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Debugging Apex Logs

  • 2.5k installs
  • 763 repo stars
  • Updated July 24, 2026
  • forcedotcom/sf-skills

A Salesforce skill that analyzes debug logs for governor limits, stack traces, SOQL and DML patterns, and root-cause fixes with scored reports.

About

debugging-apex-logs is a Salesforce skill for root-cause analysis from debug logs covering governor-limit diagnosis, stack-trace interpretation, slow-query investigation, and heap or CPU pressure. It owns tasks involving .log files, exceptions, SOQL or DML troubleshooting, and query-plan evidence extracted from logs. The workflow retrieves logs via SF CLI, then analyzes entry point, exceptions, governor limits, repeated SOQL or DML patterns, CPU or heap hotspots, and callout timing. Each finding is classified Critical, Warning, or Info and reported in six fields: what failed, where, why, severity, recommended fix, and verification step. High-signal patterns include SOQL in loop, DML in loop, non-selective queries, CPU pressure, heap pressure, and null pointer errors with default fix directions. The skill delegates Apex code generation to generating-apex and test execution to running-apex-tests. A 100-point scoring rubric grades analysis quality. Gotchas cover truncated 2 MB logs, async versus sync CPU limits, and framework lines masking user code in stack traces.

  • Structured six-field output: what failed, where, why, severity, fix, verify
  • Analyzes governor limits, SOQL-in-loop, DML-in-loop, CPU, and heap from logs
  • 100-point scoring rubric with reference playbooks and CLI commands
  • Delegates Apex code fixes to generating-apex and tests to running-apex-tests
  • Classifies findings as Critical, Warning, or Info for prioritization

Debugging Apex Logs by the numbers

  • 2,522 all-time installs (skills.sh)
  • +7 installs in the week ending Jul 28, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
  • Ranked #33 of 610 Debugging skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
  • Security screen: LOW risk (skills.sh audit)
  • Data as of Jul 28, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
At a glance

debugging-apex-logs capabilities & compatibility

Capabilities
retrieve and stream debug logs via sf cli comman · analyze entry point, exceptions, limits, soql, d · classify issues as critical, warning, or info wi · map common patterns like soql in loop to bulk sa · report six field structured findings with verifi · score analysis quality against a 100 point rubri
Works with
salesforce
Runs
Runs locally
Pricing
Free
npx skills add https://github.com/forcedotcom/sf-skills --skill debugging-apex-logs

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Listed on Skillselion
Installs2.5k
repo stars763
Security audit3 / 3 scanners passed
Last updatedJuly 24, 2026
Repositoryforcedotcom/sf-skills

How do you turn raw Salesforce debug logs into actionable root-cause fixes instead of speculative Apex rewrites?

Analyze Salesforce debug logs for governor limits, stack traces, SOQL-in-loop patterns, and root-cause fixes with a structured six-field report.

Who is it for?

Salesforce developers troubleshooting .log files, governor limits, stack traces, and performance hotspots in Apex transactions.

Skip if: Skip when the task is writing new Apex code, running test classes, or debugging Agentforce session traces.

When should I use this skill?

Use when analyzing debug logs, hitting governor limits, reading stack traces, or working with .log files from Salesforce orgs.

What you get

A six-field diagnosis per issue with severity, log-evidence-backed fix direction, and a verification rerun step.

  • root-cause diagnosis
  • scored finding report
  • remediation recommendations

By the numbers

  • Uses 100-point scoring framework for log analysis
  • Skill metadata version 1.1

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

debugging-apex-logs: Salesforce Debug Log Analysis & Troubleshooting

Use this skill when the user needs root-cause analysis from debug logs: governor-limit diagnosis, stack-trace interpretation, slow-query investigation, heap / CPU pressure analysis, or a reproduction-to-fix loop based on log evidence.

When This Skill Owns the Task

Use debugging-apex-logs when the work involves:

  • .log files from Salesforce
  • stack traces and exception analysis
  • governor limits
  • SOQL / DML / CPU / heap troubleshooting
  • query-plan or performance evidence extracted from logs

Delegate elsewhere when the user is:

  • running or repairing Apex tests → running-apex-tests
  • generating or implementing the code fix → generating-apex
  • debugging Agentforce session traces / parquet telemetry → observing-agentforce

---

Required Context to Gather First

Ask for or infer:

  • org alias
  • failing transaction / user flow / test name
  • approximate timestamp or transaction window
  • user / record / request ID if known
  • whether the goal is diagnosis only or diagnosis + fix loop

---

Recommended Workflow

1. Retrieve logs

Use the commands in references/cli-commands.md to list, download, or stream logs for the target org.

2. Analyze in this order

1. entry point and transaction type 2. exceptions / fatal errors 3. governor limits 4. repeated SOQL / DML patterns 5. CPU / heap hotspots 6. callout timing and external failures

3. Classify severity

  • Critical — runtime failure, hard limit, corruption risk
  • Warning — near-limit, non-selective query, slow path
  • Info — optimization opportunity or hygiene issue

4. Recommend the smallest correct fix

Prefer fixes that are:

  • root-cause oriented
  • bulk-safe
  • testable
  • easy to verify with a rerun

Expanded workflow: references/analysis-playbook.md

---

High-Signal Issue Patterns

IssuePrimary signalDefault fix direction
SOQL in looprepeating SOQL_EXECUTE_BEGIN in a repeated call pathquery once, use maps / grouped collections
DML in looprepeated DML_BEGIN patternscollect rows, bulk DML once
Non-selective queryhigh rows scanned / poor selectivityadd indexed filters, reduce scope
CPU pressureCPU usage approaching sync limitreduce algorithmic complexity, cache, async where valid
Heap pressureheap usage approaching sync limitstream with SOQL for-loops, reduce in-memory data
Null pointer / fatal errorEXCEPTION_THROWN / FATAL_ERRORguard null assumptions, fix empty-query handling

Expanded examples: references/common-issues.md

---

Output Format

When finishing analysis, report in this order:

1. What failed 2. Where it failed (class / method / line / transaction stage) 3. Why it failed (root cause, not just symptom) 4. How severe it is 5. Recommended fix 6. Verification step

Suggested shape:

Issue: <summary>
Location: <class / line / transaction>
Root cause: <explanation>
Severity: Critical | Warning | Info
Fix: <specific action>
Verify: <test or rerun step>

---

Rules / Constraints

RuleRationale
Always base fix recommendations on log evidenceAvoid speculative diagnosis — root cause must be traceable in the log
Report all six output fields for every issue foundEnsures actionable, complete findings for each problem
Classify every finding as Critical, Warning, or InfoHelps the user prioritize which issues to address first
Delegate code generation to generating-apexThis skill diagnoses; it does not rewrite Apex code
Delegate test execution to running-apex-testsThis skill does not run or repair test classes
Never assume limits are safe without reading LIMIT_USAGE eventsLimits may be consumed by earlier operations not visible in the failure point

---

Gotchas

PitfallResolution
Log truncated at 2 MBReduce debug levels (e.g., ApexCode: INFO, ApexProfiling: FINE) and re-capture
Same issue appears as both SOQL and CPU problemFix SOQL-in-loop first — it typically drives the CPU spike as a secondary effect
No logs appear after trace flag is setVerify the trace flag ExpirationDate is in the future and the correct user is traced
Async context changes limit valuesCPU limit is 60,000 ms async vs 10,000 ms sync — check transaction type before flagging limits
Stack trace points to framework line, not user codeWalk up the call stack past trigger handlers to find the originating user code

---

Cross-Skill Integration

NeedDelegate toReason
Implement Apex fixgenerating-apexcode change generation / review
Reproduce via testsrunning-apex-teststest execution and coverage loop
Deploy fixdeploying-metadatadeployment orchestration
Create debugging datahandling-sf-datatargeted seed / repro data

---

Reference File Index

FileWhen to read
references/analysis-playbook.mdStart here — expanded step-by-step workflow for any debugging session
references/common-issues.mdQuick lookup for SOQL in loop, DML in loop, CPU/heap pressure, null pointer patterns
references/cli-commands.mdSF CLI commands for retrieving, streaming, and managing debug logs
references/debug-log-reference.mdFull event type catalog, log levels, and governor limit reference values
references/log-analysis-tools.mdTool guide: Apex Log Analyzer, Developer Console, CLI grep patterns
references/benchmarking-guide.mdPerformance benchmarking techniques, benchmark data, and anti-patterns
references/scoring-rubric.md100-point scoring rubric for evaluating analysis quality
assets/benchmarking-template.clsCopy-paste Anonymous Apex template for running performance benchmarks
assets/cpu-heap-optimization.clsApex patterns for reducing CPU time and heap allocation
assets/dml-in-loop-fix.clsBefore/after example for resolving DML-in-loop violations
assets/soql-in-loop-fix.clsBefore/after example for resolving SOQL-in-loop violations
assets/null-pointer-fix.clsPatterns for guarding against null pointer exceptions

---

Score Guide

ScoreMeaning
90+Expert analysis with strong fix guidance
80–89Good analysis with minor gaps
70–79Acceptable but may miss secondary issues
60–69Partial diagnosis only
< 60Incomplete analysis

Related skills

Forks & variants (1)

Debugging Apex Logs has 1 known copy in the catalog totaling 486 installs. They canonicalize to this original listing.

How it compares

Use debugging-apex-logs for post-run .log diagnosis; use generating-apex when writing or fixing Apex source code.

FAQ

What output format does this skill require?

Report what failed, where, why, severity (Critical, Warning, or Info), recommended fix, and a verification step for every issue found.

When should I delegate to other sf-skills?

Delegate Apex code generation to generating-apex, test execution to running-apex-tests, and Agentforce tracing to observing-agentforce.

What if the log is truncated at 2 MB?

Reduce debug levels such as ApexCode INFO and ApexProfiling FINE, then re-capture the log for the target transaction.

Is Debugging Apex Logs safe to install?

skills.sh reports 3 of 3 security scanners passed. Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.

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