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GSD (Get Shit Done) creates hierarchical project plans optimized for solo agentic development with Claude Code.

Quick Start

1. /gsd-new-project - Initialize project (includes research, requirements, roadmap)
2. /gsd-plan-phase 1 - Create detailed plan for first phase
3. /gsd-execute-phase 1 - Execute the phase

Staying Updated

GSD evolves fast. Update periodically:

npx get-shit-done-cc@latest

Core Workflow

/gsd-new-project → /gsd-plan-phase → /gsd-execute-phase → repeat

Project Initialization

/gsd-new-project Initialize new project through unified flow.

One command takes you from idea to ready-for-planning:

• Deep questioning to understand what you're building
• Optional domain research (spawns 4 parallel researcher agents)
• Requirements definition with v1/v2/out-of-scope scoping
• Roadmap creation with phase breakdown and success criteria

Creates all .planning/ artifacts:

• PROJECT.md — vision and requirements
• config.json — workflow mode (interactive/yolo)
• research/ — domain research (if selected)
• REQUIREMENTS.md — scoped requirements with REQ-IDs
• ROADMAP.md — phases mapped to requirements
• STATE.md — project memory

Usage: /gsd-new-project

/gsd-map-codebase Map an existing codebase for brownfield projects.

• Analyzes codebase with parallel Explore agents
• Creates .planning/codebase/ with 7 focused documents
• Covers stack, architecture, structure, conventions, testing, integrations, concerns
• Use before /gsd-new-project on existing codebases

Usage: /gsd-map-codebase

Phase Planning

/gsd-discuss-phase <number> Help articulate your vision for a phase before planning.

• Captures how you imagine this phase working
• Creates CONTEXT.md with your vision, essentials, and boundaries
• Use when you have ideas about how something should look/feel
• Optional --batch asks 2-5 related questions at a time instead of one-by-one

Usage: /gsd-discuss-phase 2 Usage: /gsd-discuss-phase 2 --batch Usage: /gsd-discuss-phase 2 --batch=3

/gsd-research-phase <number> Comprehensive ecosystem research for niche/complex domains.

• Discovers standard stack, architecture patterns, pitfalls
• Creates RESEARCH.md with "how experts build this" knowledge
• Use for 3D, games, audio, shaders, ML, and other specialized domains
• Goes beyond "which library" to ecosystem knowledge

Usage: /gsd-research-phase 3

/gsd-list-phase-assumptions <number> See what Claude is planning to do before it starts.

• Shows Claude's intended approach for a phase
• Lets you course-correct if Claude misunderstood your vision
• No files created - conversational output only

Usage: /gsd-list-phase-assumptions 3

/gsd-plan-phase <number> Create detailed execution plan for a specific phase.

• Generates .planning/phases/XX-phase-name/XX-YY-PLAN.md
• Breaks phase into concrete, actionable tasks
• Includes verification criteria and success measures
• Multiple plans per phase supported (XX-01, XX-02, etc.)

Usage: /gsd-plan-phase 1 Result: Creates .planning/phases/01-foundation/01-01-PLAN.md

PRD Express Path: Pass --prd path/to/requirements.md to skip discuss-phase entirely. Your PRD becomes locked decisions in CONTEXT.md. Useful when you already have clear acceptance criteria.

Execution

/gsd-execute-phase <phase-number> Execute all plans in a phase, or run a specific wave.

• Groups plans by wave (from frontmatter), executes waves sequentially
• Plans within each wave run in parallel via Task tool
• Optional --wave N flag executes only Wave N and stops unless the phase is now fully complete
• Verifies phase goal after all plans complete
• Updates REQUIREMENTS.md, ROADMAP.md, STATE.md

Usage: /gsd-execute-phase 5 Usage: /gsd-execute-phase 5 --wave 2

Smart Router

/gsd-do <description> Route freeform text to the right GSD command automatically.

• Analyzes natural language input to find the best matching GSD command
• Acts as a dispatcher — never does the work itself
• Resolves ambiguity by asking you to pick between top matches
• Use when you know what you want but don't know which /gsd-* command to run

Usage: /gsd-do fix the login button Usage: /gsd-do refactor the auth system Usage: /gsd-do I want to start a new milestone

Quick Mode

/gsd-quick [--full] [--validate] [--discuss] [--research] Execute small, ad-hoc tasks with GSD guarantees but skip optional agents.

Quick mode uses the same system with a shorter path:

• Spawns planner + executor (skips researcher, checker, verifier by default)
• Quick tasks live in .planning/quick/ separate from planned phases
• Updates STATE.md tracking (not ROADMAP.md)

Flags enable additional quality steps:

• --full — Complete quality pipeline: discussion + research + plan-checking + verification
• --validate — Plan-checking (max 2 iterations) and post-execution verification only
• --discuss — Lightweight discussion to surface gray areas before planning
• --research — Focused research agent investigates approaches before planning

Granular flags are composable: --discuss --research --validate gives the same as --full.

Usage: /gsd-quick Usage: /gsd-quick --full Usage: /gsd-quick --research --validate Result: Creates .planning/quick/NNN-slug/PLAN.md, .planning/quick/NNN-slug/SUMMARY.md

/gsd-fast [description] Execute a trivial task inline — no subagents, no planning files, no overhead.

For tasks too small to justify planning: typo fixes, config changes, forgotten commits, simple additions. Runs in the current context, makes the change, commits, and logs to STATE.md.

• No PLAN.md or SUMMARY.md created
• No subagent spawned (runs inline)
• ≤ 3 file edits — redirects to /gsd-quick if task is non-trivial
• Atomic commit with conventional message

Usage: /gsd-fast "fix the typo in README" Usage: /gsd-fast "add .env to gitignore"

Roadmap Management

/gsd-add-phase <description> Add new phase to end of current milestone.

• Appends to ROADMAP.md
• Uses next sequential number
• Updates phase directory structure

Usage: /gsd-add-phase "Add admin dashboard"

/gsd-insert-phase <after> <description> Insert urgent work as decimal phase between existing phases.

• Creates intermediate phase (e.g., 7.1 between 7 and 8)
• Useful for discovered work that must happen mid-milestone
• Maintains phase ordering

Usage: /gsd-insert-phase 7 "Fix critical auth bug" Result: Creates Phase 7.1

/gsd-remove-phase <number> Remove a future phase and renumber subsequent phases.

• Deletes phase directory and all references
• Renumbers all subsequent phases to close the gap
• Only works on future (unstarted) phases
• Git commit preserves historical record

Usage: /gsd-remove-phase 17 Result: Phase 17 deleted, phases 18-20 become 17-19

Milestone Management

/gsd-new-milestone <name> Start a new milestone through unified flow.

• Deep questioning to understand what you're building next
• Optional domain research (spawns 4 parallel researcher agents)
• Requirements definition with scoping
• Roadmap creation with phase breakdown
• Optional --reset-phase-numbers flag restarts numbering at Phase 1 and archives old phase dirs first for safety

Mirrors /gsd-new-project flow for brownfield projects (existing PROJECT.md).

Usage: /gsd-new-milestone "v2.0 Features" Usage: /gsd-new-milestone --reset-phase-numbers "v2.0 Features"

/gsd-complete-milestone <version> Archive completed milestone and prepare for next version.

• Creates MILESTONES.md entry with stats
• Archives full details to milestones/ directory
• Creates git tag for the release
• Prepares workspace for next version

Usage: /gsd-complete-milestone 1.0.0

Progress Tracking

/gsd-progress Check project status and intelligently route to next action.

• Shows visual progress bar and completion percentage
• Summarizes recent work from SUMMARY files
• Displays current position and what's next
• Lists key decisions and open issues
• Offers to execute next plan or create it if missing
• Detects 100% milestone completion

Usage: /gsd-progress

Session Management

/gsd-resume-work Resume work from previous session with full context restoration.

• Reads STATE.md for project context
• Shows current position and recent progress
• Offers next actions based on project state

Usage: /gsd-resume-work

/gsd-pause-work Create context handoff when pausing work mid-phase.

• Creates .continue-here file with current state
• Updates STATE.md session continuity section
• Captures in-progress work context

Usage: /gsd-pause-work

Debugging

/gsd-debug [issue description] Systematic debugging with persistent state across context resets.

• Gathers symptoms through adaptive questioning
• Creates .planning/debug/[slug].md to track investigation
• Investigates using scientific method (evidence → hypothesis → test)
• Survives /clear — run /gsd-debug with no args to resume
• Archives resolved issues to .planning/debug/resolved/

Usage: /gsd-debug "login button doesn't work" Usage: /gsd-debug (resume active session)

Spiking & Sketching

/gsd-spike [idea] [--quick] Rapidly spike an idea with throwaway experiments to validate feasibility.

• Decomposes idea into 2-5 focused experiments (risk-ordered)
• Each spike answers one specific Given/When/Then question
• Builds minimum code, runs it, captures verdict (VALIDATED/INVALIDATED/PARTIAL)
• Saves to .planning/spikes/ with MANIFEST.md tracking
• Does not require /gsd-new-project — works in any repo
• --quick skips decomposition, builds immediately

Usage: /gsd-spike "can we stream LLM output over WebSockets?" Usage: /gsd-spike --quick "test if pdfjs extracts tables"

/gsd-sketch [idea] [--quick] Rapidly sketch UI/design ideas using throwaway HTML mockups with multi-variant exploration.

• Conversational mood/direction intake before building
• Each sketch produces 2-3 variants as tabbed HTML pages
• User compares variants, cherry-picks elements, iterates
• Shared CSS theme system compounds across sketches
• Saves to .planning/sketches/ with MANIFEST.md tracking
• Does not require /gsd-new-project — works in any repo
• --quick skips mood intake, jumps to building

Usage: /gsd-sketch "dashboard layout for the admin panel" Usage: /gsd-sketch --quick "form card grouping"

/gsd-spike-wrap-up Package spike findings into a persistent project skill.

• Curates each spike one-at-a-time (include/exclude/partial/UAT)
• Groups findings by feature area
• Generates ./.claude/skills/spike-findings-[project]/ with references and sources
• Writes summary to .planning/spikes/WRAP-UP-SUMMARY.md
• Adds auto-load routing line to project CLAUDE.md

Usage: /gsd-spike-wrap-up

/gsd-sketch-wrap-up Package sketch design findings into a persistent project skill.

• Curates each sketch one-at-a-time (include/exclude/partial/revisit)
• Groups findings by design area
• Generates ./.claude/skills/sketch-findings-[project]/ with design decisions, CSS patterns, HTML structures
• Writes summary to .planning/sketches/WRAP-UP-SUMMARY.md
• Adds auto-load routing line to project CLAUDE.md

Usage: /gsd-sketch-wrap-up

Quick Notes

/gsd-note <text> Zero-friction idea capture — one command, instant save, no questions.

• Saves timestamped note to .planning/notes/ (or ~/.claude/notes/ globally)
• Three subcommands: append (default), list, promote
• Promote converts a note into a structured todo
• Works without a project (falls back to global scope)

Usage: /gsd-note refactor the hook system Usage: /gsd-note list Usage: /gsd-note promote 3 Usage: /gsd-note --global cross-project idea

Todo Management

/gsd-add-todo [description] Capture idea or task as todo from current conversation.

• Extracts context from conversation (or uses provided description)
• Creates structured todo file in .planning/todos/pending/
• Infers area from file paths for grouping
• Checks for duplicates before creating
• Updates STATE.md todo count

Usage: /gsd-add-todo (infers from conversation) Usage: /gsd-add-todo Add auth token refresh

/gsd-check-todos [area] List pending todos and select one to work on.

• Lists all pending todos with title, area, age
• Optional area filter (e.g., /gsd-check-todos api)
• Loads full context for selected todo
• Routes to appropriate action (work now, add to phase, brainstorm)
• Moves todo to done/ when work begins

Usage: /gsd-check-todos Usage: /gsd-check-todos api

User Acceptance Testing

/gsd-verify-work [phase] Validate built features through conversational UAT.

• Extracts testable deliverables from SUMMARY.md files
• Presents tests one at a time (yes/no responses)
• Automatically diagnoses failures and creates fix plans
• Ready for re-execution if issues found

Usage: /gsd-verify-work 3

Ship Work

/gsd-ship [phase] Create a PR from completed phase work with an auto-generated body.

• Pushes branch to remote
• Creates PR with summary from SUMMARY.md, VERIFICATION.md, REQUIREMENTS.md
• Optionally requests code review
• Updates STATE.md with shipping status

Prerequisites: Phase verified, gh CLI installed and authenticated.

Usage: /gsd-ship 4 or /gsd-ship 4 --draft

/gsd-review --phase N [--gemini] [--claude] [--codex] [--coderabbit] [--opencode] [--qwen] [--cursor] [--all] Cross-AI peer review — invoke external AI CLIs to independently review phase plans.

• Detects available CLIs (gemini, claude, codex, coderabbit)
• Each CLI reviews plans independently with the same structured prompt
• CodeRabbit reviews the current git diff (not a prompt) — may take up to 5 minutes
• Produces REVIEWS.md with per-reviewer feedback and consensus summary
• Feed reviews back into planning: /gsd-plan-phase N --reviews

Usage: /gsd-review --phase 3 --all

/gsd-pr-branch [target] Create a clean branch for pull requests by filtering out .planning/ commits.

• Classifies commits: code-only (include), planning-only (exclude), mixed (include sans .planning/)
• Cherry-picks code commits onto a clean branch
• Reviewers see only code changes, no GSD artifacts

Usage: /gsd-pr-branch or /gsd-pr-branch main

/gsd-plant-seed [idea] Capture a forward-looking idea with trigger conditions for automatic surfacing.

• Seeds preserve WHY, WHEN to surface, and breadcrumbs to related code
• Auto-surfaces during /gsd-new-milestone when trigger conditions match
• Better than deferred items — triggers are checked, not forgotten

Usage: /gsd-plant-seed "add real-time notifications when we build the events system"

/gsd-audit-uat Cross-phase audit of all outstanding UAT and verification items.

• Scans every phase for pending, skipped, blocked, and human_needed items
• Cross-references against codebase to detect stale documentation
• Produces prioritized human test plan grouped by testability
• Use before starting a new milestone to clear verification debt

Usage: /gsd-audit-uat

Milestone Auditing

/gsd-audit-milestone [version] Audit milestone completion against original intent.

• Reads all phase VERIFICATION.md files
• Checks requirements coverage
• Spawns integration checker for cross-phase wiring
• Creates MILESTONE-AUDIT.md with gaps and tech debt

Usage: /gsd-audit-milestone

/gsd-plan-milestone-gaps Create phases to close gaps identified by audit.

• Reads MILESTONE-AUDIT.md and groups gaps into phases
• Prioritizes by requirement priority (must/should/nice)
• Adds gap closure phases to ROADMAP.md
• Ready for /gsd-plan-phase on new phases

Usage: /gsd-plan-milestone-gaps

Configuration

/gsd-settings Configure workflow toggles and model profile interactively.

• Toggle researcher, plan checker, verifier agents
• Select model profile (quality/balanced/budget/inherit)
• Updates .planning/config.json

Usage: /gsd-settings

/gsd-set-profile <profile> Quick switch model profile for Open-workspace agents.

• quality — Opus everywhere except verification
• balanced — Opus for planning, Sonnet for execution (default)
• budget — Sonnet for writing, Haiku for research/verification
• inherit — Use current session model for all agents (OpenCode /model)

Usage: /gsd-set-profile budget

Utility Commands

/gsd-cleanup Archive accumulated phase directories from completed milestones.

• Identifies phases from completed milestones still in .planning/phases/
• Shows dry-run summary before moving anything
• Moves phase dirs to .planning/milestones/v{X.Y}-phases/
• Use after multiple milestones to reduce .planning/phases/ clutter

Usage: /gsd-cleanup

/gsd-help Show this command reference.

/gsd-update Update GSD to latest version with changelog preview.

• Shows installed vs latest version comparison
• Displays changelog entries for versions you've missed
• Highlights breaking changes
• Confirms before running install
• Better than raw npx get-shit-done-cc

Usage: /gsd-update

/gsd-join-discord Join the GSD Discord community.

• Get help, share what you're building, stay updated
• Connect with other GSD users

Usage: /gsd-join-discord

Files & Structure

.planning/
├── PROJECT.md            # Project vision
├── ROADMAP.md            # Current phase breakdown
├── STATE.md              # Project memory & context
├── RETROSPECTIVE.md      # Living retrospective (updated per milestone)
├── config.json           # Workflow mode & gates
├── todos/                # Captured ideas and tasks
│   ├── pending/          # Todos waiting to be worked on
│   └── done/             # Completed todos
├── spikes/               # Spike experiments (/gsd-spike)
│   ├── MANIFEST.md       # Spike inventory and verdicts
│   └── NNN-name/         # Individual spike directories
├── sketches/             # Design sketches (/gsd-sketch)
│   ├── MANIFEST.md       # Sketch inventory and winners
│   ├── themes/           # Shared CSS theme files
│   └── NNN-name/         # Individual sketch directories (HTML + README)
├── debug/                # Active debug sessions
│   └── resolved/         # Archived resolved issues
├── milestones/
│   ├── v1.0-ROADMAP.md       # Archived roadmap snapshot
│   ├── v1.0-REQUIREMENTS.md  # Archived requirements
│   └── v1.0-phases/          # Archived phase dirs (via /gsd-cleanup or --archive-phases)
│       ├── 01-foundation/
│       └── 02-core-features/
├── codebase/             # Codebase map (brownfield projects)
│   ├── STACK.md          # Languages, frameworks, dependencies
│   ├── ARCHITECTURE.md   # Patterns, layers, data flow
│   ├── STRUCTURE.md      # Directory layout, key files
│   ├── CONVENTIONS.md    # Coding standards, naming
│   ├── TESTING.md        # Test setup, patterns
│   ├── INTEGRATIONS.md   # External services, APIs
│   └── CONCERNS.md       # Tech debt, known issues
└── phases/
    ├── 01-foundation/
    │   ├── 01-01-PLAN.md
    │   └── 01-01-SUMMARY.md
    └── 02-core-features/
        ├── 02-01-PLAN.md
        └── 02-01-SUMMARY.md

Workflow Modes

Set during /gsd-new-project:

Interactive Mode

• Confirms each major decision
• Pauses at checkpoints for approval
• More guidance throughout

YOLO Mode

• Auto-approves most decisions
• Executes plans without confirmation
• Only stops for critical checkpoints

Change anytime by editing .planning/config.json

Planning Configuration

Configure how planning artifacts are managed in .planning/config.json:

planning.commit_docs (default: true)

• true: Planning artifacts committed to git (standard workflow)
• false: Planning artifacts kept local-only, not committed

When commit_docs: false:

• Add .planning/ to your .gitignore
• Useful for OSS contributions, client projects, or keeping planning private
• All planning files still work normally, just not tracked in git

planning.search_gitignored (default: false)

• true: Add --no-ignore to broad ripgrep searches
• Only needed when .planning/ is gitignored and you want project-wide searches to include it

Example config:

{
  "planning": {
    "commit_docs": false,
    "search_gitignored": true
  }
}

Common Workflows

Starting a new project:

/gsd-new-project        # Unified flow: questioning → research → requirements → roadmap
/clear
/gsd-plan-phase 1       # Create plans for first phase
/clear
/gsd-execute-phase 1    # Execute all plans in phase

Resuming work after a break:

/gsd-progress  # See where you left off and continue

Adding urgent mid-milestone work:

/gsd-insert-phase 5 "Critical security fix"
/gsd-plan-phase 5.1
/gsd-execute-phase 5.1

Completing a milestone:

/gsd-complete-milestone 1.0.0
/clear
/gsd-new-milestone  # Start next milestone (questioning → research → requirements → roadmap)

Capturing ideas during work:

/gsd-add-todo                    # Capture from conversation context
/gsd-add-todo Fix modal z-index  # Capture with explicit description
/gsd-check-todos                 # Review and work on todos
/gsd-check-todos api             # Filter by area

Debugging an issue:

/gsd-debug "form submission fails silently"  # Start debug session
# ... investigation happens, context fills up ...
/clear
/gsd-debug                                    # Resume from where you left off

Getting Help

• Read .planning/PROJECT.md for project vision
• Read .planning/STATE.md for current context
• Check .planning/ROADMAP.md for phase status
• Run /gsd-progress to check where you're up to