| name | sdd-status |
| description | Explicit command-style skill for inspecting .ai/sdd state and recommending the next safe action. Use only when the user explicitly asks for SDD status, progress, blockers, readiness, or next action. Do not auto-load for general SDD work; do not create specs or implement code. |
SDD Status
Inspect the SDD workspace and report current progress, blockers, and next actions.
Purpose
STATUS gives operational visibility across .ai/sdd/ without changing artifacts. It helps the user understand what exists, what is approved, what is still draft, what is blocked, and what the next safe SDD step should be. Treat it as an explicit utility command, not as a semantic auto-loaded skill for ordinary SDD authoring.
Workflow
-
Load the SDD reference.
- Read
../_shared/references/sdd-practical.md.
- Apply the Language Policy: respond and write artifacts in the user's initial chat language while keeping skill instructions and templates in EN-US.
- Use package-level
templates/sdd-index.md as the dashboard reference when useful.
- Load relevant
.ai/steering/*.md files only if they help explain project context; do not summarize steering unless useful.
- Treat
.ai/strategy/handoff/strategy-brief.md as optional upstream context and .ai/sdd/handoff/sdd-brief.md as optional downstream handoff output.
-
Inspect the workspace.
- Check whether
.ai/sdd/ exists.
- Check
.ai/sdd/INDEX.md if present.
- Check
.ai/sdd/PLAN.md if present.
- Check
.ai/strategy/handoff/strategy-brief.md if present and report it as an available upstream handoff.
- Check
.ai/sdd/handoff/sdd-brief.md if present and report its readiness/status summary.
- List
.ai/sdd/ideas/*.md if present.
- List
.ai/sdd/specs/*/ directories.
- For each spec directory, read
.status when present.
- For each spec directory, note presence of
requirements.md, design.md, tasks.md, review.md, and decisions.md.
- Compute the next feature ID from actual spec directories using the shared Feature Workspace Identity algorithm; report it as informational only.
- Flag duplicate numeric prefixes, non-canonical spec directory names, missing
.status, and invalid .status values.
-
Assess gates.
- Identify specs that are ready for PRD, SPEC, TASKS, EXEC, or REVIEW.
- Identify specs blocked by missing artifacts, draft statuses, or missing approvals.
- Identify implementation specs with incomplete tasks when
tasks.md exists.
- Identify specs whose
.status conflicts with existing artifacts.
-
Produce a concise dashboard.
- Group by Upstream Handoffs, Plan, Ideas, Specs, Handoff Output, In Progress, Review Ready, and Blocked.
- Include exact paths for important artifacts.
- Include the current
.status value for each spec.
- Recommend one or more next commands such as
/skill:sdd-prd, /skill:sdd-spec, /skill:sdd-tasks, /skill:sdd-exec, or /skill:sdd-review.
-
Do not modify files.
- STATUS is read-only.
- If an index or status appears stale, recommend an update instead of editing it.
Output Format
SDD STATUS
Workspace: .ai/sdd
Steering: .ai/steering present/missing
Upstream Handoffs:
- .ai/strategy/handoff/strategy-brief.md: present/missing
Plan:
- [missing/draft/approved] .ai/sdd/PLAN.md
Ideas:
- 001-name — idea:captured — .ai/sdd/ideas/001-name.md
Specs:
- 001-feature — requirements:approved
Artifacts: requirements.md yes, design.md no, tasks.md no, review.md no
Next: /skill:sdd-spec
Feature Workspace:
- Next feature ID: 002
- Numbering source: filesystem `.ai/sdd/specs/*/`
- Issues: none / [duplicate prefix, invalid status, non-canonical directory]
Handoff Output:
- .ai/sdd/handoff/sdd-brief.md: present/missing/readiness
Blocked / Attention:
- [Path] [problem]
Recommended next action:
- [Specific next step]
Quality Bar
- Be accurate and path-specific.
- Prefer short dashboards over long commentary.
- Do not infer approvals from file existence; use
.status and artifact headers when available.
- Flag missing or inconsistent status instead of silently normalizing it.
- Compute numbering from actual directories, never from memory or
INDEX.md.
- When a strategy handoff exists but no SDD artifacts exist, recommend
/skill:sdd-plan or /skill:sdd-prd depending on scope.
- When tasks are approved but
sdd-brief.md is missing or stale, recommend refreshing the SDD handoff.
Critical Rules
- Do not create, edit, or delete files in this skill.
- Do not approve drafts.
- Do not implement code.
- Do not run expensive verification commands unless the user explicitly asks for a health check.