# Start Workflow > [Skill Management] Use when starting a detected workflow, initializing workflow state, or activating a workflow sequence. - Skill: `duc01226/start-workflow` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add duc01226/start-workflow` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/duc01226/start-workflow/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Productivity - Author: duc01226 (https://skillmd.com/u/duc01226) - Updated: 2026-09-09 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/duc01226/start-workflow --- > Codex compatibility note: > > - Invoke repository skills with `$skill-name` in Codex; this mirrored copy rewrites legacy Claude `/skill-name` references. > - Task tracker mandate: BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all steps and keep it synchronized as progress changes. > - User-question prompts mean to ask the user directly in Codex. > - Ignore Claude-specific mode-switch instructions when they appear. > - Strict execution contract: when a user explicitly invokes a skill, execute that skill protocol as written. > - Subagent authorization: when a skill is user-invoked or AI-detected and its protocol requires subagents, that skill activation authorizes use of the required `spawn_agent` subagent(s) for that task. > - Do not skip, reorder, or merge protocol steps unless the user explicitly approves the deviation first. > - For workflow skills, execute each listed child-skill step explicitly and report step-by-step evidence. > - If a required step/tool cannot run in this environment, stop and ask the user before adapting. ## Codex Project-Reference Loading (No Hooks) Codex uses static project-reference loading instead of runtime-injected project docs. When coding, planning, debugging, testing, or reviewing, open project docs explicitly using this routing. **Always read:** - `docs/project-config.json` (project-specific paths, commands, modules, and workflow/test settings) - `docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md` (routes to the full `docs/project-reference/*` catalog) - `docs/project-reference/lessons.md` (always-on guardrails and anti-patterns) **Missing/stale context route:** If `docs/project-config.json`, the docs index, `lessons.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, `AGENTS.md`, or any task-required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run `$project-init` or the narrow setup route (`$project-config`, `$docs-init`, `$scan-all`, `$scan --target=`, `$claude-md-init`) before ordinary project-specific work. If Codex mirrors or `AGENTS.md` are missing/stale, ask the user to run `$sync-codex`; do not auto-run it. **Situation-based docs:** - Project structure/architecture/tech-stack/deployment/setup (any layer — backend, frontend, or infra): `project-structure-reference.md` - Backend/CQRS/API/domain/entity changes: `backend-patterns-reference.md`, `domain-entities-reference.md` - Frontend/UI/styling/design-system: `frontend-patterns-reference.md`, `scss-styling-guide.md`, `design-system/README.md` - Spec authoring, `docs/specs/` pathing, or TC format: `feature-spec-reference.md`, `spec-system-reference.md`, `spec-principles.md` - Behavior/public-contract changes or spec-test-code sync: `workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md` plus the spec docs above - Derived spec indexes/ERDs/reimplementation guides: `spec-system-reference.md` and source Feature Specs under `docs/specs/` - Integration test implementation/review: `integration-test-reference.md` - E2E test implementation/review: `e2e-test-reference.md` - Code review/audit work: `code-review-rules.md` plus domain docs above based on changed files Do not read all docs blindly. Start from `docs-index-reference.md`, then open only relevant files for the task. ## Quick Summary **Goal:** Detect user intent → auto-select direct/skill/standard/custom path → activate with full task tracking plan. **Workflow:** 1. **Detect** — Execute explicit `/workflow-*` or `$start-workflow ` directly; otherwise match prompt against workflow catalog and skill list 2. **Auto-select** — Choose direct execution, a skill, a standard workflow, or a custom pipeline without asking the user to pick the path 3. **Activate** — Create ALL task tracking items for chosen sequence; materialize every declared `parallelGroups` group as a wave in those tasks; mark first `in_progress` **Key Rules:** - MUST ATTENTION define success criteria before execution and loop until observable verification passes. - MUST ATTENTION when creating/reviewing specs or tests, name `Business Intent / Invariant Guarded` or the protected business intent/invariant and ensure the test would fail if that intent breaks. - MUST ATTENTION auto-select the best execution path for ordinary prompts. Do not ask the user to choose between direct execution, skill, standard workflow, or custom workflow. - Explicit `/workflow-*` or `$start-workflow ` invocation counts as the user choosing that workflow; execute it directly. - Propose Custom Pipeline when no catalog workflow is a strong fit (>80% steps relevant = use catalog) - `workflows.json` `workflows` field is an **OBJECT** — use `workflows[workflowId]`, NEVER `.find()` or `[index]` - Create ALL task tracking items BEFORE marking the first task `in_progress` — batch creation, then execute - Read `parallelGroups` at activation and tag its member tasks as one wave — 1:1 tasks still stand (a group never collapses members into one task) - No `parallelGroups` = `sequence` is the order — surface only adjacent read-only steps as a `Candidate wave`, NEVER a wave that contradicts `sequence` - NEVER mark a task `completed` without invoking its skill invocation, except when the selected canonical `preActions.injectContext` explicitly authorizes an evidence-backed conditional skip — use `in_progress` → cited comment → `completed`; never delete the task - ALWAYS check context for `## Workflow Catalog` first (Tier 1). Tier 2 is mandatory before task creation only for `workflow-big-feature`, `workflow-bugfix`, and `workflow-feature` (to load their terminal refresh predicate), or when Tier 1 cannot supply required `parallelGroups` metadata — NEVER expose the full `workflows.json` to context - If another workflow is active, it auto-switches (ends current, starts new) — no manual cleanup needed **NOT for:** Manual step execution (follow task tracking items), workflow design (use `plan`), catalog management. **Related:** `$start-workflow ` | Catalog: host-specific static workflow-catalog surfaces derived from `.claude/workflows.json` (no router/tracker hooks) --- ## Custom Pipeline Option When the prompt doesn't cleanly match a single catalog workflow — or combining steps from multiple workflows serves the request better — the AI MAY propose a **Custom Pipeline** alongside the catalog option. ### When to propose | Condition | Example | | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | No catalog workflow matches well | "Review hook changes and update skill docs" — spans review + docs | | Best-match has significant unnecessary steps | Quick investigate + fix, but `workflow-bugfix` includes full TDD + integration cycle | | Prompt combines 2+ workflow domains | "Audit performance and write integration tests for the slow query" | | User explicitly requests a step sequence | "Just run scout, plan, and feature-implement — nothing else" | **Do NOT propose** when a catalog workflow is a strong match (>80% of its steps are relevant). Catalog workflows encode validated best-practice sequences — prefer them. ### How to build 1. **Valid steps only** — Use only canonical step ids — those appearing in workflow `sequence` arrays in `workflows.json` (each maps to a real `.claude/skills//SKILL.md` and is invoked as `/`). No invented step names. 2. **Logical order** — Investigate → Plan → Implement → Test. Never reverse dependency order. 3. **Minimal** — Include only steps the prompt needs. No "just in case" additions. 4. **Name it** — Short descriptive name: "Quick Fix + Docs", "Audit + Test Coverage". ### How to present (ask the user directly format) Show full step sequences for ALL options so the user compares scope: ``` Option A — Activate "Bug Fix" workflow (Recommended) Steps: $scout → $investigate → $debug-investigate → $plan → $fix → $prove-fix → $test → ... Option B — Custom Pipeline: "Quick Fix + Docs" Steps: $scout → $investigate → $fix → $docs-update Rationale: Prompt targets a known location — full TDD cycle is over-engineered here. ``` **Rules:** - Always show full step list per option - One-sentence AI rationale for the custom pipeline - Catalog workflow = "(Recommended)" unless custom pipeline confidence is clearly higher - NEVER present custom pipeline as the only option — always include the catalog option - For project-specific architecture, test, documentation, naming, or workflow rules, read `docs/project-config.json` and `docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md`; keep this reusable start-workflow protocol generic. ### Task creation for Custom Pipeline Same 1:1 protocol — one task tracking per step. Use `[Custom]` prefix to distinguish from catalog tasks: ``` Task tracking: subject="[Custom] {step-name} — {brief description}", description="Custom pipeline step N/{total}.", activeForm="Executing {step-name}" ``` --- ## Workflow Lookup — Tier 1 Selection, Tier 2 Execution Use Tier 1 to select every route. For the three policy-bound delivery workflows (`workflow-big-feature`, `workflow-bugfix`, and `workflow-feature`), use Tier 2 before task tracking to materialize their execution contract because static catalogs omit the terminal-refresh pre-action. Other workflows retain their existing Tier-1 task materialization unless `parallelGroups` metadata is required. ### Tier 1: Context (FREE — no file reads) The workflow catalog is already present in static host context — derived into `CLAUDE.md`, `AGENTS.md`, and Codex context rather than injected by a hook. Its headings and row grammar vary by host. 1. Search the available catalog surface for the exact workflow ID: `{workflowId}`. 2. Use its name and `whenToUse` summary only to confirm the route. 3. For `workflow-big-feature`, `workflow-bugfix`, and `workflow-feature`, do NOT parse a static catalog sequence or command syntax for task tracking; Tier 1 is route selection only. Other workflows retain their existing Tier-1 task materialization unless a Tier-2 `parallelGroups` read is required. ✅ Use Tier 1 for: route selection, and existing task materialization for workflows outside the policy-bound delivery set. ⚠️ Tier 2 is required immediately after selection and **before task tracking for only `workflow-big-feature`, `workflow-bugfix`, and `workflow-feature`**, plus any activation that needs canonical `parallelGroups`. The complete canonical entry loads `sequence`, `preActions.injectContext`, and `parallelGroups`. ### Tier 2: Complete Canonical Entry Read (JSON-aware) After Tier 1 identifies a policy-bound delivery workflow or an activation needing `parallelGroups`, use this selected-entry read before creating tasks. For the three delivery workflows, the static catalog is a route-selection aid; the selected canonical entry remains the execution contract: ``` node .claude/scripts/codex/read-workflow-entry.mjs ``` This JSON-aware helper prints the complete `workflows[workflowId]` object only, including every sequence step even when the entry is long. It accepts the exact Tier-1-selected workflow ID as a data argument; it does not interpolate it into a shell command. Parse: `sequence` array → step IDs, `preActions.injectContext`, and `parallelGroups` → invoke each with the active host's command syntax for that step. ### Tier 3: Missing Entry (stop) If the JSON-aware lookup cannot return the exact selected entry, stop and report catalog drift or a missing canonical workflow. Do not fall back to a fixed-context grep, and do not expose the full file to context. --- ## After Activation — Task Creation Protocol (ZERO TOLERANCE) **Active-goal resolution (BEFORE child task creation):** resolve the active Goal Contract per `SYNC:goal-contract-satisfaction-loop` — active plan `goal.md`, else `plans/goals/{YYMMDD-HHmm}-{slug}/goal.md`, else create one from the current user request using `.claude/templates/goal-contract-template.md`. Record the resolved goal path and pass it to every child step/sub-agent so the whole workflow executes against the same saved success criteria. The workflow may end only when the goal's Goal Satisfaction matrix passes or a blocker is escalated. FIRST action after activation: create EXACTLY one task tracking for EACH entry in the workflow's `sequence` array. ### How to read `workflows.json` — CRITICAL SCHEMA **`workflows.json` is a JSON OBJECT, not an array.** Most common AI mistake. ``` { "settings": { ... }, "workflows": { : WorkflowEntry } ← OBJECT, keyed by ID } ``` **Lookup algorithm:** ``` workflow = workflows[workflowId] // key lookup — NOT .find(), NOT [index] steps = workflow.sequence // array of step ID strings invocation = resolveActiveHostSyntax(stepId) // e.g. the active host's syntax for "scout" ``` **WorkflowEntry fields:** | Field | Type | Notes | | ---------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | `name` | string | Display name | | `sequence` | string[] | Ordered step IDs — SOLE source of truth | | `whenToUse` | string | Natural language intent matching | | `preActions` | object | Optional `injectContext` / `readFiles` | | `parallelGroups` | object[] | Optional all-return barrier groups — `{id, members[], barrier:true, conditionalMembers[]}` | **FORBIDDEN (common mistakes):** ``` // ❌ WRONG workflows.find(w => w.id === workflowId) workflows[0] // ✅ CORRECT workflows[workflowId] Object.keys(workflows) // list all IDs ``` ### Task creation steps 1. **Tier 1 first (no file read):** search the available static catalog surface for `{workflowId}`. For workflows outside the policy-bound delivery set, use its established active-host sequence to create tasks unless canonical `parallelGroups` metadata is required. 2. **Tier 2 required before task tracking only for `workflow-big-feature`, `workflow-bugfix`, and `workflow-feature`, or when `parallelGroups` metadata is required:** `node .claude/scripts/codex/read-workflow-entry.mjs ` → treat the complete selected entry's `sequence`, `preActions.injectContext`, and `parallelGroups` as canonical. If the static preview differs, stop and report catalog drift rather than choosing one silently. 3. **Apply delivery-workflow pre-actions to task context:** preserve the selected entry's `preActions.injectContext` as workflow-level execution context. For every conditional step it governs, put the exact run condition and evidence-backed skip transition in that task's description; never infer or drop a predicate because the static catalog rendered only a step name. 4. Create one task tracking per selected sequence step IN ORDER > See **Workflow Lookup — Token-Efficient (3-Tier Strategy)** above for full lookup rules and fallback chain. **Task format:** ``` Task tracking: subject="[Workflow] {step-name} — {brief description}", description="Workflow step N/{total}. {conditional note}", activeForm="Executing {step-name}" ``` **Rules (NON-NEGOTIABLE):** - **1:1 mapping** — each sequence entry = exactly one task. No consolidation, no invented tasks. - **Conditional steps still get tasks** — add the exact canonical run condition and evidence-backed skip transition to the description; when the selected canonical `preActions.injectContext` authorizes that skip, it may complete without a Skill invocation after the cited comment. Never use a generic skip label. - **Delivery-workflow pre-actions are mandatory execution input** — after Tier 1 selects `workflow-big-feature`, `workflow-bugfix`, or `workflow-feature`, Tier 2 must load `preActions.injectContext` before task tracking. A conditional step's task description must state its canonical run condition and evidence-backed skip transition. - **Recursive self-calls get tasks** — e.g., `[Workflow] $workflow-review-changes — Recursive re-review (conditional)` - **Count verification** — after creation: `task count == len(sequence)`. Fix mismatch before proceeding. ### Parallel waves from `parallelGroups` (compute at activation, BEFORE the first task runs) A workflow MAY declare barrier groups in `parallelGroups` (schema: `.claude/workflows.schema.json` → `WorkflowEntry.parallelGroups`; live example: `workflow-review-changes`, groups `initial-reviews` and `reviewers`). Materialize each declared group as a wave IN THE TASK LIST, so the barrier is visible in the tasks and not only in prose. 1. **Read `parallelGroups` alongside `sequence`.** Tier 1 (`## Workflow Catalog` in `CLAUDE.md`) renders members FLAT and carries no group data. Tier 2's JSON-aware selected-entry lookup supplies `parallelGroups` with `sequence`. 2. **Expand any barrier token you were given.** The Codex mirrors (`AGENTS.md`, `.codex/CODEX_CONTEXT.md`) collapse a group into ONE `[parallel ⇉ all-return barrier: a, b*]` token (`*` = conditional member). That token is a barrier marker, NOT a step — expand it back to its member steps and create one task per member. 3. **Task count is still `len(sequence)`.** A group NEVER collapses its members into a single task; it only adds wave metadata to the member tasks. 4. **Tag each member task** — subject `[Workflow] [wave: {groupId}] /{step} — {brief description}`, description `Workflow step N/{total}. Parallel group '{groupId}' — spawned together with {other members}; barrier: advance only after ALL members return. {conditional note}`. 5. **Conditional members still get their own task** — add "Conditional — a skipped member still counts as returned for the barrier"; skip via `in_progress` → comment → `completed`, never delete. 6. **Execute a group as ONE wave** — spawn every member in ONE message, barrier on all returns, then advance to the first step after the group. That next step is a SEQ boundary: never start it — and never start any code-mutating step — while a member is still in flight. 7. **Malformed group → STOP, do not repair.** A member absent from `sequence`, a member in two groups, or `barrier ≠ true` means the workflow definition is broken: report it and run the sequence strictly in order rather than guessing the intended grouping. ### When a workflow declares NO `parallelGroups` `sequence` is the source of truth. Absence of `parallelGroups` is NOT permission to invent groups. - **NEVER** reorder, merge, drop, or co-schedule steps in any way that contradicts `sequence` — no self-authored wave may run a step ahead of a step that precedes it in `sequence`, and a workflow's fixed order overrides any independence you infer. - **DO surface a candidate wave** when adjacent steps are obviously independent — ALL of: (a) contiguous in `sequence`, (b) read-only / report-producing (review, scan, investigation, research — each writes only its own `plans/reports/` file), (c) neither consumes the other's output. Announce it as `Candidate wave (not declared): [...]` and keep the 1:1 tasks unchanged. - **NEVER** put in a candidate wave: any step that writes source files, any gate awaiting user approval, any step consuming a previous step's output, or any non-adjacent pair. When in doubt → run sequentially; a wrong wave silently reorders the workflow, a missed wave only costs time. - **Persist what proves right** — if a candidate wave was correct, tell the user to add a `parallelGroups` entry to `.claude/workflows.json` (never edit it mid-run). An undeclared wave must never become the de-facto sequence. Create ALL tasks first → then `TaskUpdate` first task to `in_progress`. --- ## Step Execution Protocol Per required (non-skipped) step: `TaskUpdate in_progress` → **invoke skill invocation** → complete skill → `TaskUpdate completed`. - Completing a task without invoking its skill invocation = **workflow violation**, except for a conditionally skipped task explicitly authorized by the selected canonical pre-action, which may complete without invoking its skill invocation after its cited comment - Validation gates (`$plan-validate`, `$plan-review`, `$why-review`) MUST use explicit evidence and local project protocol — NEVER auto-approve inferred decisions. Explicit user approval in the prompt may satisfy the gate only when the gate's skill permits it. - To skip a conditionally authorized step: `TaskUpdate in_progress` → cited comment "Skipped — {reason}" → `TaskUpdate completed` without invoking its skill invocation. Never delete. --- ## Workflow-in-Workflow Gate (HARD GATE) Some workflow steps ARE themselves full workflows. The DEFAULT for a step that activates a multi-step workflow is sub-agent delegation — running it inline causes the parent session to absorb the entire nested workflow's tool calls, file reads, and sub-agent reports (context overflow on long sequences). The sub-agent runs the nested workflow in isolation and returns ONLY a `SYNC:subagent-return-contract` summary (full findings to `plans/reports/`). **Default protocol (sub-agent delegation) for a nested-workflow step:** 1. NEVER invoke via inline skill invocation call 2. Spawn via `spawn_agent` tool with the appropriate `agent_type` 3. Agent prompt must include: current git diff context + feature/task description 4. Sub-agent runs the full nested workflow in its isolated context 5. Return ONLY SYNC:subagent-return-contract summary — write full findings to `plans/reports/` 6. Main agent reads `plans/reports/` file only when resolving specific blockers **EXCEPTION — `workflow-review-changes` runs INLINE in the main session (never a sub-agent):** | Step | Workflow activated | Execution mode | Why | | -------------------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `$workflow-review-changes` | `workflow-review-changes` | **INLINE — main session agent** | Its Step 0 `/goal` gate binds the session Stop hook + its step-15 re-review is inline by design; a sub-agent cannot own the Stop hook, so delegating it silently breaks the unabandonable review→fix→re-review loop. Context stays bounded because its OWN step 2 and steps 4–10 reviewers are sub-agents writing to `plans/reports/`. | When `$workflow-review-changes` appears in any workflow sequence (e.g. `workflow-feature`, `workflow-bugfix`, `workflow-refactor`), invoke it via the skill invocation INLINE — do NOT spawn it as an `spawn_agent` sub-agent. > The ⚠️ **[WORKFLOW-IN-WORKFLOW GATE]** is model-driven: apply it (default sub-agent, or the `workflow-review-changes` inline exception) yourself whenever the next step activates a nested workflow — no hook emits this warning. --- **IMPORTANT MANDATORY Steps:** detect-workflow -> analyze-best-match -> auto-select-execution-path -> activate-workflow -> create-task-tracking -> execute-sequence **IMPORTANT MANDATORY Steps:** detect-workflow -> analyze-best-match -> auto-select-execution-path -> activate-workflow -> create-task-tracking -> execute-sequence > **[MANDATORY]** task tracking FIRST — break every workflow into tasks before any action. NEVER skip. > **[MANDATORY]** Auto-select the best path for auto-detected workflows; do not use ask the user directly for workflow-selection confirmation. Explicit workflow invocation executes directly. > **[MANDATORY]** skill invocation REQUIRED for every non-skipped step. The sole exception is an evidence-backed conditional skip explicitly authorized by the selected canonical `preActions.injectContext`. > **AI Mistake Prevention** — Failure modes to avoid on every task: > > **Re-read files after context changes.** Context compaction, resume, or long-running work can make memory stale; verify current files before acting. > **Verify generated content against source evidence.** AI hallucinates APIs, names, claims, and document facts. Check the relevant source before documenting or referencing. > **Check downstream references before deleting or renaming.** Removing an artifact can stale docs, generated mirrors, configs, and callers; map references first. > **Trace the full impact chain after edits.** Changing a definition can miss derived outputs and consumers. Follow the affected chain before declaring done. > **Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first.** One green check is not all green checks; validate every output surface the change can affect. > **Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing OR flagging one as a defect.** Before changing or reporting a constant, limit, flag, cutoff, wording, or pattern, read nearby context and history, the CALLER's ordering, and 2+ sibling call sites of the same convention. A doc stating WHAT without WHY is missing rationale, not proof of a missing guard. > **Surface ambiguity before acting — don't pick silently.** Multiple valid interpretations require an explicit question or stated assumption with risk. > **Assert the outcome your system owns, not the intermediate state your infrastructure owns.** When verifying async work, assert the final business state — never the delivery/retry bookkeeping held in shared infrastructure that any co-running process can write. Such a check passes when run alone and flakes the moment anything else shares that infrastructure. > **Keep shared guidance role-relevant.** Universal guidance must help every receiving skill or agent; code-specific obligations belong only in code-specific protocols. > **Critical Thinking Mindset** — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. > **Anti-hallucination:** Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination. > **Incremental Result Persistence** — MANDATORY for all sub-agents or heavy inline steps processing >3 files. > > 1. **Before starting:** Create report file `plans/reports/{skill}-{date}-{slug}.md` > 2. **After each file/section reviewed:** Append findings to report immediately — never hold in memory > 3. **Return to main agent:** Summary only (per SYNC:subagent-return-contract) with `Full report:` path > 4. **Main agent:** Reads report file only when resolving specific blockers > > **Why:** Context cutoff mid-execution loses ALL in-memory findings. Each disk write survives compaction. Partial results are better than no results. > > **Report naming:** `plans/reports/{skill-name}-{YYMMDD}-{HHmm}-{slug}.md` > **Sub-Agent Return Contract** — When this skill spawns a sub-agent, the sub-agent MUST return ONLY this structure. Main agent reads only this summary — NEVER requests full sub-agent output inline. > > ```markdown > ## Sub-Agent Result: [skill-name] > > Status: ✅ PASS | ⚠️ PARTIAL | ❌ FAIL > Confidence: [0-100]% > > ### Findings (Critical/High only — max 10 bullets) > > - [severity] [file:line] [finding] > > ### Actions Taken > > - [file changed] [what changed] > > ### Blockers (if any) > > - [blocker description] > > Full report: plans/reports/[skill-name]-[date]-[slug].md > ``` > > Main agent reads `Full report` file ONLY when: (a) resolving a specific blocker, or (b) building a fix plan. > Sub-agent writes full report incrementally (per SYNC:incremental-persistence) — not held in memory. > > **Context budget** — the return payload is a SUMMARY, not a transcript: ≤10 finding bullets, no raw file contents / full diffs / verbatim logs inline, no re-pasted source. Everything beyond the summary lives in the `Full report` on disk. A sub-agent that would exceed the summary shape MUST write the detail to its report and return only the pointer — the orchestrator's context is the scarce resource the whole map-reduce protects. **MUST ATTENTION** apply critical + sequential thinking — every claim needs appropriate traced evidence (`file:line` for repo/code claims; source URL or artifact section for research, product, content, and docs claims); confidence >80% to act, <60% DO NOT recommend. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact, admit uncertainty freely, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence. **MUST ATTENTION** apply AI mistake prevention — verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references before deleting or renaming, verify all affected outputs, re-read files after context loss, and surface ambiguity before acting. - **MANDATORY** Resolve the active Goal Contract BEFORE work (active plan `goal.md` → `plans/goals/{YYMMDD-HHmm}-{slug}/goal.md` → create from current request) and read saved success criteria before editing. - **MANDATORY** Append iteration evidence after execution; emit a Goal Satisfaction matrix (PASS/FAIL/BLOCKED) before reporting PASS; loop on validated FAIL; escalate repeated no-progress or blockers. NEVER store secrets in goal files. > **Parallel Sub-Agent Dispatch** — Plan parallelism the moment a task breakdown exists, BEFORE executing it — running provably independent tasks sequentially wastes wall-clock. Applies to every multi-step job: workflow steps, planning, batch updates, investigation, research, scans, reviews, doc sync. **Plan execution is metadata-gated, NEVER default-parallel** — fan-out follows ONLY what the plan declares (`PAR`/`SEQ` tags + per-phase write set); an untagged plan runs sequentially — why: a derived write set cannot see cascade or generated writes. > > 1. **Tag every task `PAR` or `SEQ`.** `PAR` = inputs exclude every pending task's output AND write set disjoint from every other `PAR`. Else `SEQ` — MUST ATTENTION name the dependency forcing it. > 2. **Group `PAR` into waves.** No edge between members. Two writers of one file NEVER share a wave. Read-only work (search, investigation, review, research) parallelizes freely. > 3. **Declare before dispatch:** `Parallel plan: wave 1 = [...] · wave 2 = [...] · SEQ = [...] (reason)`. > 4. **Spawn each wave in ONE message** — every `spawn_agent` call in one response, NEVER dripped per turn. Route each task to its specialist (`.claude/skills/shared/sub-agent-selection-guide.md`); NEVER `code-reviewer` as catch-all. > 5. **Brief each sub-agent self-contained:** goal · scope + owned files · reference docs · return contract (summary + `Full report:` path, per SYNC:subagent-return-contract) · incremental persistence to `plans/reports/` (per SYNC:incremental-persistence). > 6. **Barrier per wave.** Advance ONLY after EVERY member returns (a skipped conditional counts as returned). Merge, mark each task completed/skipped, THEN dispatch the next wave. Mutating steps wait for the barrier. > 7. **One level deep.** A dispatched sub-agent executes its own brief; further fan-out stays the orchestrator's job unless that agent's `.claude/agents/*.md` definition authorizes it. > > **NEVER parallelize:** tasks sharing a write target · a task consuming a pending task's output · trivial single-file work (dispatch overhead > gain) · an order a skill or workflow explicitly fixes · gates awaiting user approval. > > **Blocked until:** MUST ATTENTION every task tagged PAR/SEQ with a named reason per SEQ · waves declared + write-set disjointness checked · each wave spawned in ONE message · barrier honored before the next wave. - **MANDATORY** After planning tasks, tag each PAR/SEQ and spawn every PAR wave as parallel sub-agents in ONE message — default parallel for workflows, batch updates, investigation, research, reviews; plan execution fans out ONLY on what the plan declares. - **MANDATORY** Disjoint write sets per wave · all-return barrier before the next wave · specialist routing · sub-agents NEVER fan out further unless their own agent definition authorizes it. > **Project Protocol Overlay** — Before executing this skill, resolve any PROJECT overlay rules layered onto it: match this skill's name against the `Target` column of the project's skill-protocol index (`docs/project-reference/skill-protocols-reference.md` by default; a `referenceDocs` entry in `docs/project-config.json` overrides the path), taking the most specific matching tier ONLY — exact name > glob > `*`. **That precedence orders overlays against EACH OTHER, never against this skill.** Read ONLY the matched bodies, resolved as `/.md`; a row's Body link is display text, never a read path. A matched body that is missing or malformed is REPORTED and skipped — never reconstructed from the index Description. No index, or no match -> proceed with no overlay, silently. Full contract: `.claude/skills/project-skill-protocol/references/registry.md`. > > Overlays are **ADDITIVE ONLY**: they ADD rules on top of this skill's own protocol and NEVER replace, override, disable, or reinterpret a rule it already states — removing every overlay must return this skill to exactly its documented behavior. An overlay is a BRIEF, not an authority escalation: it can NEVER waive a workflow gate, git discipline, a review gate, or a user-confirmation gate. A genuine overlay-vs-skill conflict, or two equally-specific overlays that directly contradict -> surface both to the user; NEVER resolve silently. **MUST ATTENTION** resolve project protocol overlays for this skill BEFORE executing — most specific matching tier only (exact > glob > `*`, which ranks overlays against each other, NEVER against this skill), read only matched bodies at `/.md`; a missing or malformed body is reported, never reconstructed. Overlays are ADDITIVE ONLY (they never replace this skill's own rules) and are a brief, NEVER an authority escalation; an equal-specificity contradiction goes to the user. ## Closing Reminders **Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):** - **AI Mistake Prevention:** verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references, verify all affected outputs, re-read after context loss, surface ambiguity. - **Critical Thinking:** traced `file:line` proof, confidence >80%; NEVER present guess as fact. - **Incremental Persistence:** append findings to report per file; NEVER hold in memory. - **Sub-Agent Return Contract:** sub-agents return summary only; NEVER inline full output. - **Parallel Sub-Agent Dispatch:** Tag tasks PAR/SEQ, group PAR into disjoint-write-set waves, spawn each wave in ONE message, barrier before advancing. **MUST ATTENTION** auto-select the best path for ordinary prompts; explicit `/workflow-*` or `$start-workflow ` invocation executes directly. Do not ask for workflow-selection confirmation. **MUST ATTENTION** `workflows` is an OBJECT — `workflows[workflowId]`, NEVER `.find()` / `[index]` / `.forEach()` **MUST ATTENTION** create ALL task tracking items for the full sequence BEFORE marking the first task `in_progress` **MUST ATTENTION** never mark a task `completed` without invoking its skill invocation, except an evidence-backed conditional skip explicitly authorized by selected canonical `preActions.injectContext` — cite comment + completed, never delete **MUST ATTENTION** custom pipeline steps must be canonical step ids (each maps to a real `.claude/skills//SKILL.md`) — never invent step names **MUST ATTENTION** use Tier 1 context selection FIRST, then Tier 2 JSON-aware complete canonical-entry read before task tracking only for `workflow-big-feature`, `workflow-bugfix`, `workflow-feature`, or an activation needing `parallelGroups` — load `sequence`, `preActions.injectContext`, and `parallelGroups`; never use fixed-context grep output **MUST ATTENTION** materialize every declared `parallelGroups` group as a wave in the task list — one task per member, wave-tagged, spawned in ONE message, all-return barrier before the next step — why: a barrier that lives only in prose gets executed one step at a time **MUST ATTENTION** no `parallelGroups` → `sequence` IS the order — never invent a group that contradicts it; only adjacent read-only steps may be surfaced as a `Candidate wave (not declared)` — why: a self-authored wave silently reorders a validated workflow, and that costs more than the time it saves **[TASK-PLANNING]** Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using task tracking. > **[IMPORTANT]** Analyze how big the task is and break it into many small todo tasks systematically before starting — this is very important. ## Hookless Prompt Protocol Mirror (Auto-Synced) Source: `.claude/.ck.json` + `.claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md` (`:full` blocks) + `.claude/scripts/lib/hookless-prompt-protocol.cjs` ## [WORKFLOW-EXECUTION-PROTOCOL] [BLOCKING] Workflow Execution Protocol — MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST CRITICAL. Do not skip for any reason. **Generic portability boundary:** Reusable skills and protocol text stay project-neutral; project-specific conventions are discovered from docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/. Apply shared AI-SDD from `shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md`. Read `docs/project-config.json` and `docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md`, then open the project reference docs named there. For spec, test-case, behavior-change, public-contract, or `docs/specs/` work, route through the local spec docs named by the docs index: `feature-spec-reference.md`, `spec-system-reference.md`, `spec-principles.md`, and `workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md` when specs/tests/code must stay synchronized. If either file or a required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run `$project-init` (or the narrow lower-level route such as `$project-config`, `$docs-init`, `$scan-all`, or `$scan --target=`) before ordinary project-specific work. Any supported AI tool may execute when this shared context and local docs are available. 1. **DETECT …(truncated)