework for this problem.

Invoke a leaf skill when the match is clear:

Use thinking-scientific-method to localize this bug.
Use thinking-reversibility to classify this architecture decision.
Use thinking-pre-mortem to stress-test this launch plan.
Use thinking-theory-of-constraints to find the binding bottleneck.

The Claude Code plugin uses thinking-skills:thinking-model-router as the exact router ID. The router can return NONE, one skill, or up to three complementary skills.

Skill catalog

The 28 active skill IDs match the directories under skills/

Route and compose

• thinking-model-router; choose NONE, one frame, or a few complementary frames
• thinking-model-combination; sequence distinct models when one model leaves a blind spot

Diagnose and understand

• thinking-scientific-method; rank causes and test the cheapest discriminator
• thinking-five-whys-plus; find systemic causes after localization
• thinking-kepner-tregoe; compare IS/IS-NOT defects and must/want options
• thinking-systems; map flows, feedback, delays, and high-impact points
• thinking-map-territory; resolve conflicts between docs and live behavior
• thinking-cynefin; classify the cause-and-effect domain
• thinking-socratic; expose hidden requirements with direct questions

Decide and evaluate

• thinking-reversibility; separate easy-to-undo choices from costly commitments
• thinking-opportunity-cost; compare a choice with the top forgone use of resources
• thinking-probabilistic; forecast with base rates, ranges, and belief updates
• thinking-second-order; trace delayed effects, incentives, and feedback
• thinking-steel-manning; build the strongest opposing case before deciding
• thinking-bounded-rationality; set a good-enough threshold and stop the search
• thinking-circle-of-competence; check the evidence boundary before answering
• thinking-lindy-effect; weigh durability while checking for domain change

Create and improve

• thinking-first-principles; separate physics from convention and rebuild from basics
• thinking-triz; resolve apparently incompatible design requirements
• thinking-via-negativa; remove harmful or nonessential elements first
• thinking-thought-experiment; test controlled what-if scenarios when real tests cost too much
• thinking-jobs-to-be-done; understand the progress users hire a product to make
• thinking-effectuation; act from available means under uncertainty

Manage risk and execution

• thinking-pre-mortem; turn failure paths into fixes and stop checks
• thinking-red-team; review authorized attack paths with reproducible findings
• thinking-margin-of-safety; size buffers against error and breach cost
• thinking-theory-of-constraints; find and manage the binding throughput constraint
• thinking-ooda; act while a time-pressured situation changes

Evidence

The catalog audit reports:

• 28 active skills, all manual-only
• no automatic-retain verdict
• portfolio-v1 with zero model calls and an unmeasured result
• a provisional thinking-scientific-method row at +4.0 percentage points

The +4.0-point row is below the +5-point utility margin and has evidence gaps. Treat it as directional evidence, not an accuracy claim. See the decision-ready audit and analysis/evidence.json

Repository layout

skills/          Agent Skill source
scripts/         skill validation
evals/           structural, routing, and outcome evals
analysis/        evidence registry and audit
.claude-plugin/  Claude Code metadata

Study artifacts live under evals/studies/. External datasets follow their license limits.

Checks and contribution

Validate skill structure:

node scripts/validate-skills.js

Run the local structural gate:

EVAL_RUN=local node evals/run-structural.js

Run routing evaluation with the authenticated droid CLI:

EVAL_RUN=local node evals/run-routing.js

Read the evaluation harness guide and CONTRIBUTING.md before changing the catalog.

To add a skill, create skills/thinking-{name}/SKILL.md with Agent Skills YAML front matter, a precise trigger, a non-trigger boundary, a procedure, and checks. Run validation and the relevant evaluation before submitting.

Questions

Which skill should I start with?

Use thinking-model-router when the fit is unclear. Use a leaf skill when the task already names its mechanism.

Can I use a skill without the router?

Yes. Invoke any skill directly when its trigger matches.

Do these skills guarantee better model accuracy?

No. The evidence supports structured procedures, not a guaranteed accuracy gain.

License

MIT License. See LICENSE for the full text.