Use when you have a spec or PRD that needs decomposing into small, verifiable implementation tasks. Use before any build cycle to ensure tasks are thin vertical slices with clear acceptance criteria.
Use when starting a new feature, when requirements are unclear, when asked to write code without a clear spec, or before any non-trivial implementation. Do NOT use for trivial bug fixes or one-line changes.
Use when reviewing codebase architecture for refactoring opportunities, surfacing shallow modules, or proposing deepening refactors. Identifies architectural friction and produces GitHub issues with the ops-triage labeling scheme. Supports interactive (human approval) and auto (CI/headless) modes — auto mode files every surviving candidate directly and writes a step-summary report.
Use when reviewing a pull request or code change before merge. Use for the five-axis evaluation (correctness, readability, architecture, security, performance), exposure × impact severity classification, AC coverage verification, and the `## Automated review` comment. Use in both human and CI mode — the methodology is identical; only the inputs and agent invocation differ.
Use when working in a Next.js 15 App Router project — editing app/, src/app/, components/, server actions, or route handlers. Enforces project conventions for queries, mutations, and data fetching.
Use when editing *.ts or *.tsx files in this project. Enforces TypeScript conventions including Zod-derived types, Prisma type patterns, type-only imports, and shared constant extraction.
Use when building or debugging anything that runs in a browser. Use when you need to inspect the DOM, capture console errors, analyse network requests, profile performance, or verify visual output with real runtime data. Requires the chrome-devtools MCP server to be configured.
Use when code feels over-engineered, before refactoring, or as a cleanup step after implementation. Use when asked to simplify, reduce complexity, or make code clearer. Do NOT use for performance optimization, feature work, or architecture redesign.