Codex compatibility note:
- Invoke repository skills with
$skill-namein Codex; this mirrored copy rewrites legacy Claude/skill-namereferences.- Task tracker mandate: BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all steps and keep it synchronized as progress changes.
- User-question prompts mean to ask the user directly in Codex.
- Ignore Claude-specific mode-switch instructions when they appear.
- Strict execution contract: when a user explicitly invokes a skill, execute that skill protocol as written.
- Subagent authorization: when a skill is user-invoked or AI-detected and its protocol requires subagents, that skill activation authorizes use of the required
spawn_agentsubagent(s) for that task.- Do not skip, reorder, or merge protocol steps unless the user explicitly approves the deviation first.
- For workflow skills, execute each listed child-skill step explicitly and report step-by-step evidence.
- If a required step/tool cannot run in this environment, stop and ask the user before adapting.
Codex Project-Reference Loading (No Hooks)
Codex does not receive Claude hook-based doc injection. When coding, planning, debugging, testing, or reviewing, open project docs explicitly using this routing.
Always read:
docs/project-config.json(project-specific paths, commands, modules, and workflow/test settings)docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md(routes to the fulldocs/project-reference/*catalog)docs/project-reference/lessons.md(always-on guardrails and anti-patterns)
Situation-based docs:
- Backend/CQRS/API/domain/entity changes:
backend-patterns-reference.md,domain-entities-reference.md,project-structure-reference.md - Frontend/UI/styling/design-system:
frontend-patterns-reference.md,scss-styling-guide.md,design-system/README.md - Spec/test-case planning or TC mapping:
feature-docs-reference.md - Integration test implementation/review:
integration-test-reference.md - E2E test implementation/review:
e2e-test-reference.md - Code review/audit work:
code-review-rules.mdplus domain docs above based on changed files
Do not read all docs blindly. Start from docs-index-reference.md, then open only relevant files for the task.
Quick Summary
Goal: Execute an implementation plan phase end-to-end without running tests (code + review + commit).
Workflow:
- Plan Detection — Find latest plan or use provided path, auto-select next incomplete phase
- Analysis — Extract tasks from phase file, initialize todo tracking
- Implementation — Code changes step-by-step, run type checks
- Code Review — Subagent reviews for security, performance, architecture violations
- User Approval — Blocking gate requiring explicit approval
- Finalize — Update plan status, docs, auto-commit
Key Rules:
- One phase per command run, steps must complete in order
- Critical code review issues block progression (must be 0)
- User must explicitly approve before finalize step
MUST ATTENTION READ CLAUDE.md then THINK HARDER to start working on the following plan follow the Orchestration Protocol, Core Responsibilities, Subagents Team and Development Rules:
Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).
$ARGUMENTS
Role Responsibilities
- You are a senior software engineer who must study the provided implementation plan end-to-end before writing code.
- Validate the plan's assumptions, surface blockers, and confirm priorities with the user prior to execution.
- Drive the implementation from start to finish, reporting progress and adjusting the plan responsibly while honoring YAGNI, KISS, and DRY principles.
IMPORTANT: Remind these rules with subagents communication:
- Sacrifice grammar for the sake of concision when writing reports.
- In reports, list any unresolved questions at the end, if any.
- Ensure token efficiency while maintaining high quality.
Step 0: Plan Detection & Phase Selection
If $ARGUMENTS is empty:
- Find latest
plan.mdin./plans|find ./plans -name "plan.md" -type f -exec stat -f "%m %N" {} \; 2>/dev/null | sort -rn | head -1 | cut -d' ' -f2- - Parse plan for phases and status, auto-select next incomplete (prefer IN_PROGRESS or earliest Planned)
If $ARGUMENTS provided: Use that plan and detect which phase to work on (auto-detect or use argument like "phase-2").
Output: ✓ Step 0: [Plan Name] - [Phase Name]
Subagent Pattern (use throughout):
Task(agent_type="[type]", prompt="[task description]", description="[brief]")
Workflow Sequence
Rules: Follow steps 1-6 in order. Each step requires output marker starting with "✓ Step N:". Mark each complete in task tracking before proceeding. Do not skip steps.
Step 1: Analysis & Task Extraction
Read plan file completely. Map dependencies between tasks. List ambiguities or blockers. Identify required skills/tools and activate from catalog. Parse phase file and extract actionable tasks. If the plan references analysis files in .ai/workspace/analysis/, re-read them before implementation.
Pre-Implementation Trace Gate: If the plan is for a bugfix, failed verification, stale/incorrect final output, regression, or behavior-changing fix, MUST ATTENTION verify the plan or referenced analysis includes Debugger Trace: End -> Start, all feeder paths, hypothesis matrix, owning fix layer, and forward convergence proof. If missing, STOP and report the missing trace links instead of implementing even though this variant skips tests.
task tracking Initialization & Task Extraction:
- Initialize task tracking with
Step 0: [Plan Name] - [Phase Name]and all command steps (Step 1 through Step 6) - Read phase file (e.g., phase-01-preparation.md)
- Look for tasks/steps/phases/sections/numbered/bulleted lists
- MUST ATTENTION convert to task tracking tasks:
- Phase Implementation tasks → Step 2.X (Step 2.1, Step 2.2, etc.)
- Phase Code Review tasks → Step 3.X (Step 3.1, Step 3.2, etc.)
- Ensure each task has UNIQUE name (increment X for each task)
- Add tasks to task tracking after their corresponding command step
Output: ✓ Step 1: Found [N] tasks across [M] phases - Ambiguities: [list or "none"]
Mark Step 1 complete in task tracking, mark Step 2 in_progress.
Step 2: Implementation
Implement selected plan phase step-by-step following extracted tasks (Step 2.1, Step 2.2, etc.). Mark tasks complete as done. For UI work, call ui-ux-designer subagent: "Implement [feature] UI per./docs/design-guidelines.md". Use ai-multimodal skill for image assets, media-processing skill for editing. Run type checking and compile to verify no syntax errors.
Output: ✓ Step 2: Implemented [N] files - [X/Y] tasks complete, compilation passed
Mark Step 2 complete in task tracking, mark Step 3 in_progress.
Step 3: Code Review
Call code-reviewer subagent: "Review changes for plan phase [phase-name]. Check security, performance, architecture, YAGNI/KISS/DRY". If critical issues found: STOP, fix all, re-run tester to verify, re-run code-reviewer. Repeat until no critical issues.
Critical issues: Security vulnerabilities (XSS, SQL injection, OWASP), performance bottlenecks, architectural violations, principle violations.
Output: ✓ Step 3: Code reviewed - [0] critical issues
Validation: If critical issues > 0, keep Step 3 open and resolve them before advancing — Step 3 stays INCOMPLETE until the count is 0.
Mark Step 3 complete in task tracking, mark Step 4 in_progress.
Step 4: User Approval ⏸ BLOCKING GATE
Present summary (3-5 bullets): what implemented, code review outcome.
Ask user explicitly: "Phase implementation complete. Code reviewed. Approve changes?"
Stop and wait - do not output Step 5 content until user responds.
Output (while waiting): ⏸ Step 4: WAITING for user approval
Output (after approval): ✓ Step 4: User approved - Ready to complete
Mark Step 4 complete in task tracking, mark Step 5 in_progress.
Step 5: Finalize
Prerequisites: User approved in Step 4 (verified above).
- STATUS UPDATE - BOTH MANDATORY - PARALLEL EXECUTION:
- Call
project-managersub-agent: "Update plan status in [plan-path]. Mark plan phase [phase-name] as DONE with timestamp. Update roadmap." - Call
docs-managersub-agent: "Update docs for plan phase [phase-name]. Changed files: [list]."
-
ONBOARDING CHECK: Detect onboarding requirements (API keys, env vars, config) + generate summary report with next steps.
-
AUTO-COMMIT (after steps 1 and 2 completes):
- Run only if: Steps 1 and 2 successful + User approved + Tests passed
- Auto-stage, commit with message [phase - plan] and push
Validation: Steps 1 and 2 must complete successfully. Step 3 (auto-commit) runs only if conditions met.
Mark Step 5 complete in task tracking.
Phase workflow finished. Ready for next plan phase.
First Principle — Easy to Change
The success metric of every coding decision is future change cost. DRY, SRP, abstraction, design patterns, naming, layering, tests — every technique exists to serve one goal: making the next change cheaper.
When evaluating code, a refactor, a test, or an abstraction, ask: does this make the next change cheaper or more expensive?
- Reject "best practices" that raise change cost (premature abstraction, speculative generality, leaky indirection, ceremony without payoff).
- Name the real enemies in findings: coupling, hidden state, duplicated knowledge, unclear intent, irreversible decisions exposed too early.
- A simpler design that is easy to change beats a sophisticated design that isn't.
Apply this lens before invoking any specific rule, pattern, or checklist below — if a downstream rule would raise change cost, this principle wins.
Critical Enforcement Rules
Step outputs must follow unified format: ✓ Step [N]: [Brief status] - [Key metrics]
Examples:
- Step 0:
✓ Step 0: [Plan Name] - [Phase Name] - Step 1:
✓ Step 1: Found [N] tasks across [M] phases - Ambiguities: [list] - Step 2:
✓ Step 2: Implemented [N] files - [X/Y] tasks complete - Step 3:
✓ Step 3: Code reviewed - [0] critical issues - Step 4:
✓ Step 4: User approved - Ready to complete - Step 5:
✓ Step 5: Finalize - Status updated - Git committed
If any "✓ Step N:" output missing, that step is INCOMPLETE.
task tracking tracking required: Initialize at Step 0, mark each step complete before next.
Mandatory subagent calls:
- Step 3:
code-reviewer - Step 4:
project-managerANDdocs-manager(when user approves)
Blocking gates:
- Step 3: Critical issues must be 0
- Step 4: User must explicitly approve
- Step 5: Both
project-manageranddocs-managermust complete successfully
REMEMBER:
- Execute every step in order; proceed only when validation passes and the user has explicitly approved.
- One plan phase per command run. Command focuses on single plan phase only.
- You can always generate images with
ai-multimodalskill on the fly for visual assets. - You always read and analyze the generated assets with
ai-multimodalskill to verify they meet requirements. - For image editing (removing background, adjusting, cropping), use
media-processingskill or similar tools as needed.
Next Steps (Standalone: MUST ATTENTION ask user via a direct user question. Skip if inside workflow.)
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS: If this skill was called outside a workflow, you MUST ATTENTION use a direct user question to present these options. Do NOT skip because the task seems "simple" or "obvious" — the user decides:
- "Proceed with full workflow (Recommended)" — I'll detect the best workflow to continue from here (code implemented, no tests). This ensures review, testing, and docs steps aren't skipped.
- "$code-simplifier" — Simplify implementation
- "$workflow-review-changes" — Review changes before commit
- "Skip, continue manually" — user decides
If already inside a workflow, skip — the workflow handles sequencing.
[IMPORTANT] Use task tracking to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks for each file read. This prevents context loss from long files. For simple tasks, AI MUST ATTENTION ask user whether to skip.
docs/project-reference/domain-entities-reference.md— Domain entity catalog, relationships, cross-service sync (read when task involves business entities/models) (read directly when relevant; do not rely on hook-injected conversation text)
End-to-Start Debugger Trace — For non-trivial bugs, failed verification, regression fixes, behavior-changing code, or unclear code flow, start from the observed final state and walk backward before proposing a fix.
- Frame 0: observed end state — Name the exact user-visible output, failing assertion, log line, persisted value, API response, rendered UI, or aggregate bucket. Record the reader/query/renderer that produced it with
file:lineevidence.- Walk backward one hop at a time — Trace final reader -> projection/cache/storage -> writer -> consumer/handler/job -> producer/caller -> original trigger. At every hop record: input, transformation, output, owner, and evidence.
- Enumerate all feeder paths — Find every upstream producer/caller/event/job that can write into the final path, including retry, async, cache, background, and alternate UI/API paths. Mark each path verified, ruled out, or still unknown.
- Build the hypothesis matrix — For each plausible cause, list evidence for, evidence against, how to reproduce/verify, blast radius, and status (
primary,contributing,ruled out,latent). Do not fix until competing causes are explicitly resolved or bounded.- Choose the owning fix layer — Identify the invariant owner and the lowest shared point that protects all downstream consumers. A fix at the symptom site is rejected unless the symptom site owns the invariant.
- Prove convergence forward — After choosing the fix, walk start -> end again and show how the corrected state reaches the observed final output. Map each root cause to a fix part and each fix part to a test/proof.
BLOCKED until: final state named · backward trace written · all feeder paths enumerated · hypothesis matrix completed · owning fix layer justified · forward convergence proof mapped to tests.
NEVER: Start at the first suspicious code path. Collapse multiple producers into one "flow". Treat duplicate symptoms as duplicate records without proving the read model. Skip ruled-out hypotheses.
Nested Task Expansion Contract — For workflow-step invocation, the
[Workflow] ...row is only a parent container; the child skill still creates visible phase tasks.
- Call the current task list first. If a matching active parent workflow row exists, set
nested=trueand recordparentTaskId; otherwise run standalone.- Create one task per declared phase before phase work. When nested, prefix subjects
[N.M] $skill-name — phase.- When nested, link the parent with
TaskUpdate(parentTaskId, addBlockedBy: [childIds]).- Orchestrators must pre-expand a child skill's phase list and link the workflow row before invoking that child skill or sub-agent.
- Mark exactly one child
in_progressbefore work andcompletedimmediately after evidence is written.- Complete the parent only after all child tasks are completed or explicitly cancelled with reason.
Blocked until: the current task list done, child phases created, parent linked when nested, first child marked
in_progress.
Project Reference Docs Gate — Run after task-tracking bootstrap and before target/source file reads, grep, edits, or analysis. Project docs override generic framework assumptions.
- Identify scope: file types, domain area, and operation.
- Required docs by trigger: always
docs/project-reference/lessons.md; doc lookupdocs-index-reference.md; reviewcode-review-rules.md; backend/CQRS/APIbackend-patterns-reference.md; domain/entitydomain-entities-reference.md; frontend/UIfrontend-patterns-reference.md; styles/designscss-styling-guide.md+design-system/design-system-canonical.md; integration testsintegration-test-reference.md; E2Ee2e-test-reference.md; feature docs/specsfeature-docs-reference.md; architecture/new areaproject-structure-reference.md.- Read every required doc that exists; skip absent docs as not applicable. Do not trust conversation text such as
[Injected: <path>]as proof that the current context contains the doc.- Before target work, state:
Reference docs read: ... | Missing/not applicable: ....Blocked until: scope evaluated, required docs checked/read,
lessons.mdconfirmed, citation emitted.
Critical Thinking Mindset — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.
Understand Code First — HARD-GATE: Do NOT write, plan, or fix until you READ existing code.
- Search 3+ similar patterns (
grep/glob) — citefile:lineevidence- Read existing files in target area — understand structure, base classes, conventions
- Run
python .claude/scripts/code_graph trace <file> --direction both --jsonwhen.code-graph/graph.dbexists- Map dependencies via
connectionsorcallers_of— know what depends on your target- Write investigation to
.ai/workspace/analysis/for non-trivial tasks (3+ files)- Re-read analysis file before implementing — never work from memory alone. — why: long context drifts from the file; the file is ground truth
- NEVER invent new patterns when existing ones work — match exactly or document deviation. — why: divergent patterns fragment the codebase and slow every future reader
BLOCKED until:
- [ ]Read target files- [ ]Grep 3+ patterns- [ ]Graph trace (if graph.db exists)- [ ]Assumptions verified with evidence
Source/test drift check. For coding, fix, debug, investigation, test, or review work: when source behavior changes, inspect affected unit/integration/E2E tests and decide from evidence whether tests should change to match intended behavior or the source change is an unintended bug to fix. Do not write tests for migration code; schema/data migrations are one-time execution paths, not core application logic.
AI Mistake Prevention — Failure modes to avoid on every task:
Check downstream references before deleting. Deleting components causes documentation and code staleness cascades. Map all referencing files before removal. Verify AI-generated content against actual code. AI hallucinates APIs, class names, and method signatures. Always grep to confirm existence before documenting or referencing. Trace full dependency chain after edits. Changing a definition misses downstream variables and consumers derived from it. Always trace the full chain. Trace ALL code paths when verifying correctness. Confirming code exists is not confirming it executes. Always trace early exits, error branches, and conditional skips — not just happy path. When debugging, ask "whose responsibility?" before fixing. Trace whether bug is in caller (wrong data) or callee (wrong handling). Fix at responsible layer — never patch symptom site. Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing. Before changing any constant, limit, flag, or pattern: read comments, check git blame, examine surrounding code. Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first. Changes touching multiple stacks require verifying EVERY output. One green check is not all green checks. Holistic-first debugging — resist nearest-attention trap. When investigating any failure, list EVERY precondition first (config, env vars, DB names, endpoints, DI registrations, data preconditions), then verify each against evidence before forming any code-layer hypothesis. Surgical changes — apply the diff test. Bug fix: every changed line must trace directly to the bug. Don't restyle or improve adjacent code. Enhancement task: implement improvements AND announce them explicitly. Surface ambiguity before coding — don't pick silently. If request has multiple interpretations, present each with effort estimate and ask. Never assume all-records, file-based, or more complex path.
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION search 3+ existing patterns and read code BEFORE any modification. Run graph trace when graph.db exists.
MUST ATTENTION apply critical thinking — every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact.
MUST ATTENTION apply AI mistake prevention — holistic-first debugging, fix at responsible layer, surface ambiguity before coding, re-read files after compaction.
- MANDATORY After task-tracking bootstrap and before target/source work, read required project-reference docs and cite
Reference docs read: .... - MANDATORY Always include
lessons.md; project conventions override generic defaults.
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION debugger trace gate: for non-trivial bug/fix/investigation/review work, start at the observed final output and trace backward through reader -> storage/projection -> writer -> consumer/job -> producer/trigger. Enumerate all feeder paths and hypotheses before fixing. BLOCKED until trace, hypothesis matrix, owning fix layer, and forward convergence proof exist.
- MANDATORY Parent workflow rows do not replace child phase tracking; expand phases and link the parent when nested.
- MANDATORY Orchestrators pre-expand child skill phases before invocation; use
[N.M] $skill-name — phaseprefixes and one-in_progressdiscipline.
Closing Reminders
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION break work into small todo tasks using task tracking BEFORE starting
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION search codebase for 3+ similar patterns before creating new code
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION cite file:line evidence for every claim (confidence >80% to act)
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION add a final review todo task to verify work quality
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION validate decisions with user via a direct user question — never auto-decide
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION READ the following files before starting:
IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION READ CLAUDE.md before starting
[TASK-PLANNING] Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using task tracking.
Closing reminder — Easy to Change is the success metric. Every finding, test, refactor, and abstraction must answer one question: does this make the next change cheaper or more expensive? If it doesn't reduce future change cost, reject it. Coupling, hidden state, duplicated knowledge, and unclear intent are the real enemies — call them out by name.
Hookless Prompt Protocol Mirror (Auto-Synced)
Source: .claude/hooks/lib/prompt-injections.cjs + .claude/.ck.json
[WORKFLOW-EXECUTION-PROTOCOL] [BLOCKING] Workflow Execution Protocol — MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST CRITICAL. Do not skip for any reason.
Generic portability boundary: Reusable skills and protocol text stay project-neutral; project-specific conventions are discovered from docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/. Apply shared AI-SDD from shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md. Read docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md, then open the project reference docs named there. Any supported AI tool may execute when this shared context and local docs are available.
- DETECT: Match prompt against workflow catalog
- ANALYZE: Find best-match workflow AND evaluate if a custom step combination would fit better
- ASK (REQUIRED FORMAT): Use a direct user question with this structure unless the user explicitly invoked a workflow/skill and the local protocol treats explicit invocation as confirmation:
- Question: "Which workflow do you want to activate?"
- Option 1: "Activate [BestMatch Workflow] (Recommended)"
- Option 2: "Activate custom workflow: [step1 → step2 → ...]" (include one-line rationale)
- ACTIVATE (if confirmed): Call
$workflow-start <workflowId>for standard; sequence custom steps manually - CREATE TASKS: task tracking for ALL workflow steps
- EXECUTE: Follow each step in sequence [CRITICAL-THINKING-MINDSET] Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination principle: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination. AI Attention principle (Primacy-Recency): Put the 3 most critical rules at both top and bottom of long prompts/protocols so instruction adherence survives long context windows. Goal-driven execution: Define success criteria first, loop until verified, and stop only when observable checks pass. Tests verify intent: Tests must protect business rules/invariants and fail when the protected intent breaks, not only mirror current behavior.
[LESSON-LEARNED-REMINDER] [BLOCKING] Task Planning & Continuous Improvement — MANDATORY. Do not skip.
Break work into small tasks (task tracking) before starting. Add final task: "Analyze AI mistakes & lessons learned".
Extract lessons — ROOT CAUSE ONLY, not symptom fixes:
- Name the FAILURE MODE (reasoning/assumption failure), not symptom — "assumed API existed without reading source" not "used wrong enum value".
- Generality test: does this failure mode apply to ≥3 contexts/codebases? If not, abstract one level up.
- Write as a universal rule — strip project-specific names/paths/classes. Useful on any codebase.
- Consolidate: multiple mistakes sharing one failure mode → ONE lesson.
- Recurrence gate: "Would this recur in future session WITHOUT this reminder?" — No → skip
$learn. - Auto-fix gate: "Could
$code-review/$code-simplifier/$security/$lintcatch this?" — Yes → improve review skill instead. - BOTH gates pass → ask user to run
$learn. [TASK-PLANNING] [MANDATORY] BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all planned steps, then keep it synchronized as each step starts/completes.