failure-taxonomy

Builds a structured taxonomy of failure modes from open-coded trace annotations using axial coding.

10|Updated Feb 19, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/maragudk/evals-skills --skill failure-taxonomy
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: failure-taxonomy
Source: https://github.com/maragudk/evals-skills/tree/main/skills/failure-taxonomy
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/maragudk/evals-skills --skill failure-taxonomy

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

This Skill transforms unstructured, freeform annotations from LLM trace reviews into a structured, actionable taxonomy of failure modes, enabling systematic error analysis and improvement.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Axial Coding: Groups open-coded annotations into coherent, non-overlapping binary failure categories.
  • Taxonomy Building: Defines clear titles, definitions, and examples for each failure mode.
  • Re-labeling & Quantification: Applies the taxonomy to traces and calculates error rates for prioritization.
  • Use Case: After reviewing 50 user interactions with a chatbot, you have raw notes like "bot misunderstood intent" or "gave irrelevant info". This Skill helps you cluster these into categories like "Intent Misinterpretation" or "Off-Topic Response" and quantify how often each occurs.

Quick Start

Use the failure-taxonomy skill to build a taxonomy from the provided annotations.

Frequently Asked Questions about failure-taxonomy

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I structure LLM error categories from freeform trace annotations?▼

You can structure LLM error categories from freeform trace annotations by applying axial coding to group raw notes into coherent, non-overlapping binary failure modes. This process defines clear titles, definitions, and examples for systematic error categorization.

What is axial coding in LLM evaluation pipelines?▼

Axial coding in LLM evaluation pipelines is a methodology that groups open-coded trace annotations into structured, non-overlapping failure categories. It transforms unstructured review notes into an actionable taxonomy for quantifying error rates.

How do I quantify LLM failure modes after open-coded trace reviews?▼

To quantify LLM failure modes, you apply a structured taxonomy back to your traces to re-label them. This allows you to calculate exact error rates for each category, enabling systematic prioritization of model improvements.

Do I need domain expertise to build a failure taxonomy for chatbot interactions?▼

Yes, building a failure taxonomy requires domain expertise and iterative refinement to define binary, application-specific, and actionable failure categories from raw trace review notes.

What's the best way to categorize chatbot misunderstandings and irrelevant responses?▼

The best way to categorize chatbot issues like misunderstandings or irrelevant responses is using axial coding to cluster raw notes into distinct categories like "Intent Misinterpretation". This creates a structured taxonomy for quantifying how often each failure occurs.