Ultrathink - Sequential Deep Thinking Mode
When this skill is invoked, use the Sequential Thinking MCP tool to methodically reason through the user's request. This produces higher-quality answers for complex problems by forcing structured, step-by-step analysis with the ability to revise and branch thinking.
How It Works
- Take the user's prompt/question/task
- Call the
sequentialthinkingMCP tool repeatedly to build a chain of thought - Each thought can build on, question, or revise previous thoughts
- Synthesize the final answer from the completed thought chain
Execution Steps
Step 1: Identify the available tool
Check which sequential thinking tool is available:
mcp__sequential-thinking__sequentialthinking(primary)mcp__thinking__sequentialthinking(alternative)
Use whichever is available. If neither is available, inform the user and provide the setup instructions (see "MCP Setup" section below).
Step 2: Estimate complexity and begin thinking
Based on the user's request, estimate how many thought steps are needed:
- Simple questions: 3-5 thoughts
- Moderate problems: 5-8 thoughts
- Complex architecture/debugging: 8-15 thoughts
Start with your estimate but adjust freely as you go — add more thoughts if needed, revise earlier ones if they turn out to be wrong.
Step 3: Execute the thought chain
Call the sequential thinking tool iteratively. Each call should include:
thought: Your current reasoning step
nextThoughtNeeded: true (until you reach a satisfactory conclusion)
thoughtNumber: current step number
totalThoughts: your current estimate (adjust as needed)
Use these features when appropriate:
- isRevision: true — when you realize a previous thought was wrong
- branchFromThought — when you want to explore an alternative approach
- needsMoreThoughts: true — when reaching the end but realizing more analysis is needed
Step 4: Synthesize and respond
After the thought chain completes (when nextThoughtNeeded is false), synthesize the results into a clear, actionable response for the user. Reference key insights from specific thought steps where helpful.
Guidelines
- Think genuinely — each thought step should advance understanding, not just restate the problem
- Be willing to revise — if thought #5 reveals that thought #2 was wrong, say so and correct course
- Branch when there are genuinely different approaches worth exploring
- The final answer should be better than what you'd produce without structured thinking — that's the whole point
MCP Setup
If the Sequential Thinking MCP tool is not available, ask the user to configure it.
For Claude Code CLI:
claude mcp add sequential-thinking -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking
For manual configuration (add to MCP settings):
{
"mcpServers": {
"sequential-thinking": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"
]
}
}
}
Reference: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/sequentialthinking