recursive-spine

Use when a repo has (or is getting) the tracking stamp and needs the rest of its spine — interviews for and stamps up to six parts, each optional: a rules codex with a moments map, an ADR directory, a CI gate skeleton, a session-memory convention, a constraints file with its sha-pinned drift gate, and the loop workflow. Frames + the builder's answers + proven pollen from their hives; nothing invented ships. Offers recursive-spine-bootstrap first when tracking is missing; records every answer, including declines, in the dialect note.

Use when sweeping all recursive-spine-conforming repos for tracking health — aging deferrals (oldest first), stalled milestones, in-flight by lane, assigned-but-untouched issues, and debts named in closing comments but never filed, plus seedling pollen that never transplanted (hive repos). Reports honest denominators; includes the recursive-spine repo itself in every sweep.

Use when closing a unit of work — an issue is about to close, a PR is about to merge, or a session is ending with its work complete. Assembles the closing record as a comment on the issue: debts filed before the close (principle 4), the pollen question asked, state pointers captured, the down-tier offer made. Previews the comment before posting; degrades loudly when gh or the constraints file is missing.

Use when a builder wants to learn or be reminded of the recursive-spine tracking convention — where work state lives (GitHub issues+milestones, never prose ledgers), the five principles, the module system, and how to design a repo's dialect. Pure knowledge; takes no actions.

Use after a recursive-spine-digest sweep to select and deliver system-initiated nudges — 0–3 conversation-starters pushed to the owner about what is unblocked, aging, stalled, or newly connected. Every nudge ends in a question; the skill proposes conversations, never executes work.

Use when installing the recursive-spine tracking convention onto a repo — interviews for modules and dialect, then stamps labels, issue/PR templates, a CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md tracking section, and cross-project board membership. Idempotent; degrades loudly on missing gh scopes; offers (never forces) plumb-line and tokenomics wiring.

Use when something just proved itself in real work and should be carried to other projects — captures it as a pollen record in the builder's hive (registry file + paired issue), or, in pull mode, reads every configured hive and offers relevant transplants into the current repo, recording each transplant back onto the record. Interview-driven hive config; never ships a default hive; routes private-proof pollen to a private hive only.

Use when converting a repo's existing prose work-ledgers (status files, queue tables, gap/debt registers, follow-up files, deferral tails) into GitHub issues and milestones under the recursive-spine convention. Dry-run by default — inventories and proposes, writes nothing. Live mode files issues with back-links and produces a retirement checklist; never deletes history, never migrates closed work.