Treat /todo as a single entrypoint for working with deferred follow-up items in the repository's root TODO.md.
Infer the user's intent from the slash-command arguments, current file, cursor context, and recent conversation before asking questions.
Internally support these modes:
capture— add a new deferred itemreview— inspect currentOpenitems and suggest what to do nextresume— continue or re-scope the current itempromote— move a mature item into an issue, plan, or other formal trackerclose— mark an item asdoneordropped
Use natural-language intent in any language. Reply in the user's language. If no language is clear, default to English.
When the user leaves /todo blank, auto-detect the mode:
- If the current discussion just surfaced a deferred-but-relevant task, prefer
capture. - If the user is focused on a specific entry in
TODO.md, preferresume,promote, orclosebased on context. - If the user is looking at
TODO.mdwithout a specific item, preferreview.
If the intent is still unclear, do not guess. Show a short numbered menu in the user's language:
- Add a new follow-up task
- Review current TODOs
- Continue the current item
- Promote the current item to an issue
- Close the current item
Allow the user to reply with either a number or natural language.
For capture, draft the todo item from the current conversation context first. If useful, inspect the codebase or docs to sharpen the wording.
Before writing anything, show the drafted task to the user and ask for confirmation or correction. Only update TODO.md after the user confirms.
Use the format in TODO-FORMAT.md.
If TODO.md does not exist, create it lazily when the first task is confirmed.
If TODO.md already exists, preserve its structure, merge obvious duplicates, and place the task under the most suitable theme or context heading.
Support lightweight maintenance only: add tasks, refine wording, regroup items, move items between Open and Closed, and mark items as done or dropped.
Do not let TODO.md become a second issue tracker. If a task already has a clear scope, acceptance criteria, and implementation boundary, recommend ../../to-issues/SKILL.md instead of keeping it here.
Positioning
Use this skill for work that is relevant enough to preserve, but not mature enough or urgent enough to interrupt the current thread.
This skill is a lightweight backlog workflow, not a project-management system.
Prefer ../../to-issues/SKILL.md for ready-to-implement work.
Prefer ../../handoff/SKILL.md for session transfer context rather than durable backlog items.
File location
The durable backlog file is always the repository root TODO.md.
Even in multi-context repositories, keep a single root file and group entries inside it by theme or context when needed.
Entry rules
Each task must include:
TitleWhy deferredRelation to current workNext step when resumedStatus
Only add extra fields when they are already known and genuinely useful.
Lifecycle rules
Keep the file split into Open and Closed.
Use open for active backlog items.
Use done or dropped for closed items. Add a short closure note when it would help future readers avoid reopening the same discussion.
Confirmation flow
- Draft the task from the current context.
- Ask the user to confirm or correct the draft.
- Write or update
TODO.mdonly after confirmation.