refine-feature

name	refine-feature
description	Refine a feature into a complete, decomposable specification — clear goal, success criteria, scope, and a proposed subtask breakdown
disable-model-invocation	true

Skill: Refine Feature

This skill transforms a thin or empty feature into a complete, unambiguous feature that is ready to decompose into subtasks and orchestrate.

When to Use

Triggered by clicking "Refine" on a selected feature in the Switchboard Features tab.

What it does

Produces a complete feature description (goal/problem, success criteria, scope, risks, and a proposed subtask breakdown) and writes the result back to the feature's local markdown file.

Template Sections (Flexible — agent decides which apply)

• ## Goal — the outcome this feature delivers and the problem it solves (root-cause framed, self-contained).
• ## Background / Why — context, motivation, business reason.
• ## Success Criteria — checkboxed, testable conditions that mean "this feature is done".
• ## Scope — In Scope / Out of Scope bullets.
• ## Proposed Subtasks — an ordered, checkboxed breakdown into independently-shippable units of work. Each item: a one-line title plus a sentence of intent. Aim for 3–12 subtasks.
• ## Dependencies & Sequencing — ordering constraints between subtasks, external blockers.
• ## Risks / Open Questions — what could go wrong; unresolved decisions.

Agent Instructions

• Read the existing feature markdown from the local file path provided in the prompt. Preserve the YAML frontmatter exactly.
• Determine what's missing. If the file is empty or has no ## Goal, author one from the feature title and any context in the prompt.
• Enhance, don't rewrite: keep existing well-written content; fill gaps.
• The most valuable output for a sparse feature is the ## Proposed Subtasks breakdown — make it concrete and decomposable.
• Do NOT create kanban cards or modify any database. Only write markdown back to the file. Subtask cards are created separately by the user.
• Eliminate ambiguity: replace vague language with specific, testable criteria.
• Write the refined markdown back to the local file path provided. If the file does not exist, create it at that path.
• Report back with a summary of what you added or changed, and list the proposed subtasks so the user can decide which to create.

Note on the auto-generated subtasks block

The feature file may contain an auto-generated block wrapped in <!-- BEGIN SUBTASKS (auto-generated, do not edit) --> / <!-- END SUBTASKS -->. Do NOT edit inside that block — Switchboard regenerates it. Put your proposed breakdown in a separate ## Proposed Subtasks section above it.