Default flow: Research (if needed) → Plan → Verify → Done
Research-only mode (--research-phase <N>): Spawn gsd-phase-researcher for phase N, write RESEARCH.md, then exit before the planner runs. Useful for cross-phase research, doc review before committing to a planning approach, and correction-without-replanning loops where iterating on research alone is dramatically cheaper than re-spawning the planner. Replaces the deleted research-phase command (#3042).
Research-only modifiers:
- No flag — when
RESEARCH.md already exists, auto-uses it: emits a one-line notice and exits cleanly, no prompt.
--research — force-refresh: re-spawn the researcher unconditionally, no prompt. Bypasses the existing-RESEARCH.md auto-use path.
--view — view-only: print existing RESEARCH.md to stdout. Does not spawn the researcher. Cheapest mode for the correction-without-replanning loop. If no RESEARCH.md exists yet, errors with a hint to drop --view.
Orchestrator role: Parse arguments, validate phase, research domain (unless skipped), spawn gsd-planner, verify with gsd-plan-checker, iterate until pass or max iterations, present results.
Flags:
--research — Force re-research even if RESEARCH.md exists
--skip-research — Skip research, go straight to planning
--gaps — Gap closure mode (reads VERIFICATION.md, skips research)
--skip-verify — Skip verification loop
--prd <file> — Use a PRD/acceptance criteria file instead of discuss-phase. Parses requirements into CONTEXT.md automatically. Skips discuss-phase entirely.
--ingest <path-or-glob> — Use one or more ADR files instead of discuss-phase. Parses locked decisions + scope fences into CONTEXT.md automatically. Skips discuss-phase entirely.
--ingest-format <auto|nygard|madr|narrative> — Optional ADR parser format override (auto default).
--reviews — Replan incorporating cross-AI review feedback from REVIEWS.md (produced by /gsd-review)
--text — Use plain-text numbered lists instead of TUI menus (required for /rc remote sessions)
--mvp — MVP enrichment on top of the default tracer-first ordering: frames the phase goal as a user story and, on Phase 1 of a new project, also emits SKELETON.md (Walking Skeleton). Vertical slicing itself is now the default (see --no-tracer); --mvp no longer turns it on. Can be persisted on a phase via **Mode:** mvp in ROADMAP.md.
--no-tracer — Opt out of the default tracer-first decomposition and plan horizontal layers (the legacy default). By default every plan LEADS with one production-quality end-to-end tracer slice that is verified before any expansion task.
--no-reversibility-gates — Suppress the human checkpoint that a one-way-door decision normally earns, for runs you intend to leave unattended. By default a decision rated one-way (undo needs a migration, breaks a published contract, or is impossible) gets a checkpoint:decision before the task implementing it. Ratings are still recorded on tasks and costly items still flagged — the flag changes what stops the run, not what the plan remembers.
Normalize phase input in step 2 before any directory lookups.
1---
2name: gsd-plan-phase
3description: "Create detailed phase plan (PLAN.md) with verification loop"
4argument-hint: "[phase] [--auto] [--research] [--skip-research] [--research-phase <N>] [--view] [--gaps] [--skip-verify] [--skip-ui] [--prd <file>] [--ingest <path-or-glob>] [--ingest-format <auto|nygard|madr|narrative>] [--reviews] [--text] [--bounce] [--skip-bounce] [--chunked] [--tdd] [--mvp] [--granularity <coarse|standard|fine>] [--no-tracer] [--no-reversibility-gates]"
5allowed-tools:
6 - Read
7 - Write
8 - Bash
9 - Glob
10 - Grep
11 - Agent
12 - AskUserQuestion
13 - WebFetch
14 - mcp__context7__*
15---
16
17<objective>
18Create executable phase prompts (PLAN.md files) for a roadmap phase with integrated research and verification.
19
20**Default flow:** Research (if needed) → Plan → Verify → Done
21
22**Research-only mode (`--research-phase <N>`):** Spawn `gsd-phase-researcher` for phase `N`, write `RESEARCH.md`, then exit before the planner runs. Useful for cross-phase research, doc review before committing to a planning approach, and correction-without-replanning loops where iterating on research alone is dramatically cheaper than re-spawning the planner. Replaces the deleted research-phase command (#3042).
23
24**Research-only modifiers:**
25- **No flag** — when `RESEARCH.md` already exists, auto-uses it: emits a one-line notice and exits cleanly, no prompt.
26- **`--research`** — force-refresh: re-spawn the researcher unconditionally, no prompt. Bypasses the existing-RESEARCH.md auto-use path.
27- **`--view`** — view-only: print existing `RESEARCH.md` to stdout. Does not spawn the researcher. Cheapest mode for the correction-without-replanning loop. If no `RESEARCH.md` exists yet, errors with a hint to drop `--view`.
28
29**Orchestrator role:** Parse arguments, validate phase, research domain (unless skipped), spawn gsd-planner, verify with gsd-plan-checker, iterate until pass or max iterations, present results.
30</objective>
31
32<execution_context>
33@~/.claude/gsd-core/workflows/plan-phase.md
34@~/.claude/gsd-core/references/ui-brand.md
35</execution_context>
36
37<runtime_note>
38**Copilot (VS Code):** Use `vscode_askquestions` wherever this workflow calls `AskUserQuestion`. They are equivalent — `vscode_askquestions` is the VS Code Copilot implementation of the same interactive question API. Do not skip questioning steps because `AskUserQuestion` appears unavailable; use `vscode_askquestions` instead.
39</runtime_note>
40
41<context>
42Phase number: $ARGUMENTS (optional — when omitted, the orchestrating workflow reads ROADMAP.md and selects the next unplanned phase; `gsd-tools.cjs` itself has no auto-detect feature and requires an explicit phase number)
43
44**Flags:**
45- `--research` — Force re-research even if RESEARCH.md exists
46- `--skip-research` — Skip research, go straight to planning
47- `--gaps` — Gap closure mode (reads VERIFICATION.md, skips research)
48- `--skip-verify` — Skip verification loop
49- `--prd <file>` — Use a PRD/acceptance criteria file instead of discuss-phase. Parses requirements into CONTEXT.md automatically. Skips discuss-phase entirely.
50- `--ingest <path-or-glob>` — Use one or more ADR files instead of discuss-phase. Parses locked decisions + scope fences into CONTEXT.md automatically. Skips discuss-phase entirely.
51- `--ingest-format <auto|nygard|madr|narrative>` — Optional ADR parser format override (`auto` default).
52- `--reviews` — Replan incorporating cross-AI review feedback from REVIEWS.md (produced by `/gsd-review`)
53- `--text` — Use plain-text numbered lists instead of TUI menus (required for `/rc` remote sessions)
54- `--mvp` — MVP enrichment on top of the default tracer-first ordering: frames the phase goal as a user story and, on Phase 1 of a new project, also emits `SKELETON.md` (Walking Skeleton). Vertical slicing itself is now the default (see `--no-tracer`); `--mvp` no longer *turns it on*. Can be persisted on a phase via `**Mode:** mvp` in ROADMAP.md.
55- `--no-tracer` — Opt out of the default **tracer-first** decomposition and plan horizontal layers (the legacy default). By default every plan LEADS with one production-quality end-to-end `tracer` slice that is verified before any expansion task.
56- `--no-reversibility-gates` — Suppress the human checkpoint that a **one-way-door** decision normally earns, for runs you intend to leave unattended. By default a decision rated `one-way` (undo needs a migration, breaks a published contract, or is impossible) gets a `checkpoint:decision` before the task implementing it. Ratings are still recorded on tasks and `costly` items still flagged — the flag changes what stops the run, not what the plan remembers.
57
58Normalize phase input in step 2 before any directory lookups.
59</context>
60
61<process>
62Execute end-to-end.
63Preserve all workflow gates (validation, research, planning, verification loop, routing).
64</process>