| name | to-issues |
| description | Break an approved plan or parent GitHub issue into vertical-slice child issues when the user explicitly asks to slice, split into issues, or create grabbable tickets. Do not use during initial alignment before the user approves a breakdown. |
To Issues
Break a plan into independently-grabbable issues using vertical slices (tracer bullets).
Read docs/agents/issue-tracker.md and docs/agents/triage-labels.md when present in the repo.
Process
1. Gather context
Work from whatever is already in the conversation context. If the user passes an issue reference (issue number, URL, or path) as an argument, fetch it from the issue tracker and read its full body and comments.
2. Explore the codebase (optional)
If you have not already explored the codebase, do so to understand the current state of the code. Use the repo glossary and respect recorded decisions in the touched area.
Look for opportunities to prefactor the code to make the implementation easier. "Make the change easy, then make the easy change."
3. Draft vertical slices
Break the plan into tracer bullet issues. Each issue is a thin vertical slice that cuts through ALL integration layers end-to-end, NOT a horizontal slice of one layer.
- Each slice delivers a narrow but COMPLETE path through every layer (schema, API, UI, tests)
- A completed slice is demoable or verifiable on its own
- Any prefactoring should be done first
- Each slice fits one fresh agent context, including only the discovery needed to complete it safely
For a genuinely wide mechanical refactor where a vertical slice would be
artificial, use expand → migrate → contract: add the compatible path, move
callers in bounded batches, then remove the old path. Keep each issue independently
verifiable and state its dependency explicitly.
4. Quiz the user
Present the proposed breakdown as a numbered list. For each slice, show:
- Title: short descriptive name
- Blocked by: which other slices (if any) must complete first
- User stories covered: which user stories this addresses (if the source material has them)
Ask the user:
- Does the granularity feel right? (too coarse / too fine)
- Are the dependency relationships correct?
- Should any slices be merged or split further?
Iterate until the user approves the breakdown.
5. Publish the issues to the issue tracker
For each approved slice, publish a new issue to the issue tracker. Use the issue body template below. These issues are considered ready for AFK agents, so publish them with the correct triage label unless instructed otherwise.
Publish issues in dependency order (blockers first) so you can reference real issue identifiers in the "Blocked by" field.
## Parent
A reference to the parent issue on the issue tracker (if the source was an existing issue, otherwise omit this section).
What to build
A concise description of this vertical slice. Describe the end-to-end behavior, not layer-by-layer implementation.
Avoid specific file paths or code snippets — they go stale fast. Exception: if a prototype produced a snippet that encodes a decision more precisely than prose can (state machine, reducer, schema, type shape), inline it here and note briefly that it came from a prototype. Trim to the decision-rich parts — not a working demo, just the important bits.
Acceptance criteria
Blocked by
- A reference to the blocking ticket (if any)
Or "None - can start immediately" if no blockers.
Do NOT close or modify any parent issue.
