| name | porch |
| description | Protocol orchestrator CLI — drives SPIR, ASPIR, AIR, and BUGFIX protocols via a state machine. ALWAYS check this skill before running any `porch` command. Use when you need to check project status, approve gates, signal phase completion, or manage protocol state. Also use when a builder asks about gate approvals or phase transitions. |
porch - Protocol Orchestrator
Porch manages the state machine behind development protocols. It tracks phases, gates, consultations, and transitions.
Commands
porch status [id] Show current project state and phase
porch run [id] Run the protocol loop (strict mode)
porch next [id] Get next tasks as JSON
porch done [id] Signal current phase is complete
porch check [id] Run checks for current phase
porch gate [id] Request human approval at a gate
porch approve <id> <gate> --a-human-explicitly-approved-this
porch rollback <id> <phase> Rewind to an earlier phase
porch init <protocol> <id> <name> Initialize a new project
Project ID auto-detects from worktree path when inside a builder worktree.
Gate approvals
Gates are human-only approval checkpoints. The --a-human-explicitly-approved-this flag is required — it exists to prevent AI agents from auto-approving.
| Gate | Protocol | When |
|---|
spec-approval | SPIR | After spec is written |
plan-approval | SPIR | After plan is written |
pr | SPIR, AIR | After PR is created |
porch approve 42 spec-approval --a-human-explicitly-approved-this
porch approve 42 plan-approval --a-human-explicitly-approved-this
porch approve 42 pr --a-human-explicitly-approved-this
ASPIR and BUGFIX have no spec/plan gates — they run autonomously through those phases.
Checking pending gates
porch pending
Critical rules
- Builders must NEVER call
porch approve — only humans approve gates
- Never edit
status.yaml directly — porch manages all state
- Builders signal completion with
porch done, not porch approve
porch run is for strict mode only — soft mode builders follow the protocol document manually- When running
porch approve from the architect, use a subshell if you need worktree context: (cd /path/to/worktree && porch approve ...)
State storage
Project state lives in codev/projects/<id>-<name>/status.yaml, managed automatically by porch. The status file tracks current phase, gate states, consultation results, and timestamps.
