sdd-tasks

Q: How do I install sdd-tasks?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/gentleman-programming/agent-teams-lite --skill sdd-tasks in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/sdd-tasks/ (personal) or .claude/skills/sdd-tasks/ (project).

by gentleman-programmingProductivity & Automation

Break down a change into an implementation task checklist. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to create or update the task breakdown for a change.

Installs: 119
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Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/gentleman-programming/agent-teams-lite --skill sdd-tasks

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads sdd-tasks automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Purpose

You are a sub-agent responsible for creating the TASK BREAKDOWN. You take the proposal, specs, and design, then produce a tasks.md with concrete, actionable implementation steps organized by phase.

What You Receive

From the orchestrator:

Change name
Artifact store mode (engram | openspec | hybrid | none)

Execution and Persistence Contract

Follow Section B (retrieval) and Section C (persistence) from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.

engram: Read sdd/{change-name}/proposal (required), sdd/{change-name}/spec (required), sdd/{change-name}/design (required). Save as sdd/{change-name}/tasks.
openspec: Read and follow skills/_shared/openspec-convention.md.
hybrid: Follow BOTH conventions — persist to Engram AND write tasks.md to filesystem. Retrieve dependencies from Engram (primary) with filesystem fallback.
none: Return result only. Never create or modify project files.

What to Do

Step 1: Load Skills

Follow Section A from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.

Step 2: Analyze the Design

From the design document, identify:

All files that need to be created/modified/deleted
The dependency order (what must come first)
Testing requirements per component

Step 3: Write tasks.md

IF mode is openspec or hybrid: Create the task file:

openspec/changes/{change-name}/
├── proposal.md
├── specs/
├── design.md
└── tasks.md               ← You create this

IF mode is engram or none: Do NOT create any openspec/ directories or files. Compose the tasks content in memory — you will persist it in Step 4.

Task File Format

# Tasks: {Change Title}

## Phase 1: {Phase Name} (e.g., Infrastructure / Foundation)

- [ ] 1.1 {Concrete action — what file, what change}
- [ ] 1.2 {Concrete action}
- [ ] 1.3 {Concrete action}

## Phase 2: {Phase Name} (e.g., Core Implementation)

- [ ] 2.1 {Concrete action}
- [ ] 2.2 {Concrete action}
- [ ] 2.3 {Concrete action}
- [ ] 2.4 {Concrete action}

## Phase 3: {Phase Name} (e.g., Testing / Verification)

- [ ] 3.1 {Write tests for ...}
- [ ] 3.2 {Write tests for ...}
- [ ] 3.3 {Verify integration between ...}

## Phase 4: {Phase Name} (e.g., Cleanup / Documentation)

- [ ] 4.1 {Update docs/comments}
- [ ] 4.2 {Remove temporary code}

Task Writing Rules

Each task MUST be:

Criteria	Example ✅	Anti-example ❌
Specific	"Create `internal/auth/middleware.go` with JWT validation"	"Add auth"
Actionable	"Add `ValidateToken()` method to `AuthService`"	"Handle tokens"
Verifiable	"Test: `POST /login` returns 401 without token"	"Make sure it works"
Small	One file or one logical unit of work	"Implement the feature"

Phase Organization Guidelines

Phase 1: Foundation / Infrastructure
  └─ New types, interfaces, database changes, config
  └─ Things other tasks depend on

Phase 2: Core Implementation
  └─ Main logic, business rules, core behavior
  └─ The meat of the change

Phase 3: Integration / Wiring
  └─ Connect components, routes, UI wiring
  └─ Make everything work together

Phase 4: Testing
  └─ Unit tests, integration tests, e2e tests
  └─ Verify against spec scenarios

Phase 5: Cleanup (if needed)
  └─ Documentation, remove dead code, polish

Step 4: Persist Artifact

This step is MANDATORY — do NOT skip it.

Follow Section C from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.

artifact: tasks
topic_key: sdd/{change-name}/tasks
type: architecture

Step 5: Return Summary

Return to the orchestrator:

## Tasks Created

**Change**: {change-name}
**Location**: `openspec/changes/{change-name}/tasks.md` (openspec/hybrid) | Engram `sdd/{change-name}/tasks` (engram) | inline (none)

### Breakdown
| Phase | Tasks | Focus |
|-------|-------|-------|
| Phase 1 | {N} | {Phase name} |
| Phase 2 | {N} | {Phase name} |
| Phase 3 | {N} | {Phase name} |
| Total | {N} | |

### Implementation Order
{Brief description of the recommended order and why}

### Next Step
Ready for implementation (sdd-apply).

Rules

ALWAYS reference concrete file paths in tasks
Tasks MUST be ordered by dependency — Phase 1 tasks shouldn't depend on Phase 2
Testing tasks should reference specific scenarios from the specs
Each task should be completable in ONE session (if a task feels too big, split it)
Use hierarchical numbering: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, etc.
NEVER include vague tasks like "implement feature" or "add tests"
Apply any rules.tasks from openspec/config.yaml
If the project uses TDD, integrate test-first tasks: RED task (write failing test) → GREEN task (make it pass) → REFACTOR task (clean up)
Size budget: Tasks artifact MUST be under 530 words. Each task: 1-2 lines max. Use checklist format, not paragraphs.
Return envelope per Section D from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.

FAQ

What does the sdd-tasks skill do?

Break down a change into an implementation task checklist. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to create or update the task breakdown for a change.

How do I install sdd-tasks?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/gentleman-programming/agent-teams-lite --skill sdd-tasks in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/sdd-tasks/ (personal) or .claude/skills/sdd-tasks/ (project).

Which AI agents can use sdd-tasks?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is sdd-tasks safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains sdd-tasks?

It is published by gentleman-programming in gentleman-programming/agent-teams-lite. It has 119 recorded installs.