How do I install the Next skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add sashamarchuk/next in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Next?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

SashaMarchuk (@sashamarchuk) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Next by sashamarchuk — Agent Skill

Name: Next
Author: SashaMarchuk

Reads state.json and tells the user the single next action to take. Unlike /run which advances state, /next only ADVISES — it won't invoke /ultra gates or launch workers. Use when you forgot where you left off or want to know before committing.

SashaMarchuk 0b0295f 3.2 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Role

Read-only advisor. Output: exactly one sentence saying what to do next.

Invocation

/ultra-analyzer:next [run-name]

Protocol

Step 1: Locate run

Same rules as /ultra-analyzer:run Step 1. If multiple runs and none specified, list them with /ultra-analyzer:list-runs guidance.

Step 2: Read state

current_step=$(bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/state.sh get $RUN_PATH .current_step)
status=$(bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/state.sh get $RUN_PATH .status)
pending=$(bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/state.sh get $RUN_PATH .counters.topics_pending)
done=$(bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/state.sh get $RUN_PATH .counters.topics_done)
total=$(bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/state.sh get $RUN_PATH .counters.topics_total)
in_progress_count=$(ls $RUN_PATH/topics/in-progress/*.md 2>/dev/null | wc -l)

Step 3: Emit a single recommendation

Format:

<current_step> / <status>  [<progress>]
→ <one-sentence next action>
  <optional second line with exact command>

Decision table

step / status	recommendation
init / pending	"Edit config.yaml + seeds.md + connector.md, then run /ultra-analyzer:run"
init / pending (no connector.md)	"First, create connector.md: copy `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/connectors/<type>.md` to `<run>/connector.md`, or run /ultra-analyzer:connector-init"
pre-discover-gate / pending	"Run /ultra-analyzer:run to invoke Gate 1 (/ultra reviews config+seeds)"
pre-discover-gate / blocked	"Gate 1 failed. Read /validation/gate1-*.md, fix flagged issues, then /ultra-analyzer:run"
discover / running	"discover is in progress — wait for it to complete"
analyze / running (pending > 0)	"Open N terminals running: bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/launch-terminal.sh . N topics pending."
analyze / running (pending == 0, in_progress > 0)	"Workers still processing topics. /ultra-analyzer:progress to watch."
analyze / running (all done, pass rate >= 50%)	"All topics resolved. Run /ultra-analyzer:run to advance to Gate 2."
analyze / blocked	"PASS rate too low (<50%). Inspect failing findings before advancing. See /ultra-analyzer:health for diagnosis."
pre-synthesize-gate / pending	"Run /ultra-analyzer:run to invoke Gate 2 (/ultra reviews findings corpus)."
pre-synthesize-gate / blocked	"Gate 2 flagged topics were requeued. Re-run workers, then /ultra-analyzer:run to re-gate."
synthesize / running	"Synthesis in progress. Will produce /synthesis/REPORT.md."
done / passed	"DONE. Read /synthesis/REPORT.md"
failed / failed	"Run is in failed state. Tail /run.log for the error, or /ultra-analyzer:health for diagnosis."

Step 4: Exit cleanly (no state mutation)

Hard rules

NEVER advance state. NEVER invoke /ultra. NEVER launch workers. This command is an advisor only.
NEVER write files to .
Output MUST be ≤ 5 lines. User invokes this when they want a quick answer, not a dashboard.

---name: nextdescription: Reads state.json and tells the user the single next action to take. Unlike /run which advances state, /next only ADVISES — it won't invoke /ultra gates or launch workers. Use when you forgot where you left off or want to know before committing.---# RoleRead-only advisor. Output: exactly one sentence saying what to do next.# Invocation /ultra-analyzer:next [run-name]# Protocol## Step 1: Locate runSame rules as `/ultra-analyzer:run` Step 1. If multiple runs and none specified, list them with `/ultra-analyzer:list-runs` guidance.## Step 2: Read state```bashcurrent_step=$(bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/state.sh get $RUN_PATH .current_step)status=$(bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/state.sh get $RUN_PATH .status)pending=$(bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/state.sh get $RUN_PATH .counters.topics_pending)done=$(bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/state.sh get $RUN_PATH .counters.topics_done)total=$(bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/state.sh get $RUN_PATH .counters.topics_total)in_progress_count=$(ls $RUN_PATH/topics/in-progress/*.md 2>/dev/null | wc -l)```## Step 3: Emit a single recommendationFormat:```<current_step> / <status> [<progress>]→ <one-sentence next action> <optional second line with exact command>```### Decision table| step / status | recommendation ||---|---|| init / pending | "Edit config.yaml + seeds.md + connector.md, then run /ultra-analyzer:run" || init / pending (no connector.md) | "First, create connector.md: copy `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/connectors/<type>.md` to `<run>/connector.md`, or run /ultra-analyzer:connector-init" || pre-discover-gate / pending | "Run /ultra-analyzer:run to invoke Gate 1 (/ultra reviews config+seeds)" || pre-discover-gate / blocked | "Gate 1 failed. Read <run>/validation/gate1-*.md, fix flagged issues, then /ultra-analyzer:run" || discover / running | "discover is in progress — wait for it to complete" || analyze / running (pending > 0) | "Open N terminals running: bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/launch-terminal.sh <run>. N topics pending." || analyze / running (pending == 0, in_progress > 0) | "Workers still processing <in_progress> topics. /ultra-analyzer:progress to watch." || analyze / running (all done, pass rate >= 50%) | "All topics resolved. Run /ultra-analyzer:run to advance to Gate 2." || analyze / blocked | "PASS rate too low (<50%). Inspect failing findings before advancing. See /ultra-analyzer:health for diagnosis." || pre-synthesize-gate / pending | "Run /ultra-analyzer:run to invoke Gate 2 (/ultra reviews findings corpus)." || pre-synthesize-gate / blocked | "Gate 2 flagged topics were requeued. Re-run workers, then /ultra-analyzer:run to re-gate." || synthesize / running | "Synthesis in progress. Will produce <run>/synthesis/REPORT.md." || done / passed | "DONE. Read <run>/synthesis/REPORT.md" || failed / failed | "Run is in failed state. Tail <run>/run.log for the error, or /ultra-analyzer:health for diagnosis." |## Step 4: Exit cleanly (no state mutation)# Hard rules- NEVER advance state. NEVER invoke /ultra. NEVER launch workers. This command is an advisor only.- NEVER write files to <run-path>.- Output MUST be ≤ 5 lines. User invokes this when they want a quick answer, not a dashboard.

Frequently asked questions

Next