feature-workflow

Feature Development Workflow

This skill defines the 3-phase methodology for developing new features using AI agents. Every new feature or significant change MUST follow this workflow.

Read the full workflow guide: references/workflow.md

Quick Reference

Phase	Output	Gate
DECIDE	_ai/decisions/ADR-{N}-{slug}.md	User approval required
PLAN	_ai/implementations/{slug}/ folder	User approval required
BUILD	Code + progress.md updates	Tests pass

When Triggered

1. Read references/workflow.md for the complete process
2. Check _ai/decisions/ for existing ADRs (to determine next ADR number)
3. Check _ai/knowledge-base/ for relevant patterns and guides about existing subsystems
4. Check project's CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md for architecture info, lib structure, and conventions
5. Follow the 3 phases with user approval gates between each

Templates

All templates are in references/templates/:

Template	When to use
adr-template.md	Phase 1: Create architecture decision record
implementation-plan-template.md	Phase 2: Main plan with scope and acceptance criteria
backend-implementation-template.md	Phase 2: Backend/API changes (optional, use when feature has backend work)
frontend-implementation-template.md	Phase 2: Frontend/UI changes (optional, use when feature has frontend work)
shared-implementation-template.md	Phase 2: Shared libs/types (optional, use when feature affects shared code)
progress-template.md	Phase 2: Task checklist for tracking build progress
architecture-template.md	Post-build: Update or create architecture docs

Critical Rules

• Never skip phases. Even small features need at least a lightweight ADR.
• Never start coding without an approved plan. The plan is the contract.
• Always update progress.md as you complete tasks during BUILD.
• Always update architecture docs after significant changes.
• Always check knowledge-base before starting — it may contain patterns for similar work.
• Agents MUST read their implementation spec before writing code.