| name | auto-eng-review |
| description | Optional engineering go/no-go on a plan. Use when execution safety needs review before implementation. |
| metadata | {"stage":"plan"} |
auto-eng-review
Optional engineering-safety review. Validates that a plan is safe to execute before implementation begins.
First action: run node .agent/.automaton/scripts/get-context.mjs from the project root.
Preamble
Execution safety review. Architecture, data flow, edge cases, test strategy, not product vision. It does not modify the plan or reopen product scope. Identifies risks that could cause failure, stalling, or rework.
A good review names the riskiest slice, the most likely failure mode, and whether the test strategy catches it. A bad review lists generic concerns.
Loading discipline: one PLAN.md read, optional DESIGN.md when canonical_design exists, one risk matrix, one verdict. Read source files when assessing technical risk: slice boundaries, dependency assumptions, and blast radius claims are only verifiable against the actual code.
Quality Gate
Before appending the engineering review:
- Ground concerns in slices, file areas, commands, or missing artifacts.
- Separate blockers from follow-up cleanup.
- Avoid reopening product scope unless the plan is unbuildable.
- Read
references/quality.md when findings are generic or unactionable.
Do
Do NOT proceed unless:
canonical_plan is set and PLAN.md is readable.
If the plan is missing or unreadable, set verdict to needs_correction and stop.
Load State
Read the canonical PLAN.md. Read DESIGN.md only when canonical_design is set and resolves to a file; otherwise continue without it and note that the plan intentionally has no design artifact.
Restate the Plan
In engineering terms: what is being built, what systems does it touch, and what is the critical path?
Evaluate Risks
Use this matrix as an internal checklist. In chat, summarize only the verdict-driving dimensions unless the user asks for the full matrix. Apply standards from references/prime-directives.md while evaluating.
Risk Matrix
Read references/risk-examples.md for sample matrix scoring.
| Dimension | Rating (0–10) | What a 10 looks like |
|---|
| Architecture fit | | Clean integration, no hacks, follows existing patterns |
| Data flow clarity | | Every input, transform, and output is traceable |
| Edge case coverage | | Failure modes are enumerated and handled |
| Test strategy | | Tests are specified before code, not after |
| Rollback safety | | Can revert without data loss or downtime |
| Dependency risk | | No new critical dependencies; existing ones are stable |
A score of 3 or lower in any dimension is a blocking concern: a score that low means you can already name the failure mode, and naming it is the review's job. Surface it explicitly. Read references/engineering-sections.md only when the plan carries non-trivial engineering risk.
Render Verdict
Use exactly one of the three approved values. Read references/implementation-alternatives.md only when PLAN.md lacks an approach rationale, the user asks for alternatives, or the verdict depends on comparing safer execution paths.
Verdict Values
Use strict vocabulary. No synonyms.
| Verdict | Meaning | Next Action |
|---|
approved | Implementation is safe to proceed. | auto-execute |
approved_with_risks | Implementation is safe but carries known risks. Document them. | auto-execute |
needs_correction | Plan is flawed or unsafe. Return to planning. | auto-plan |
Outside Voice
Optional. When a second model is reachable from this session and the plan carries non-trivial risk, read references/outside-voice.md after rendering the verdict: a round-capped cross-model loop that arbiters findings with logged reasons, surfaces tension to the user, and never auto-applies anything.
Append Review
Add a ## Review: Engineering section to PLAN.md using the exact template in references/review-template.md.
Update State
Run node .agent/.automaton/scripts/sync-status.mjs --engineering-review "<verdict>" from the project root.
Recommend
State the next skill based on the verdict.
Output
PLAN.md with appended ## Review: Engineering section.agent/.automaton/state/current.json updated through sync-status.mjs with engineering_review; stage is unchanged by this skill- Handoff (verdict-mapped, always stops):
approved/approved_with_risks → Next: auto-execute; needs_correction → Next: auto-plan.
Rules
- Focus on execution safety, not product vision.
- Prefer specific engineering objections over generic caution.
- Do not broaden scope just to feel thorough.
- Do not emit the full risk matrix when all dimensions are acceptable; keep the durable review to the review-template fields.
- Verdict vocabulary is strict. Use only the three approved values.
- Missing DESIGN.md is not a blocker when
canonical_design is null, absent, or intentionally skipped by the plan.
