golang-error-handling Skill (samber): Go Error Handling

Makes Claude create, wrap, inspect and log Go errors the idiomatic way, with usable structured logs.

Installs: 44.4K; on skills.sh
Stars: 3.7K; on GitHub
Files: 4; besides SKILL.md
Updated: Nov 2026; last repo commit

golang-error-handling makes Claude treat every Go error as something to handle or pass up with context. It enforces 15 rules, including checking every returned error, wrapping with fmt.Errorf and %w, matching with errors.Is and errors.As, and logging or returning an error but never both.

It has three modes: coding, review of a diff, and audit of a codebase with up to 5 parallel sub-agents. It also covers slog structured logging, HTTP request logging middleware and the samber/oops library for production errors.

Good for

Go developers who want errors wrapped with context and logged once
Backend teams cleaning up noisy or duplicate error logs
Reviewers auditing error handling across a codebase

Install golang-error-handling

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the golang-error-handling skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

/plugin marketplace add samber/cc
/plugin install cc-skills-golang@samber

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

The README says these skills are built as atomic, cross-referencing units, and that installing only a subset gives a partial and potentially inconsistent view of the guidelines. It recommends installing all the general-purpose skills together, which the plugin does. Its manifest lists no hooks or MCP servers, and the repo holds 46 skills. Use the skills CLI line only if you want just this one. Pick one route, not both.

From the project README. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Idiomatic Golang error handling — creation, wrapping with %w, errors.Is/As, errors.Join, custom error types, sentinel errors, panic/recover, the single handling rule, structured logging with slog, HTTP request logging middleware, and samber/oops for production errors. Built to make logs usable at scale with log aggregation 3rd-party tools. Apply when creating, wrapping, inspecting, or logging errors in Go code. For samber/oops specifics → See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-samber-oops` skill; for slog handler ecosystem → See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-samber-slog` skill.

Sections in SKILL.md

Best Practices Summary
Detailed Reference
Parallelizing Error Handling Audits
Cross-References
References

Key facts

Author: samber, per the SKILL.md metadata
Repo: samber/cc-skills-golang
Installs on skills.sh: 44,439 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 3,749 (Nov 2, 2026)
License: MIT
Last commit: Nov 1, 2026
Skill version: 1.3.1
Files: 5 files including SKILL.md: evals/evals.json, 3 reference guides
Triggers on: Go files (paths: **/*.go). Needs the go tool
Related skills: 6 other skills named in SKILL.md; the README says to install the set together
skills.sh checks: Gen Agent Trust Hub pass, Socket pass, Snyk pass

What it includes

Follow the rules while writing; optionally scan nearby code in the background
A background sub-agent can grep adjacent code for swallowed errors and log-and-return pairs.
Write · Coding mode
Check a diff for swallowed errors, missing wrapping and panic misuse
Focuses on the changed lines and runs sequentially.
Read · Review mode
Up to 5 sub-agents: creation, wrapping, single handling, panic/recover, logging
Each sub-agent takes one category across the codebase and the results are consolidated.
Read · Audit mode
Check errors, wrap with %w, lowercase messages, Is/As, Join, log OR return
Also: sentinel errors for expected cases, no panic for expected errors, slog over fmt.Println, translate technical errors for users, keep log grouping low-cardinality.
The 15 rules
Sentinel errors, custom types and when to use which
Reference file references/error-creation.md.
Read · Error creation guide
%w vs %v, errors.Is, errors.As, errors.AsType (Go 1.26+), errors.Join
Reference file references/error-wrapping.md.
Read · Wrapping and inspection guide
The single handling rule, panic/recover, samber/oops and slog
Reference file references/error-handling.md.
Read · Handling and logging guide

From the official docs

Permissions

Low risk

Claude can edit and write your Go files and run go, golangci-lint and git commands. Review the diff before you commit.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

It can edit files and run go and git
The header lists Edit, Write and Bash for go, golangci-lint and git. Review changes before committing. github.com
Audit mode starts up to 5 sub-agents
A full-codebase audit uses more of your usage allowance than a single review. github.com

Security advisories

No published security advisories as of Nov 2, 2026.

Technical details

Turning on read-only	Review mode looks at a diff, but the skill's tool list includes Edit and Write.
Scopes	The SKILL.md header lists these tools: Read, Edit, Write, Glob, Grep, go, golangci-lint, git and sub-agents Edits Go files in your project

Questions

How do I install golang-error-handling?

Use the install box above. The plugin route installs the whole Go skill set, and the skills CLI route installs only this skill. Pick one so you do not get every skill twice.

What is the single handling rule?

An error is either logged or returned, never both. SKILL.md says this stops duplicate log lines from cluttering log aggregators.

Does it need other skills?

It works on its own, but SKILL.md points to 6 other skills in the same repo: golang-continuous-integration, golang-naming, golang-observability, golang-safety, golang-samber-oops, golang-samber-slog. The README says installing only a subset gives a partial and potentially inconsistent view, so install the set together.

Does it work in the Claude app, Codex or Cursor?

The SKILL.md header says it is designed for Claude Code, Codex or a similar harness, and the README says the set is built for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Copilot, Antigravity and Cursor, with an install section for each. The README does not describe a Claude app install.

Does it need an API key?

SKILL.md names no key. It needs the go tool on your PATH. The skill folder holds SKILL.md, reference guides and an evals file, with no scripts.

Is it safe to use?

It bundles no scripts. Its header lets Claude edit and write files and run go, golangci-lint and git commands, so Claude can change your Go files and run those tools in your project. Read the diff before you commit.

golang-error-handling vs golang-samber-oops?

This skill sets the rules and mentions samber/oops for production errors. SKILL.md sends you to golang-samber-oops for the full samber/oops API and to golang-samber-slog for the slog handler ecosystem.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: samber/cc-skills-golang
Folder: skills/golang-error-handling

samber/cc-skills-golang skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 9

cc-skills-golang · github.com
cc-skills-golang README · github.com
plugin.json · github.com
skills CLI commands · github.com
README.md#-how-to-use · github.com
golang-error-handling SKILL.md · github.com
error-creation.md · github.com
error-wrapping.md · github.com
error-handling.md · github.com