Compatible with Cursor, Claude Code, Cline, Roo Code, Antigravity

Safe Pre-Change Impact & Blast-Radius Assessment

Evaluate the downstream risks, broken callers, and database implications before making complex code changes.

RefactoringImpact AnalysisRisk AssessmentArchitecture

v1.0.0 · Updated 2026-08

Skill Objective

Analyze proposed modifications to shared interfaces, database schemas, or utility functions to identify all downstream callers, breaking changes, and operational blast radius.

Execution Workflow Procedure

Ordered steps the coding agent executes when performing this skill.

Find All Referencing Symbols & Call Sites

Perform workspace-wide symbol references to locate every caller, test file, and consumer of the target symbol.

Analyze Downstream API & Serialization Impact

Check if modifying return types or fields affects mobile apps, webhooks, or public consumers.

Formulate Safe Phased Rollout Plan

Design non-breaking deprecation steps and feature flags to minimize deployment risk.

Agent Safety Guardrails & Anti-Hallucination Rules

DO NOT modify shared functions or database tables without checking all workspace references first.
DO NOT assume callers only exist in the current repository if the API is exposed publicly.

Expected Output Format

Risk assessment, affected files inventory, and mitigation steps.

💥 Blast Radius & Risk Score: Low/Medium/High assessment.

📁 Affected Callers Inventory: List of all consuming files and methods.

🛡️ Safe Rollout Strategy: Phased migration and verification checklist.

Domain Verification Checks

Complete Call-Site Audit: Audits all files importing the modified symbol.

Breaking Change Detection: Flags modified parameter or return signatures.

Phased Deprecation Path: Recommends non-breaking transitional steps.

Example Agent Invocations

"Assess the impact of changing the User entity ID type from integer to UUIDv7 across the codebase."

"Evaluate the blast radius of modifying our shared calculateTax utility function."

Install / Configure This Skill

# Place in .cursorrules or create .cursor/rules/safe-pre-change-impact-assessment.mdc
# Trigger: Whenever you perform safe pre-change impact & blast-radius assessment

---
name: safe-pre-change-impact-assessment
description: Analyze proposed changes to shared interfaces, models, and utilities to map downstream blast radius and broken callers.
version: 1.0.0
compatibility: [Cursor, Claude Code, Cline, Roo Code, Antigravity]
---

# Safe Pre-Change Impact & Blast-Radius Assessment

## Objective
Evaluate downstream caller dependencies and breaking change risks before executing complex refactorings.

## Workflow
1. **Symbol Search**: Find all referencing symbols and call sites across the codebase.
2. **Contract Analysis**: Check for breaking changes to API models and database schemas.
3. **Mitigation Plan**: Deliver a phased rollout plan with deprecation buffers.

Complementary Agent Prompt

Need a quick one-time prompt for chat?

Try the Multi-File Codebase Exploration & Architectural Onboarding — a lightweight version designed for 1-click copying directly into Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor chat.

View Prompt