workflow-writing-standard

name	Workflow Writing Standard
description	Rules for writing concise, token-efficient workflow and skill files. Prevents over-building that requires costly optimization passes.
metadata	{"labels":["meta","standard","workflow","token-economy","conciseness"],"triggers":{"files":[".agent/workflows/*.md","SKILL.md"],"keywords":["create workflow","write workflow","new skill","new workflow"]}}

Workflow Writing Standard

Priority: P0 (CRITICAL)

Core Rules

• Templates, not examples: Workflows define structure, not pre-filled data. The agent generates data at runtime.
• No example rows in tables: Include headers + 1 skeleton row only. Never populate with fake data.
• No prose explanations: If a bullet or command achieves the same result, delete the paragraph.
• No pre-answered questions: Don't document what the agent will output — let it output it.
• Merge sequential steps: If two steps always happen together, they are one step.

Size Limits

File type	Limit	If exceeded
Workflow .md	80 lines	Extract detail to references/
SKILL.md	100 lines	Extract examples to references/
Table rows	8	Extract to references/
Inline code block	10 lines	Extract to references/

Workflow Structure (Required order)

1. Goal (1 sentence)
2. Steps (imperative verb → command or checklist)
3. Output template (headers only, no pre-filled rows)

Anti-Patterns

• No verbose step preambles: "Before we start, it's important to understand..." → Delete
• No pre-filled report rows: | Security | P0 | ✅ PASS | CLIENT_ID moved to env | → Delete
• No repeated examples: Same concept shown twice in different formats → Keep one
• No "How to do X" sections: The step IS the instruction
• No caution blocks for obvious rules: Reserve > ⚠️ for genuinely non-obvious risks

Quick Self-Check Before Saving

• Can the agent reconstruct any removed content at runtime from context? If yes → remove it
• Is every table row real structure, not example data?
• Are there any paragraphs a bullet list could replace?
• Would cutting this in half still give the agent enough to act on?