neo4j-query-tuning-skill

Diagnoses and fixes slow Neo4j Cypher queries by reading execution plans, identifying bad operators (AllNodesScan, CartesianProduct, Eager, NodeByLabelScan), and prescribing fixes (indexes, hints, query rewrites, runtime selection). Use when a query is slow, when EXPLAIN or PROFILE output needs interpretation, when dbHits or pageCacheHitRatio are poor, when cardinality estimation diverges from actuals, or when deciding between slotted/pipelined/parallel runtimes. Covers USING INDEX / USING SCAN / USING JOIN hints, db.stats.retrieve, SHOW QUERIES, SHOW TRANSACTIONS, TERMINATE TRANSACTION. Does NOT write new Cypher from scratch — use neo4j-cypher-skill. Does NOT cover GDS algorithm tuning — use neo4j-gds-skill. Does NOT cover index/constraint creation syntax details — use neo4j-cypher-skill references/indexes.md.

Quality

96%

Does it follow best practices?

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Securityby

Passed

No findings from the security scan

Quality

Content

93%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.

A tightly written, highly actionable Neo4j query-tuning skill: dense tables and executable code, a sequenced diagnostic runbook with validation and a feedback loop, and clean progressive disclosure into two real reference files. The only gap is a missing confirm-checkpoint on the destructive TERMINATE TRANSACTION command.

Suggestions

Add an explicit validation checkpoint before TERMINATE TRANSACTION / TERMINATE QUERY (e.g. 'Confirm transactionId via SHOW TRANSACTIONS before terminating; verify currentQuery is the intended target') to close the destructive-operation validation gap.

Mark the version-sensitive items (e.g. 'currentQueryProgress added [2026.03]', 'CYPHER 25 runtime=parallel', 'Aura Pro 2025+') in a dedicated version-compatibility note so time-sensitive details are isolated rather than inline.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	The body is a lean, dense reference of tables and executable code with no padding; it never explains what Neo4j, Cypher, or indexes are, assuming Claude's competence throughout.	5 / 5
Actionability	Every section gives copy-paste-ready Cypher/bash (e.g. 'CREATE INDEX person_email IF NOT EXISTS FOR (n:Person) ON (n.email)', 'CALL db.resampleOutdatedIndexes()') covering the common tuning cases.	5 / 5
Workflow Clarity	The 'Diagnostic Workflow' runbook is a clear 5-step sequence with checkpoints (wait for state='ONLINE', profile-after-fix comparison) and a feedback loop (stale stats -> db.prepareForReplanning) plus a checklist, but the destructive TERMINATE TRANSACTION command lacks an explicit confirm-before-killing checkpoint, a minor validation gap.	4 / 5
Progressive Disclosure	SKILL.md is an overview with well-signaled, one-level-deep references ('Full operator reference -> references/plan-operators.md', 'Full monitoring reference -> references/stats-and-monitoring.md'), both confirmed to exist as real bundle files.	5 / 5
	Total	19 / 20 Passed

Description

100%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.

An exemplary description: concrete actions, comprehensive natural trigger phrases, explicit what-and-when, and clear boundary clauses that distinguish it from sibling skills. No meaningful gaps.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Multiple concrete actions are named — 'reading execution plans, identifying bad operators (AllNodesScan, CartesianProduct, Eager, NodeByLabelScan), and prescribing fixes (indexes, hints, query rewrites, runtime selection)' — with comprehensive coverage.	5 / 5
Completeness	Explicitly answers both what ('Diagnoses and fixes slow Neo4j Cypher queries...') and when ('Use when a query is slow...') with concrete trigger phrases, matching the anchor-5 example structure.	5 / 5
Trigger Term Quality	Comprehensive natural trigger phrases for the domain: 'when a query is slow', 'when EXPLAIN or PROFILE output needs interpretation', 'when dbHits or pageCacheHitRatio are poor', 'when cardinality estimation diverges from actuals' — terms users debugging Neo4j actually say.	5 / 5
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	Clear niche (Cypher query tuning) with explicit 'Does NOT' boundaries redirecting to neo4j-cypher-skill, neo4j-gds-skill, and neo4j-modeling-skill, minimizing wrong-skill conflict risk.	5 / 5
	Total	20 / 20 Passed

Validation

93%

Warnings & errors only

Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.

Validation — 15 / 16 Passed

Validation for skill structure

Criteria	Description	Result
frontmatter_unknown_keys	Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata	Warning

	Total	15 / 16 Passed

Repository: neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills
Path: neo4j-query-tuning-skill/SKILL.md
Commit: a3627d2

Reviewed: 4 days ago

Table of Contents

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