backlog

name	backlog
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to 'add to backlog', 'create a backlog item', 'show backlog', 'list backlog tasks', 'what's in the backlog', 'move to backlog', 'check backlog', 'backlog status', 'fetch backlog', 'get all backlog items', or mentions managing future work items, ideas, or deferred tasks in the project's Notion task board.

Backlog Management

Manage the project's backlog of future work items via the Notion "OpenSpec Changes" database. The backlog is a column/status in the existing task board, not a separate system.

Notion Database Details

• Data source: collection://61973df7-c1a4-49d0-8baf-7fbf2d714968
• Database name: OpenSpec Changes
• Parent page: "Data Israel" (31d6dd80-0603-81c9-8114-c4444cd24106)

Status Values

Status	Purpose
Backlog	Future work — ideas, research findings, deferred features
To Do	Approved and ready for implementation
In Progress	Currently being worked on
Done	Completed
Archived	No longer relevant

Required Properties

Property	Type	Values
Name	title	Descriptive title for the work item
Change ID	text	kebab-case identifier (e.g., add-land-authority-planning)
Category	select	Backend, Frontend, Full Stack, Infrastructure, DevOps, UI/UX, Bug Fix, Refactor
Priority	select	High, Medium, Low
Status	select	Backlog, To Do, In Progress, Done, Archived
Completed Date	date	Set when status moves to Done

Core Operations

Add a Backlog Item

Use mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-create-pages with:

parent: { type: "data_source_id", data_source_id: "61973df7-c1a4-49d0-8baf-7fbf2d714968" }
pages: [{
  properties: {
    "Name": "Descriptive title",
    "Change ID": "kebab-case-id",
    "Category": "Backend",        // or Frontend, Full Stack, etc.
    "Priority": "Medium",         // High, Medium, or Low
    "Status": "Backlog"
  },
  icon: "emoji",                  // relevant emoji
  content: "## Overview\n\nDescription of the work item...\n\n## Value\n\n- Why this matters...\n\n## Notes\n\n- Implementation considerations..."
}]

Content guidelines for backlog items:

• Start with ## Overview — what the work item is
• Include ## Value — why it matters, what user need it serves
• Include ## Notes — technical considerations, API details, discovery context
• Keep content concise but informative enough for future implementation

Fetch All Backlog Items

Use mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-search to find backlog items:

query: "Backlog"

Or use mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-fetch with the data source ID to get the full database schema and then filter.

For targeted lookups, search by name or Change ID keywords.

Fetch a Specific Backlog Item

Use mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-fetch with the page ID or URL:

id: "page-uuid-here"

Or search by Change ID using mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-search:

query: "add-land-authority-planning"

Move Item Out of Backlog

Use mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-update-page to change status:

page_id: "page-uuid"
properties: { "Status": "To Do" }

This promotes a backlog item to active work. Optionally update Priority at the same time.

Update a Backlog Item

Use mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-update-page to modify any property or content:

page_id: "page-uuid"
properties: { "Priority": "High" }
content: "Updated content..."

Workflow Patterns

Research → Backlog

When discovering a new API, data source, or feature opportunity during research:

1. Document findings in the backlog item's content (endpoint URLs, auth requirements, sample responses)
2. Set priority based on user value
3. Include discovery context (how it was found, which repo/project revealed it)

Backlog → OpenSpec Proposal

When promoting a backlog item to active work:

1. Change status from Backlog to To Do
2. Create an OpenSpec proposal in openspec/changes/{change-id}/
3. Update the Notion page content with the task checklist from tasks.md

Backlog Review

When the user asks to review the backlog:

1. Fetch all items with Backlog status
2. Present them grouped by Category or sorted by Priority
3. Suggest which items to promote based on current project context

Best Practices

• Always set a Change ID — enables linking between Notion and openspec/changes/ later
• Include technical details — API endpoints, auth requirements, sample data
• Reference discovery source — GitHub repos, documentation URLs, research sessions
• Keep priorities honest — High = blocks current work or high user demand; Medium = valuable but not urgent; Low = nice-to-have
• Use relevant emojis for icons — helps visual scanning in the Notion board

Additional Resources

Reference Files

• references/notion-schema.md — Complete Notion database schema, SQL definition, and property option IDs for programmatic access