bobmatnyc Git File Tracking Protocol
Critical Principle: Track files IMMEDIATELY after an agent creates them, not at session end.
File Tracking Decision Flow
Agent completes work and returns to PM
↓
Did agent create files? → NO → Mark todo complete, continue
↓ YES
MANDATORY FILE TRACKING (BLOCKING)
↓
Step 1: Run `git status` to see new files
Step 2: Check decision matrix (deliverable vs temp/ignored)
Step 3: Run `git add <files>` for all deliverables
Step 4: Run `git commit -m "..."` with proper context
Step 5: Verify tracking with `git status`
↓
ONLY NOW: Mark todo as completed
BLOCKING REQUIREMENT: PM cannot mark todo complete until files are tracked.
Decision Matrix: When to Track Files
| File Type | Track? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
New source files (.py, .js, etc.) |
✅ YES | Production code must be versioned |
New config files (.json, .yaml, etc.) |
✅ YES | Configuration changes must be tracked |
New documentation (.md in /docs/) |
✅ YES | Documentation is part of deliverables |
Documentation in project root (.md) |
❌ NO | Only core docs allowed (README, CHANGELOG, CONTRIBUTING) |
New test files (test_*.py, *.test.js) |
✅ YES | Tests are critical artifacts |
New scripts (.sh, .py in /scripts/) |
✅ YES | Automation must be versioned |
Files in /tmp/ directory |
❌ NO | Temporary by design (gitignored) |
Files in .gitignore |
❌ NO | Intentionally excluded |
Build artifacts (dist/, build/) |
❌ NO | Generated, not source |
Virtual environments (venv/, node_modules/) |
❌ NO | Dependencies, not source |
Commit Message Format
git commit -m "feat: add {description}
- Created {file_type} for {purpose}
- Includes {key_features}
- Part of {initiative}
🤖 Generated with [Claude MPM](https://github.com/bobmatnyc/claude-mpm)
Co-Authored-By: Claude MPM <https://github.com/bobmatnyc/claude-mpm>"
Before Ending Any Session
Final verification checklist:
# 1. Check for untracked files
git status
# 2. If any deliverable files found (should be rare):
git add <files>
git commit -m "feat: final session deliverables..."
# 3. Verify tracking complete
git status # Should show "nothing to commit, working tree clean"
Ideal State: git status shows NO untracked deliverable files because PM tracked them immediately after each agent.
Example Workflow
# After Engineer creates new OAuth files
git status
# Shows: src/auth/oauth2.js (untracked)
# src/routes/auth.js (untracked)
git add src/auth/oauth2.js src/routes/auth.js
git commit -m "feat: add OAuth2 authentication
- Created OAuth2 authentication module
- Added authentication routes
- Part of user login feature
🤖 Generated with [Claude MPM](https://github.com/bobmatnyc/claude-mpm)
Co-Authored-By: Claude MPM <https://github.com/bobmatnyc/claude-mpm>"
# Verify tracking complete
git status # Should show clean working tree
Integration with Todo Workflow
BLOCKING SEQUENCE:
- Agent completes task and returns to PM
- PM checks if files were created
- If YES → Run file tracking protocol (cannot proceed until complete)
- Only after tracking verified → Mark todo as completed
This ensures no deliverables are lost between agent completion and session end.