Skills dependency-upgrade
📦

dependency-upgrade

Low Risk ⚙️ External commands

Upgrade Dependencies with Confidence and Testing

Managing major dependency upgrades is risky without proper planning and testing. This skill guides you through compatibility analysis, staged rollout strategies, and comprehensive testing to safely upgrade frameworks and libraries without breaking your application.

Supports: Claude Codex Code(CC)
📊 69 Adequate
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Test it

Using "dependency-upgrade". Show me all outdated dependencies in this project

Expected outcome:

Analysis shows 12 outdated packages: 3 major updates (React 16→18, webpack 4→5, TypeScript 4.5→5.0), 5 minor updates, and 4 patch updates. Security audit found 2 vulnerabilities in lodash requiring immediate attention. Recommended upgrade order: 1) Security patches first, 2) TypeScript, 3) React ecosystem, 4) Build tools.

Using "dependency-upgrade". Help me plan an upgrade from React 17 to React 18

Expected outcome:

Upgrade plan for React 17 to 18: Step 1 - Update React and ReactDOM together. Step 2 - Replace ReactDOM.render with createRoot API. Step 3 - Update testing library to v13+ for compatibility. Step 4 - Review automatic batching changes. Step 5 - Test Suspense behavior changes. Breaking changes include new root API, stricter hydration, and layout effect timing. Run full test suite after each step.

Using "dependency-upgrade". Configure automated dependency updates for this monorepo

Expected outcome:

Created Renovate configuration with workspace support: auto-merge enabled for patch and minor updates, manual review required for major versions, separate PRs per package scope, testing required before merge. Schedule set to weekly on Mondays. Package rules configured to group related dependencies (React ecosystem, testing tools, build tools) into single PRs to maintain compatibility.

Security Audit

Low Risk
v5 • 1/21/2026

This skill provides documentation and guidance for dependency management workflows. All static findings are false positives: the external commands are example bash/npm commands in documentation, filesystem operations are example migration scripts, and weak crypto detections are from the word 'MD5' in version strings. The skill contains no executable code and poses no security risk.

2
Files scanned
1,190
Lines analyzed
2
findings
5
Total audits
Low Risk Issues (1)
SKILL.md:22-376
Documentation Contains Command Examples
The SKILL.md file contains numerous example bash commands for dependency management (npm, yarn, git). These are educational examples showing proper dependency upgrade workflows, not executable code. Users must manually execute these commands in their own environments.

Risk Factors

⚙️ External commands
No specific locations recorded
Audited by: claude View Audit History →

Quality Score

38
Architecture
100
Maintainability
87
Content
29
Community
88
Security
91
Spec Compliance

What You Can Build

Framework Version Upgrade

A developer needs to upgrade React from version 16 to 18 while ensuring all peer dependencies remain compatible and no breaking changes affect the application.

Security Vulnerability Remediation

A development team must update dependencies flagged by npm audit, requiring careful analysis of which packages can be safely upgraded without introducing regressions.

Legacy Modernization

A team maintaining an older codebase wants to systematically upgrade outdated dependencies using incremental testing and automated tools like Renovate or Dependabot.

Try These Prompts

Check Dependency Status 
Show me all outdated dependencies in this project and identify which have security vulnerabilities
Plan Major Framework Upgrade 
Help me plan an upgrade from React 17 to React 18, including compatibility checks for react-router and testing libraries
Create Migration Script 
Generate a migration script to update deprecated API calls when upgrading from version X to version Y of this library
Setup Automated Updates 
Configure Renovate or Dependabot to automatically create pull requests for minor and patch updates while requiring manual review for major versions

Best Practices

  • Upgrade dependencies incrementally, one major version at a time, running full test suites after each upgrade to isolate issues
  • Always read changelogs and migration guides before upgrading to understand breaking changes and required code modifications
  • Use lock files and automated tools like Renovate or Dependabot to maintain dependencies while keeping control over major version changes

Avoid

  • Upgrading all dependencies at once without testing between each change makes it impossible to identify which upgrade caused failures
  • Ignoring peer dependency warnings or using --force flags without understanding compatibility issues can lead to runtime errors
  • Skipping major versions in an attempt to save time often results in accumulated breaking changes that are harder to resolve

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I upgrade all outdated dependencies at once?
No, upgrade incrementally starting with security patches, then one major dependency at a time. Test thoroughly after each upgrade to isolate any issues.
What does the caret symbol mean in package versions?
The caret (^) allows minor and patch updates but not major versions. For example, ^2.3.1 allows versions from 2.3.1 up to but not including 3.0.0.
How do I handle peer dependency conflicts?
First check if newer versions are compatible. If not, you may need to upgrade or downgrade related packages together, or use resolutions in package.json to force specific versions.
What is the difference between npm update and npm install?
npm update respects semver ranges in package.json and updates within those constraints. npm install with a version argument changes package.json to the exact version specified.
How can I automate dependency updates safely?
Use tools like Renovate or Dependabot configured to auto-merge patch and minor updates while requiring manual review for major versions. Always require passing tests before merging.
What should I do if tests fail after a dependency upgrade?
Roll back the upgrade, review the changelog for breaking changes, update your code to match the new API, then attempt the upgrade again. Consider upgrading one major version at a time.

Developer Details

Author

wshobson

License

MIT

Repository

https://github.com/wshobson/agents/tree/main/plugins/framework-migration/skills/dependency-upgrade

Ref

main

File structure

📄 SKILL.md