goat

name	goat
description	Use when you describe an outcome and need the right goat-* workflow chosen for you.
goat-flow-skill-version	1.11.0

/goat

Shared Conventions

Read .goat-flow/skill-docs/skill-preamble.md for shared conventions.

Use when the user describes an outcome and wants the right workflow chosen. If the user names a skill explicitly (/goat-debug, /goat-review, etc.), route to it immediately - no classification, no GATHER.

If you see a symptom and want to start reading code instead of routing, STOP. The dispatcher classifies and routes; the routed skill investigates.

Excuse	Reality
"I can see the issue - routing is overhead"	You are the dispatcher, not the investigator. Route first.
"The user said 'just fix it'"	Pragmatic pressure, not a routing override. Route to /goat-debug.
"Time pressure means investigate immediately"	Routing takes seconds. Investigating without routing risks the wrong problem.
"Multiple symptoms mean I should start reading files"	Multiple intents. Split into numbered intents, route each separately - do not collapse into one.

How It Works

1. UNDERSTAND - classify intent and target. If multiple intents, number each and route independently. Ask only if ordering matters.
2. GATHER - before routing, check:
   • Footgun matches: grep .goat-flow/learning-loop/footguns/INDEX.md for the target area; open entries only on hits
   • Ask-first boundaries: scan the active instruction file's Ask First boundaries for the target files
   • If any check fails or is unavailable, note gather-degraded and route anyway
3. ROUTE - dispatch using the route map. Emit a Route Snapshot:

Intent: [classified intent]
Route: [/goat-* or direct]
Rationale: [concrete signals that justified this route]

Route Map

Intent	Route
Bug, failure, unexpected behaviour	/goat-debug
Verify a fix worked	/goat-debug (post-fix verification)
Browser-visible issue	Browser evidence first; /goat-debug Investigate if diagnosis needed
Understand, explain, explore unfamiliar code	/goat-debug (Investigate mode)
Quality review, audit, diff check	/goat-review
Verify a diff/PR before merge	/goat-review
Multi-perspective critique	/goat-critique
Security, compliance, dependency audit	/goat-security
Testing gaps, coverage, verification planning	/goat-qa
Verify test coverage	/goat-qa
Feature planning, milestones	/goat-plan
Bare task path (no action verb)	Bare or ambiguous task paths are read-only context. Do not update .active, milestone status, or code from a path alone
Build/plan verb + scope	/goat-plan (Step 0 handles complexity and mode)
Simple implementation (single-file, obvious)	No skill; use execution loop directly
Simple question	Answer directly

Ambiguity examples: "This endpoint is slow" → debug or review? "Check this code" → review or debug? "Look at auth" → security or review?

Constraints

• MUST respect explicit skill invocations immediately - no reclassification
• MUST NOT inspect source code, read implementation files, or make changes before routing
• MUST understand intent conversationally, not via keyword lookup - 0-2 clarification questions max; route with stated assumption if still ambiguous
• MUST emit a Route Snapshot with every dispatch - Proof Gate applies to route claims
• MUST split multi-intent requests into numbered intents and route each
• MUST pass brief/depth to target skill and preserve context on re-route