project-manager

name	project-manager
description	Create, manage, and organize projects — persistent cross-session task containers for long-horizon work. Also read when the OPERATOR describes an ambition or goal that will span multiple sessions ("I want to build X", "I want to learn Y from scratch", "help me create Z") — offer to create a project to track progress. Covers CLI commands, file structure, workflow, and when to create or archive.

Project Manager — Project Workflow Guide

Projects are persistent, cross-session task containers for long-horizon work. They sit above the session-scoped todo tool. Use projects when work spans multiple days or sessions.

When to Create a Project

Create a project when the OPERATOR's request involves:

• Multi-day work — tasks that won't finish in a single session
• Multiple distinct tasks — 3+ steps with clear dependencies
• Ongoing tracking — the OPERATOR wants to see progress over time

Do NOT create a project for:

• Quick questions or single-session tasks (use todo instead)
• Vague ideas without commitment (discuss first, create later)

Always ask before creating. Propose the project structure and get confirmation.

Important: When you read this skill because the OPERATOR described a multi-session goal, include the project offer in your current reply — don't defer it to a later turn. A short sentence like "Would you like me to create a project to track this?" at the end of your response is enough.

Project Structure

$WORKSPACE/projects/{slug}/
  index.md                # Project description + frontmatter
  tasks/                  # One file per task
    PRIORITY.md           # Ordered list of task slugs (highest first)
    {task-slug}.md        # Task spec
    .archive/             # Completed tasks moved here
  notes/                  # Project-scoped notes
  references/             # Project-scoped reference material
  log.md                  # Append-only progress log with timestamps

CLI Commands

All project management is done via ghost project commands through shell.

Project Commands

# List projects (default: active only)
ghost project list
ghost project list --status all
ghost project list --status paused

# Create a new project
ghost project init "Project Title" --tags tag1,tag2

# Show project details and task summary
ghost project show {slug}

# Update project status
ghost project status {slug} active|paused|completed

# Archive a project (moves to .archive/)
ghost project archive {slug}

# Add a log entry
ghost project log {slug} "What happened"

Task Commands

# List tasks in a project
ghost project task list {slug}
ghost project task list {slug} --status todo

# Create a task
ghost project task create {slug} "Task Title"
ghost project task create {slug} "Task Title" --blocked-by dep1,dep2 --body "Details"

# Show full task details
ghost project task show {slug} {task-slug}

# Update task status
ghost project task status {slug} {task-slug} todo|in_progress|done|blocked

# Archive a specific task or all done tasks
ghost project task archive {slug} {task-slug}
ghost project task archive {slug}

Workflow

Creating a Project

1. Discuss the goal with the OPERATOR
2. Propose a project name and initial tasks
3. Get confirmation before creating
4. Run ghost project init "Title" to create the project
5. Run ghost project task create for each initial task
6. Add a log entry summarizing the plan

Working on Tasks

1. Check active projects: ghost project list
2. Pick the highest-priority unblocked task
3. Update status: ghost project task status {slug} {task} in_progress
4. Do the work
5. Mark done: ghost project task status {slug} {task} done
6. Add a log entry with what was accomplished

Task Priority

Priority is determined by position in tasks/PRIORITY.md. New tasks are appended at the bottom. The OPERATOR can reorder by editing the file directly. Tasks not listed in PRIORITY.md are treated as unprioritized.

Archiving

• Tasks: Archive individual done tasks or bulk-archive all done tasks
• Projects: Archive completed projects to move them out of the active list

Using the Log

Add log entries at natural milestones — decisions made, tasks completed, blockers hit. The log provides context for future sessions.

ghost project log {slug} "Decided to use Cloudflare for DNS. Propagation takes ~24h."
ghost project log {slug} "Homepage design complete. Moving to deployment."

Project Notes and References

Use the notes/ and references/ subdirectories within a project for project-scoped knowledge. These follow the same format as the global knowledge system but are co-located with the project for easy access.