[IMPORTANT] Use TaskCreate to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks for each file read. This prevents context loss from long files. For simple tasks, AI MUST ATTENTION ask user whether to skip.Understand Code First — HARD-GATE: Do NOT write, plan, or fix until you READ existing code. 1. Search 3+ similar patterns (grep/glob) — citefile:lineevidence 2. Read existing files in target area — understand structure, base classes, conventions 3. Runpython.claude/scripts/code_graph trace <file> --direction both --jsonwhen.code-graph/graph.dbexists 4. Map dependencies viaconnectionsorcallers_of— know what depends on your target 5. Write investigation to.ai/workspace/analysis/for non-trivial tasks (3+ files) 6. Re-read analysis file before implementing — never work from memory alone 7. NEVER invent new patterns when existing ones work — match exactly or document deviation BLOCKED until:- []Read target files- []Grep 3+ patterns- []Graph trace (if graph.db exists)- []Assumptions verified with evidence
Estimation — Modified Fibonacci: 1(trivial) → 2(small) → 3(medium) → 5(large) → 8(very large) → 13(epic, SHOULD split) → 21(MUST ATTENTION split). Outputstory_pointsandcomplexityin plan frontmatter. Complexity auto-derived: 1-2=Low, 3-5=Medium, 8=High, 13+=Critical.
Plan Quality — Every plan phase MUST ATTENTION include test specifications. 1. Add## Test Specificationssection with TC-{FEAT}-{NNN} IDs to every phase file 2. Map every functional requirement to ≥1 TC (or explicitTBDwith rationale) 3. TC IDs followTC-{FEATURE}-{NNN}format — reference by ID, never embed full content 4. Before any new workflow step: callTaskListand re-read the phase file 5. On context compaction: callTaskListFIRST — never create duplicate tasks 6. Verify TC satisfaction per phase before marking complete (evidence must befile:line, not TBD) Mode: TDD-first → reference existing TCs withEvidence: TBD. Implement-first → use TBD →/tdd-specfills after.
Iterative Phase Quality — Score complexity BEFORE planning. Complexity signals: >5 files +2, cross-service +3, new pattern +2, DB migration +2 Score >=6 → MUST ATTENTION decompose into phases. Each phase: - ≤5 files modified - ≤3h effort - Follows cycle: plan → implement → review → fix → verify - Do NOT start Phase N+1 until Phase N passes VERIFY Phase success = all TCs pass + code-reviewer agent approves + no CRITICAL findings.
docs/test-specs/— Test specifications by module (read existing TCs to include test strategy in plan)
Quick Summary
Goal: Create a detailed implementation plan with phases optimized for parallel execution by multiple agents.
Workflow:
- Research — Spawn up to 2 researcher agents in parallel for different aspects
- Analyze Codebase — Read summary docs; scout if summary is stale (>3 days)
- Plan Creation — Planner subagent creates parallel-optimized phases with exclusive file ownership
- User Review — Present plan for confirmation; optionally validate via interview
Key Rules:
- Each phase MUST ATTENTION have exclusive file ownership -- no file modified by multiple phases
- Phases must be independently executable with clear dependency matrix
- Planning-only skill -- never implement code, always get user approval first
Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).
Activate planning skill.
PLANNING-ONLY — Collaboration Required
DO NOT use theEnterPlanModetool — you are ALREADY in a planning workflow. DO NOT implement or execute any code changes. COLLABORATE with the user: ask decision questions, present options with recommendations. After plan creation, ALWAYS run/plan-reviewto validate the plan. ASK user to confirm the plan before any next step.
Your mission
Workflow
- Create a directory using naming pattern from
## Namingsection in injected context. Make sure you pass the directory path to every subagent during the process. - Follow strictly to the "Plan Creation & Organization" rules of
planningskill. - Use multiple
researcheragents (max 2 agents) in parallel to research for this task: Each agent research for a different aspect of the task and are allowed to perform max 5 tool calls. - Analyze the codebase by reading
backend-patterns-reference.md,frontend-patterns-reference.md, andproject-structure-reference.mdfile. ONLY PERFORM THIS FOLLOWING STEP IF reference docs are placeholders or older than 3 days: Use/scout <instructions>slash command to search the codebase for files needed to complete the task. - Main agent gathers all research and scout report filepaths, and pass them to
plannersubagent with the prompt to create a parallel-optimized implementation plan. - Main agent receives the implementation plan from
plannersubagent, and ask user to review the plan
Post-Plan Validation (Optional)
After plan creation, offer validation interview to confirm decisions before implementation.
Check ## Plan Context -> Validation: mode=X, questions=MIN-MAX:
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
prompt | Ask user: "Validate this plan with a brief interview?" -> Yes (Recommended) / No |
auto | Automatically execute /plan-validate {plan-path} |
off | Skip validation step entirely |
If mode is prompt: Use AskUserQuestion tool with options above. If user chooses validation or mode is auto: Execute /plan-validate {plan-path} SlashCommand.
Special Requirements for Parallel Execution
CRITICAL: The planner subagent must create phases that:
- Can be executed independently - Each phase should be self-contained with no runtime dependencies on other phases
- Have clear boundaries - No file overlap between phases (each file should only be modified in ONE phase)
- Separate concerns logically - Group by architectural layer, feature domain, or technology stack
- Minimize coupling - Phases should communicate through well-defined interfaces only
- Include dependency matrix - Clearly document which phases must run sequentially vs in parallel
Parallelization Strategy:
- Group frontend/backend/database work into separate phases when possible
- Separate infrastructure setup from application logic
- Isolate different feature domains (e.g., auth vs profile vs payments)
- Split by file type/directory (e.g., components vs services vs models)
- Create independent test phases per module
Phase Organization Example:
Phase 01: Database Schema (can run independently)
Phase 02: Backend API Layer (can run independently)
Phase 03: Frontend Components (can run independently)
Phase 04: Integration Tests (depends on 01, 02, 03)Output Requirements
Plan Directory Structure (use Plan dir: from ## Naming section)
{plan-dir}/
├── research/
│ ├── researcher-XX-report.md
│ └── ...
├── reports/
│ ├── XX-report.md
│ └── ...
├── scout/
│ ├── scout-XX-report.md
│ └── ...
├── plan.md
├── phase-XX-phase-name-here.md
└── ...Research Output Requirements
- Ensure every research markdown report remains concise (<=150 lines) while covering all requested topics and citations.
Plan File Specification
- Every
plan.mdMUST ATTENTION start with YAML frontmatter:--- title: '{Brief title}' description: '{One sentence for card preview}' status: pending priority: P2 story_points: {1-21 modified fibonacci} effort: {sum of phases, e.g., 4h} branch: {current git branch} tags: [relevant, tags] created: {YYYY-MM-DD} --- - Save the overview access point at
{plan-dir}/plan.md. Keep it generic, under 80 lines, and list each implementation phase with status, progress, parallelization group, and links to phase files. - For each phase, create
{plan-dir}/phase-XX-phase-name-here.mdcontaining the following sections in order:
- Context links (reference parent plan, dependencies, docs) - Parallelization Info (which phases can run concurrently, which must wait) - Overview (date, description, priority, implementation status, review status) - Key Insights - Requirements - Architecture - Related code files (MUST ATTENTION be exclusive to this phase - no overlap with other phases) - File Ownership (explicit list of files this phase owns/modifies) - Implementation Steps - Todo list - Success Criteria - Conflict Prevention (how this phase avoids conflicts with parallel phases) - Risk Assessment - Security Considerations - Next steps
Main plan.md must include:
- Dependency graph showing which phases can run in parallel
- Execution strategy (e.g., "Phases 1-3 parallel, then Phase 4")
- File ownership matrix (which phase owns which files)
IMPORTANT Task Planning Notes (MUST ATTENTION FOLLOW)
- Always plan and break work into many small todo tasks using
TaskCreate - Always add a final review todo task to verify work quality and identify fixes/enhancements
- MANDATORY FINAL TASKS: After creating all planning todo tasks, ALWAYS add these three final tasks:
1. Task: "Write test specifications for each phase" — Add ## Test Specifications with TC-{FEAT}-{NNN} IDs to every phase file. Use /tdd-spec if feature docs exist. Use Evidence: TBD for TDD-first mode. 2. Task: "Run /plan-validate" — Trigger /plan-validate skill to interview the user with critical questions and validate plan assumptions 3. Task: "Run /plan-review" — Trigger /plan-review skill to auto-review plan for validity, correctness, and best practices
Important Notes
IMPORTANT: Analyze the skills catalog and activate the skills that are needed for the task during the process. IMPORTANT: Ensure token efficiency while maintaining high quality. IMPORTANT: Sacrifice grammar for the sake of concision when writing reports. IMPORTANT: In reports, list any unresolved questions at the end, if any. IMPORTANT: Each phase MUST ATTENTION have exclusive file ownership - no file can be modified by multiple phases.
REMINDER — Planning-Only Command
DO NOT useEnterPlanModetool. DO NOT start implementing. ALWAYS validate with/plan-reviewafter plan creation. ASK user to confirm the plan before any implementation begins. ASK user decision questions with your recommendations when multiple approaches exist.
Next Steps (Standalone: MUST ATTENTION ask user via AskUserQuestion. Skip if inside workflow.)
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS: If this skill was called outside a workflow, you MUST ATTENTION use AskUserQuestion to present these options. Do NOT skip because the task seems "simple" or "obvious" — the user decides:- "Proceed with full workflow (Recommended)" — I'll detect the best workflow to continue from here (plan created). This ensures review, validation, implementation, and testing steps aren't skipped.
- "/plan-review" — Auto-review plan for validity and best practices
- "/plan-validate" — Interview user to confirm plan decisions
- "Skip, continue manually" — user decides
If already inside a workflow, skip — the workflow handles sequencing.
Closing Reminders
- IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION break work into small todo tasks using
TaskCreateBEFORE starting - IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION search codebase for 3+ similar patterns before creating new code
- IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION cite
file:lineevidence for every claim (confidence >80% to act) - IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION add a final review todo task to verify work quality
- IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION include Test Specifications section and story_points in plan frontmatter
- IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION search 3+ existing patterns and read code BEFORE any modification. Run graph trace when graph.db exists.
- IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION include
story_pointsandcomplexityin plan frontmatter. SP > 8 = split. - IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION include
## Test Specificationswith TC IDs per phase. CallTaskListbefore creating new tasks. - IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION score complexity first. Score >=6 → decompose. Each phase: plan → implement → review → fix → verify. No skipping.