# Plan For Goal > Turn any brief into a structured plan ready to feed /goal. Locked sections - Brief / Stack / Scope (Visuals + Functionality) / Out of Scope / Constraints / Definition of Done / Acceptance Criteria / Verification / Turn Budget / References / Risks. Engine-agnostic (Claude Code + Codex). Outputs a markdown plan file plus a paste-ready /goal one-liner. Triggers on "/plan-for-goal", "plan-for-goal", "plan for goal", "build me a /goal plan", "turn this into a plan". - Skill: `robonuggets/plan-for-goal` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add robonuggets/plan-for-goal` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/robonuggets/plan-for-goal/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Docs & Writing - Author: robonuggets (https://skillmd.com/u/robonuggets) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/robonuggets/plan-for-goal --- # Plan for Goal Takes any brief - a game idea, a refactor, a client deliverable, a content batch - and turns it into a structured plan you can feed straight into `/goal`. Works for Claude Code `/goal` (v2.1.139+) and Codex `/goal`. ## What this does Strips fluffy intent down to a single verifiable Definition of Done and the sub-checks that prove it. Locks scope (in + out + constraints) so /goal doesn't spiral. Names the verification path explicitly. Sets a turn ceiling. ## When to invoke - You have a brief and want to set it up for autonomous execution - Before pasting work into `/goal`, `/loop`, or a long agent run - Triggers: `/plan-for-goal`, `plan-for-goal`, `plan for goal`, `build me a /goal plan`, `turn this into a plan` ## Output format (LOCKED) **Two things every run:** 1. A markdown file at `./plans/{slug}_{YYYY-MM-DD}.md` (or wherever your project keeps planning docs) 2. A copy-paste-ready `/goal` one-liner rendered inline in chat Section order is locked. 9 core sections, 2 optional. Drop a section only when it's empty. Don't add new sections. ```markdown # Plan ยท {Title} ## Brief [1-2 sentences. Context + outcome. State the goal, not the steps.] ## Stack - Tool, framework, API, or model that will be used - One bullet each, name version when load-bearing - Flag paid APIs that need cost approval ## Scope **Visuals** - [Bullets describing what it looks like - only when the task is visual] **Functionality** - [Bullets describing what it does] For non-visual tasks (refactor, content batch, ops), drop the Visuals sub-header and flatten to bullets under Scope. ## Out of Scope - Explicit non-goals - At least 2 bullets - empty negative space is where /goal burns tokens ## Constraints - What must hold throughout the work - e.g. single file, no build step, no new deps, brand rules, perf budget ## Definition of Done [One verifiable sentence. The whole plan funnels here. Phrased so a small evaluator can judge it from the transcript. No vibe words.] ## Acceptance Criteria - Bulleted sub-checks flowing from DoD - Each independently verifiable as true / false - Aim for 5-10 bullets ## Verification - Exact commands or visual checks /goal will run each turn to produce evidence - Skip ONLY when DoD is already a literal runnable command ## Turn Budget Stop after {N} turns, or sooner once the DoD condition holds. ## References - Links, files, screenshots, prior art (optional - skip if empty) ## Risks / Open Questions - Known failure modes, judgment calls flagged for the user (optional - skip if empty) ``` ## The /goal one-liner After saving the plan, emit a paste-ready /goal line shaped like: ``` /goal {DoD sentence}, with {top 2-3 acceptance criteria inline}, stop after {N} turns ``` Engine-agnostic. `stop after N turns` reads cleanly for both Claude Code and Codex evaluators. Example (from `examples/catan-ai-wars.md`): ``` /goal game.html opens in browser, plays a complete Catan match vs 3 AI bots, declares the winning house at 10 VP, zero console errors during full play, stop after 60 turns ``` ## Section rules **Brief** - 1-2 sentences. State the goal, not the steps. No verbs of doing ("we will build..."). **Stack** - bullet per tool. Name version when load-bearing (Node 20, Godot 4, Python 3.11). Flag any paid API (image gen, video gen, eval API) that triggers a cost-approval gate in your workflow. **Scope** - Visuals + Functionality sub-headers when the task is visual (game, UI, deck, site, animation, thumbnail batch). Flat bullets for backend / script / content work. Don't force the split. **Out of Scope** - at least 2 bullets, always. Most spiraling /goal runs come from undefined negative space. Common cuts: multiplayer, mobile, save-load, accessibility pass, internationalisation, expansions, advanced AI. **Constraints** - what must hold throughout. Different from Out of Scope - these are rules during the work, not boundaries of the work. "Single file, no build step" is a constraint. "No multiplayer" is out of scope. **Definition of Done** - ONE sentence. Must be judgeable from the transcript. Avoid vibe words ("clean", "good", "polished", "great UX"). Use concrete proof: file exists at path X, command exits 0, count equals N, screenshot matches reference, all rows in table Y are filled. **Acceptance Criteria** - 5-10 bullets. Each independently true/false. If a criterion is squishy, fix it now. Bad: "looks good on mobile". Good: "renders at 360px width with no horizontal scroll". **Verification** - skip when DoD IS a runnable command (`npm test exits 0`). Include when DoD is a state ("game plays end-to-end with no errors") that needs a recipe to prove. Spell out the recipe step by step. This is where the agent's eyes go each turn. **Turn Budget** - pick a number. Light task 15-25. Medium 30-50. Heavy 60-100. Don't go above 100 without a strong reason. The 500-turn Claude Code safety cap is not a budget. **References / Risks** - only include when there's something real. Empty sections are noise. Risks should flag known failure modes and judgment calls worth surfacing before the run. ## Voice rules - No em-dashes. Use `-` with spaces, or a comma - Plain language, no marketing voice - Bullets are short noun phrases or short imperatives, not paragraphs - Match the brief's domain - game / content / code / ops. Don't reflexively use dev framing for content tasks. ## Ambiguity handling If the brief is missing critical pieces (no clear DoD, no scope boundary, no verification path), ask ONE tight question before drafting. Common gaps: - DoD vague - ask "what does done look like in one sentence?" - Scope sprawling - ask "what's explicitly NOT in scope?" - No verification path - ask "how will we know it works?" One question max, then draft. Never ask for confirmation on minor details the user can redirect in their next turn. ## File operations - Slug = lowercase, dashes, first 3-5 words of the brief - Date = today's date, YYYY-MM-DD - Plan path: `./plans/{slug}_{YYYY-MM-DD}.md` (create the folder if missing) - Report the file path back to the user when done ## Anti-patterns - Don't pad sections with filler. Empty section is fine, weak section is not. - Don't add new sections beyond the locked set - Don't write DoDs with vibe words ("clean", "polished", "great UX", "feels nice") - Don't skip Out of Scope - it's load-bearing - Don't promise external system interactions unless they were explicitly named in the brief - Don't ask multiple clarifying questions - one or none ## Reference example See [`examples/catan-ai-wars.md`](examples/catan-ai-wars.md) for a complete worked example: Catan game with Game-of-Thrones-themed AI-company houses, 32-bit pixel art, single-file web.