todo-workflow

name	todo-workflow
description	Step-by-step task tracking via the TODO_WRITE marker. Use when executing any multi-step task, follow-up request, or build workflow.
user-invocable	false

Todo Workflow

The Hatchway UI shows build progress as a checklist. You drive that checklist by emitting a TODO_WRITE: marker in your normal assistant text — not by calling a tool. Do not use TodoWrite, TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, or TaskList for progress tracking — the UI does not render those, and they are unreliable in this environment. The UI renders progress only from the TODO_WRITE: marker. If you never emit it, the user sees nothing happening.

The marker

Write a line that begins with TODO_WRITE: followed by one JSON object holding the full todo list (always include every item with its current status):

TODO_WRITE: {"todos":[{"content":"Short task name","status":"in_progress","activeForm":"Doing the task"}]}

Rules:

• status is exactly one of: "pending", "in_progress", "completed".
• Always emit the complete list every time — not just the item that changed.
• Put the marker on its own line. It is stripped from what the user sees, so it is safe to emit often.
• It is plain text you write — you do not call any tool to produce it.

Workflow

1. As soon as you understand the task, emit the full plan: the first item in_progress, the rest pending.
2. Do the work for the in_progress item.
3. Emit the marker again with that item completed and the next in_progress.
4. Repeat until every item is completed.

Update after every single item — never batch multiple completions into one marker.

Example

Task: "Add a dark mode toggle"

TODO_WRITE: {"todos":[{"content":"Add theme context","status":"in_progress","activeForm":"Adding theme context"},{"content":"Add toggle to header","status":"pending","activeForm":"Adding toggle to header"}]}

(create ThemeContext.tsx)

TODO_WRITE: {"todos":[{"content":"Add theme context","status":"completed","activeForm":"Adding theme context"},{"content":"Add toggle to header","status":"in_progress","activeForm":"Adding toggle to header"}]}

(create DarkModeToggle.tsx, add to Header)

TODO_WRITE: {"todos":[{"content":"Add theme context","status":"completed","activeForm":"Adding theme context"},{"content":"Add toggle to header","status":"completed","activeForm":"Adding toggle to header"}]}

Follow-ups

Even simple follow-up requests get at least one todo. Emit it in_progress, do the work, then emit it completed.

Autonomous Execution

Keep working until 100% complete. Do not pause to ask "Should I continue?" unless you need information only the user can provide or encounter an unrecoverable error.