| name | file-placement |
| version | 2026.07.27@6dc7d1d |
| user-invocable | false |
| description | Determines where to place files based on their purpose. Auto-consulted when Claude needs to create a new file and is deciding between .claude-work/ subdirectories or docs/. |
File Placement
When creating a new file, use this decision tree to determine the correct location.
Decision Tree
| Question | Destination | Skill |
|---|
| Is it a question needing user input? | .claude-work/questions/ | /question |
| Is it a commit message draft? | .claude-work/commit-msgs/ | /commit-msg |
| Is it a quick note, finding, or result? | .claude-work/notes/ | /note |
| Is it a temporary working document with formal step tracking? | .claude-work/scratchpads/ | /scratchpad |
| Is it a note during issue work? | .claude-work/issues/<ID>/breadcrumb.md | /breadcrumb |
| Is it permanent documentation? | docs/ or package README | N/A |
How to Use
Composite skills default to /note. /start-issue, /start-side-quest, and /tackle-pr-comment all create a /note by default and only fall back to /scratchpad when the user explicitly opts in (--scratchpad flag or equivalent natural-language trigger). The opt-in path is reserved for workflows that want /tackle-scratchpad-block to drive execution against a JSON step block; otherwise, the LLM self-organizes in-session.
Evaluate from top to bottom. The first matching row determines the destination.
Each skill owns its own file format, naming conventions, and auto-numbering. Consult the referenced skill for specifics. For the numbered working-file skills: /scratchpad, /question, and /commit-msg. Directory organization (flat vs issue-scoped subdirectories) is handled by ~/.claude/skills/issue-context/target-path.sh, which those skills call internally. /note uses timestamp-based filenames and detects branch context on its own; /breadcrumb writes a single file per issue directly. All ephemeral working files live under .claude-work/.
Ephemeral Path Rule
.claude-work/ paths must never appear in commits, PRs, GitHub issues, or any output visible on GitHub. These files are local-only working documents that don't exist in the repository. Referencing them creates broken, meaningless links.
What Does NOT Go in These Directories
- Source code → appropriate
src/ directory
- Test files → co-located
__tests__/ directory
- Configuration → project root or config directory
- Dependencies → managed by package manager