# Task Copilot

> Use when work should be tracked with tc, including creating PRDs, tasks, handoffs, logs, and work products, or when preserving detailed outputs outside the chat context.

- Skill: `everyone-needs-a-copilot/task-copilot` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add everyone-needs-a-copilot/task-copilot`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/everyone-needs-a-copilot/task-copilot/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: Everyone-Needs-A-Copilot (https://skillmd.com/u/everyone-needs-a-copilot)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/everyone-needs-a-copilot/task-copilot

---


# Task Copilot

`tc` is the execution record. Use it instead of stuffing long plans or implementation logs into chat.

## Command rule

Use `--json` on commands that support it.

Preferred binary:

```bash
tc
```

Fallback:

```bash
./.venv-tc/bin/tc
```

## Core loop

1. retrieve the task
2. do the work
3. store the work product
4. complete the task

Commands:

```bash
tc task get <taskId> --json
tc wp store --task <taskId> --type <type> --title "..." --content "..." --json
tc task update <taskId> --status completed --json
```

## Code-Execution Path

Prefer the importable APIs for batches:

```bash
python3 - <<'PY'
from tc.api import create_prd, create_task, transaction
from tc.db.connection import get_db, find_db_path

conn = get_db(find_db_path())
try:
    with transaction(conn):
        prd = create_prd(title="Example", conn=conn)
        task = create_task(prd=prd["id"], title="Example task", conn=conn)
finally:
    conn.close()
print(f"PRD-{prd['id']} TASK-{task['id']}")
PY
```

Use a separate `cc.api` block for memory or skill batches. Do not import `tc.api` and `cc.api` in the same Python block.

## QA Metadata

Implementation tasks that require verification should use metadata like:

```json
{"requiresQa": true, "qaStatus": "pending"}
```

For current tc 2.0.0 work, register a schemaVersion 2 acceptance contract before
implementation with `tc task contract <id> --file acceptance.json --json`.
Include observable criteria and source scopes covering implementation, dependencies
and relevant authority. Capture `tc task evidence-identity <id>` before checks,
compare a second capture afterwards, and preserve the exact identity in the
same task's `test` work product with observed results for every criterion.

Use one verdict per result. Metadata alone, an artifact marker alone or stale
source evidence cannot support approval. Completion also rejects unfinished
dependencies. Historical completed records remain historical; pending work needs
a current contract and fresh verification.

After QA approval, metadata may index `qaStatus`, `qaWpId` and `verifiedAt`.
Inspect with `tc task check-qa <id> --json` and `scripts/copilot-gate.sh --task <id>`.
In the framework checkout, `docs/02-user-guides/04-quality-gates.md` contains a
complete example; the standalone project plugin does not ship that docs tree.

## When no task exists

Create the missing planning records:

```bash
tc prd create --title "..." --content "..." --json
tc task create --prd <id> --title "..." --description "..." --json
```

## Initiative boundary

Formal multi-phase initiative knowledge belongs in `docs/40-initiatives/NN-slug/`: goals, phase designs, decisions, validation evidence, and retrospectives. `tc` remains authoritative for live task state, dependencies, assignments, work products, and QA status.

Link the initiative README to its PRD and tasks. Do not reproduce a live task board in Markdown.

## Work-product guidance

`tc wp store` requires a task ID. Create a PRD/task first when needed; the current
CLI does not provide standalone work-product storage.

Store detailed output when:

- the analysis is long
- decisions should survive the session
- another specialist should consume the result
- the final user response should stay short

Read `references/work-product-types.md` for type guidance.

For a large work product that benefits from token-free review, use
`tc wp render <id> --html`. The HTML is a rendering of the authoritative work
product, not a second source of task state.