# Change Impact Analyzer

> Analyze the impact surface, regression paths, and additional validation points for a change or diff. Use it to quickly understand which surrounding areas also need attention.

- Skill: `lteawoo/change-impact-analyzer` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add lteawoo/change-impact-analyzer`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/lteawoo/change-impact-analyzer/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: lteawoo (https://skillmd.com/u/lteawoo)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/lteawoo/change-impact-analyzer

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# Change Impact Analyzer

## Purpose
Explain structurally which areas may be affected by a change.

## Core Principles
1. Do not just list changed files; explain the impact path.
2. Separate direct impact from indirect impact.
3. Evaluate user, data, and operational impact separately.
4. Prioritize paths with the highest regression risk.
5. Distinguish confirmed impact from inferred impact.

## Inputs
- Change summary
- Diff or list of changed files
- Related feature or user flow
- Recent issue or bug context, if available

## Workflow
1. Summarize the core intent of the change in one line.
2. Describe the directly modified areas and their responsibilities.
3. Trace callers, consumers, related state, configuration, and contract changes.
4. Identify likely impact points across user flows and operational flows.
5. Prioritize the paths that need testing or validation.
6. Record assumptions or hidden coupling that still needs confirmation.

## Output Format

### Change Summary
- What is changing
- Why it is changing

### Direct Impact
- Directly modified modules or features
- Behavior that changes immediately

### Indirect Impact
- Related callers or consumers
- Contracts, state, or configuration that may also be affected

### User Impact
- User-visible changes
- Problems users may see if the change fails

### Operational Impact
- Logging, monitoring, deployment, configuration, or rollback impact

### Regression Risk Points
- Paths that should be checked first
- Scenarios that need extra testing

### Open Questions
- Assumptions that are not confirmed yet
- Code paths that still need inspection

## When Information Is Missing
- Start with the direct impact you can confirm.
- Mark indirect impact as "possible" when it is inferred.
- Limit follow-up questions to three.