Create implementation plans before coding. The leading word is read-before-plan: inspect the work item and relevant code before proposing tasks.
For the shared plan template, load PLAN_FORMAT.md. For destination-specific commands, load GITHUB_MODE.md, AGILE_ACCELERATOR_MODE.md, or PRD_MODE.md after mode detection. For synchronized docs/ plan and progress artifacts, follow arc-implementation-plan-progress/references/output-contract.md.
Steps
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Detect the planning source.
- GitHub mode: issue number/URL,
#123, or explicit GitHub issue request. - Agile Accelerator mode:
W-000000work item or Salesforce Agile Accelerator story. - PRD-to-plan mode: the user asks for an implementation plan from an existing PRD document.
- If ambiguous, ask where the work item is tracked before planning.
Completion criterion: the plan has exactly one source mode, or the response stops with a destination/source clarification question.
- GitHub mode: issue number/URL,
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Read the source item.
- Fetch the issue/story/PRD body and comments where relevant.
- Preserve the source's acceptance criteria, constraints, and context.
- Do not create new stories/issues; this skill plans existing work.
Completion criterion: every acceptance criterion or scenario from the source is available for mapping, or missing source access is reported as a blocker.
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Analyze the codebase.
- Read files referenced by the work item.
- Search for related components, routes, models, tests, docs, and similar implementations.
- Identify dependencies, risks, and likely test locations.
Completion criterion: every planned task cites concrete files/areas or explicitly states why the file path is unknown.
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Draft the implementation plan.
- Use ordered, atomic tasks.
- Include specific file changes and test strategy.
- Map each acceptance criterion to one or more tasks and verification methods.
- Name the feature branch using the source ID when available.
Completion criterion: another agent can implement the plan without re-discovering scope or asking basic sequencing questions.
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Publish the plan to the source.
- GitHub: comment on the issue.
- Agile Accelerator: append to
agf__Details__cand update status where appropriate. - PRD-to-plan: write
./plans/<feature>.mdor the user-specified plan path. - Update sprint plan docs if the repo has a matching
docs/sprints/plan.
Completion criterion: the plan is posted/written to the requested destination, or the exact permission/tooling blocker is reported.
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Create synchronized
docs/plan and progress artifacts.- Resolve
<ID>from the source work item: use the tracked ID when available (e.g.W-000025,issue-42), otherwise a short kebab-case slug from the work item title. - Ensure
docs/exists in the project root. - Write
docs/<ID>-IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.mdfollowingarc-implementation-plan-progress/references/output-contract.md(map the drafted plan into required sections: product goal, baseline, milestones with acceptance criteria, risks, and immediate next steps). - Create or update
docs/<ID>-progress.txtwitharc-implementation-plan-progress/scripts/init_progress_txt.sh docs/<ID>-IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md docs/<ID>-progress.txt, or follow the contract template manually when the script is unavailable. - Keep both
docs/artifacts synchronized with what was published in step 5.
Completion criterion:
docs/<ID>-IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.mdanddocs/<ID>-progress.txtexist with the same<ID>prefix and synchronized phase coverage. - Resolve
Boundaries
- Use
arc-creating-user-storiesto create new GitHub issue backlogs of user stories. - Use
arc-defining-workto create new work items across destinations after asking the user where to create them. - Use
arc-prd-to-issueswhen the target output is new GitHub issues from a PRD, not an implementation plan. - Do not start coding until the user approves the plan.