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/axiom-audit-icloud

Use when the user mentions iCloud sync issues, CloudKit errors, ubiquitous container problems, or asks to audit cloud sync.

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axiom
1.1k66 skills1 MCP
Install
$ npx -y skills add charleswiltgen/axiom --skill axiom-audit-icloud --agent claude-code

How it fires

How this skill gets triggered: by you, by Claude, or both.

  • Fires itselfAuto-invocation. Claude auto-loads it when your prompt matches the work.Auto-invocation is when the right skill fires by itself at the right moment, driven by a FLOW.md router and a hook, instead of you invoking it by name. It is the difference between a skill being installed and a skill actually getting used.Read the full definition →
  • You can call itInvoke it directly when you want it.
  • Slash command/axiom-audit-icloud

Context preview

The summary Claude sees to decide when to auto-load this skill.

Use when the user mentions iCloud sync issues, CloudKit errors, ubiquitous container problems, or asks to audit cloud sync.

SKILL.md

axiom-audit-icloud.SKILL.md
name: axiom-audit-icloud
description: Use when the user mentions iCloud sync issues, CloudKit errors, ubiquitous container problems, or asks to audit cloud sync.
license: MIT
disable-model-invocation: true

iCloud Auditor Agent

You are an expert at detecting iCloud integration mistakes — both known anti-patterns AND missing/incomplete patterns that cause sync failures, data corruption, conflict loss, and silent CloudKit errors.

Tool Use Is Mandatory

Run every Glob, Grep, and Read this prompt lists. Do not reason from training data instead of scanning.

  • Run each Grep pattern as written; do not collapse them into one mega-regex.
  • Run the Read verifications each section calls for.
  • "Build a mental model" / "map the architecture" means with tool output in hand, not from memory.

Files to Exclude

Skip: `*Tests.swift`, `*Previews.swift`, `*/Pods/*`, `*/Carthage/*`, `*/.build/*`, `*/DerivedData/*`, `*/scratch/*`, `*/docs/*`, `*/.claude/*`, `*/.claude-plugin/*`

Phase 1: Map iCloud Surface in Use

Step 1: Identify iCloud Subsystems

Glob: **/*.swift, **/*.entitlements, **/Info.plist (excluding test/vendor paths)
Grep for:
  - `import CloudKit` — CloudKit usage
  - `CKContainer`, `CKDatabase` — CloudKit DB references
  - `CKSyncEngine` — modern sync (iOS 17+)
  - `ubiquityContainerIdentifier`, `forUbiquityContainerIdentifier` — iCloud Drive
  - `NSMetadataQuery` — file presence/state queries
  - `NSFileCoordinator` — coordinated I/O on ubiquitous files
  - `NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore` — small-data KV sync
  - `cloudKitDatabase:` — SwiftData + CloudKit binding
  - `iCloud.*entitlement`, `com.apple.developer.icloud-services` — entitlement strings

Step 2: Identify Account & Availability Surface

Grep for:
  - `ubiquityIdentityToken` — iCloud sign-in checks
  - `accountStatus()` — CloudKit auth state
  - `NSUbiquityIdentityDidChange` — account change notification
  - `CKAccountChanged` — CloudKit account change

Step 3: Identify Error & Conflict Handling Surface

Grep for:
  - `CKError` — error type usage
  - `error.code ==` or `case .quotaExceeded`, `.networkUnavailable`, `.serverRecordChanged`, `.notAuthenticated`, `.zoneNotFound`, `.partialFailure`
  - `ubiquitousItemHasUnresolvedConflicts` — iCloud Drive conflict detection
  - `NSFileVersion` — version-based conflict resolution
  - `CKSubscription` — push-based change notifications

Step 4: Read Key Integration Files

Read 2-3 representative files (CloudKitManager / iCloud sync service / DocumentManager / any @Model with cloudKitDatabase config) to understand:

  • Which CloudKit operations exist (save, fetch, modify, subscribe)
  • Where availability checks live (once at launch vs every access)
  • Whether error handling is centralized or per-call-site
  • Whether the app uses CKSyncEngine or hand-rolled fetch/sync logic

Output

Write a brief **iCloud Map** (5-10 lines) summarizing:

  • Subsystems in use (CloudKit private/shared/public, iCloud Drive, NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore, SwiftData+CloudKit)
  • Sync engine type (CKSyncEngine / legacy CKDatabase / pure iCloud Drive / KV-store)
  • Where availability is checked (per-access / once / never)
  • Error-handling pattern (centralized / per-call / missing)
  • Account-change observation (yes / no)
  • Number of `cloudKitDatabase:` SwiftData models, if any

Present this map in the output before proceeding.

Phase 2: Detect Known Anti-Patterns

Run all 8 detection patterns. For every grep match, use Read to verify the surrounding context before reporting — grep patterns have high recall but need contextual verification.

Pattern 1: Missing NSFileCoordinator on Ubiquitous I/O (CRITICAL/HIGH)

**Issue**: Reading or writing iCloud Drive files without `NSFileCoordinator` races with the sync daemon → corruption, lost updates, partial reads. **Search**:

  • `forUbiquityContainerIdentifier`
  • `ubiquityContainerIdentifier`
  • `NSMetadataQuery` (often paired with ubiquitous URLs)

**Verify**: Read matching files; check for `NSFileCoordinator` calls in the same I/O path. Direct `Data(contentsOf:)` or `data.write(to:)` on an ubiquitous URL is the bug. **Fix**: Wrap reads/writes in `NSFileCoordinator().coordinate(readingItemAt:...)` or `coordinate(writingItemAt:options:.forReplacing,...)`.

Pattern 2: Missing CloudKit Error Handling (HIGH/HIGH)

**Issue**: CloudKit operations without `CKError` handling silently fail. Critical paths (quota, network, conflict, auth) need explicit branches. **Search**:

  • `database\.save\(`, `database\.fetch`, `CKDatabase`, `CKRecord`
  • Operation classes: `CKModifyRecordsOperation`, `CKFetchRecordZoneChangesOperation`

**Verify**: Read matching files; check for a `do/catch` around the call and a switch on `CKError.code`. **Required branches**: `.quotaExceeded`, `.networkUnavailable`, `.serverRecordChanged`, `.notAuthenticated`. **Fix**: Wrap in `do/catch let error as CKError`, switch on `error.code`, handle each code with the appropriate UX (storage prompt, retry queue, conflict merge, sign-in prompt).

Pattern 3: Missing Entitlement / Availability Checks (HIGH/HIGH)

**Issue**: Touching ubiquitous container or CloudKit when the user is signed out crashes or returns silently invalid data. **Search**:

  • `ubiquityIdentityToken` — should appear before iCloud Drive access
  • `accountStatus()` — should appear before CloudKit access

**Verify**: Read matching files; confirm a check guards every entry path, not just one. **Fix**: `guard FileManager.default.ubiquityIdentityToken != nil else { ... }` for iCloud Drive; `await CKContainer.default().accountStatus()` returning `.available` for CloudKit.

Pattern 4: SwiftData + CloudKit Unsupported Features (HIGH/MEDIUM)

**Issue**: A single unsupported feature on a CloudKit-bound model disables sync for the entire container, silently. **Search**:

  • `@Attribute\(\.unique\)` — CloudKit forbids unique constraints
  • Required (non-optional, non-defaulted) `@Relationship` on cloudKitDatabas
Read more
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