| name | maximus-add |
| description | Use when the user wants to quickly add a single task to the plan without full planning. Triggers on "add a task", "quick add", "append a task", "add this to the plan", or /maximus-add. For backlog items ("queue this for later", "add to the queue"), use the queue skill instead. |
Maximus Add — Quick Task Appender
Quickly add a single task to .maximus/plan.json without the full planning ceremony. For when you know exactly what you want and just need it queued.
Announce: "I'll add that task to the plan."
Step 1: Read Current Plan State
Read .maximus/plan.json.
Three possible states:
A) File doesn't exist OR tasks array is empty:
Skip to Step 3. Mode = create. New task gets id: 1, phase: 1.
B) Plan exists with at least one passes: false task:
Skip to Step 3. Mode = extend. Only extending is allowed — there's unfinished work in the plan.
C) Plan exists and ALL tasks have passes: true:
Use the AskUserQuestion tool with exactly this configuration:
question: "All existing tasks are complete. What would you like to do?"
header: "Plan mode"
options:
- label: "Extend"
description: "Append the new task after the existing completed tasks"
- label: "Replace"
description: "Start fresh — remove completed tasks and begin a new plan with just this task"
Set mode based on their answer.
Step 2: Determine Next ID and Phase
Extend mode:
id = max existing task ID + 1phase = last task's phase number (new task joins the last phase)
Replace mode:
Create mode:
Step 3: Build the Task Object
Use the user's description (from $ARGUMENTS or the conversation) to fill in the fields.
Infer complexity:
simple — single file, <100 LOC change, clear pattern to followmedium — 2–5 files, moderate logic (DEFAULT when unsure)complex — >5 files, architectural changes, external APIs
Infer category from the work type:
feature, bugfix, refactor, ui, config, api, testing, documentation
Infer skills array:
Check .claude/skills/ to see what skills exist in this project. Then apply these heuristics:
- UI / visual / component work →
"frontend-design:frontend-design"
- New feature needing tests →
"superpowers:tdd" or "superpowers:test-driven-development"
- Debugging or root cause analysis →
"superpowers:systematic-debugging"
- If the user's description explicitly mentions a skill → add it to
skills array
CRITICAL: If the description says "invoke the X skill" or "use the X skill", you MUST put it in the skills array — do NOT just mention it in the description text. The engine only guarantees skill invocation via the skills array field, not via description text. Format: "skill-directory:skill-name" (e.g. ["frontend-design:frontend-design"]).
If no skill clearly applies, omit the skills field entirely.
Write description as 2–3 sentences specific enough for a zero-context agent. Include:
- What file(s) to touch
- What the current state is (if relevant)
- What the expected end state is
Write acceptance_criteria — 4 to 7 items, each specific and verifiable. Reference exact file paths and expected outputs. Never use vague language like "works correctly."
Write testing_steps — at least 1 runnable shell command. Scope tsc checks to touched files only:
npx tsc --noEmit 2>&1 | grep -E "FileA|FileB" | grep -v node_modules
Step 4: Validate (Silent)
Run these checks internally. Only surface failures to the user:
If any check fails, tell the user what's wrong and ask them to clarify before writing.
Step 5: Show and Confirm
Show the task object as formatted JSON and ask:
"Does this look right? I'll write it to plan.json."
If the user requests changes, apply them and re-validate before writing.
Step 6: Write
Extend / Create mode: Read the existing plan (or start with {"version":"1.0.0","tasks":[]}) and append the new task to the tasks array. Write back.
Replace mode: Write a fresh plan with only the new task.
Verify by re-reading and confirming the task appears correctly.
Output:
✅ Task #N added to .maximus/plan.json
Next steps:
git add .maximus/plan.json && git commit -m "maximus: add task - <feature name>"
maximus run
