feature-to-plan

name	feature-to-plan
description	Use when the user asks to turn a feature request, idea, PRD draft, or backlog issue into a structured EARS-format spec. Trigger phrases include "draft a spec", "plan a feature", "scaffold a spec", "write a feature spec", "convert this issue to a spec", "plan this issue", or invocation via /feature-to-plan. Do NOT use for reviewing an existing spec PR (use triaging-pr-reviews) or for editing a specific section of an already-drafted spec (use a direct Edit instead).
argument-hint	GitHub issue number (e.g., #47), a feature name, or empty for interactive drafting
allowed-tools	Read, Grep, Glob, Write, Edit, Bash

Feature to Plan

Overview

Convert a feature request — either freeform or seeded from a GitHub issue — into an EARS-format spec under the repo's specs directory (default .github/specs/).

Phase 1: Orient   (read-only planning — read context, identify ambiguities, draft outline)
        ↓
   Approval Gate  (present the planned spec outline and wait for approval)
        ↓
Phase 2: Create   (write the spec file, optionally post clarifying comments)
        ↓
Phase 3: Validate (diff → classify findings → fix loop, ≤3 rounds)

Two on-demand references back this skill:

• references/spec-format.md — EARS patterns, persona template, value assessment, the full Spec File Structure, task design guidelines, and Mermaid diagram requirements. Load when drafting Phase 2 output.
• references/interactive-flow.md — a six-step collaborative conversation flow (greet → context → criteria → clarify → outline → write). Load when the user wants multi-turn drafting or Phase 1 surfaces more than ~3 substantive ambiguities.

When to Use

• User asks to "draft / plan / scaffold / write" a spec for a feature
• User references a GitHub issue and wants it turned into a spec
• User invokes /feature-to-plan (with or without an argument)
• User wants to convert a freeform idea into a structured spec

Do NOT use when:

• The task is reviewing an existing spec PR — use triaging-pr-reviews instead
• The user wants to edit a specific section of an existing spec — make the targeted Edit directly
• The user is asking implementation questions about an already-written spec — answer from the spec content; don't re-draft

Prerequisites

• Read access to the current repository
• gh CLI authenticated (gh auth status) only if seeding from a GitHub issue or posting clarifying comments
• Whatever lint/format/test commands the repo defines (used in Phase 3's final check)

Procedure

Note on the invocation argument. Below, "the argument" refers to whatever string was passed to this skill — for example, the value of $ARGUMENTS when invoked via a slash command, the argument supplied through your agent's skill-invocation surface, or the inline argument in a user prompt like "use feature-to-plan on #47". The skill behavior keys off three cases: an issue reference (#N or ^\d+$), a freeform feature name, or empty.

Phase 1 — Orient (READ-ONLY PLANNING)

Work in a read-only planning phase first. If the runtime provides a dedicated plan mode, use it; otherwise avoid file writes until the Approval Gate is complete.

1. Discover product and engineering context. Read whatever conventional files the repo provides — for example AGENTS.md, README.md, CLAUDE.md, .github/copilot-instructions.md, CONTRIBUTING.md, anything under .github/instructions/, or product docs under docs/. Don't assume any specific file exists; use what's there.

2. Seed Context & Goal. Based on the argument:

   • Issue reference (#N or matches ^\d+$): fetch the issue and treat its Context & Goal and Acceptance Criteria sections (if present) as the starting point. Note any cross-reference IDs in the issue footer.

     gh issue view <N> --json title,body,labels,comments
     

   • Freeform feature name or empty: the user must provide Context & Goal. Ask once, concisely.

3. Choose drafting mode. Decide between single-shot and interactive based on these signals:

   • Switch to interactive if (a) the user explicitly asked for a multi-turn walkthrough ("walk me through", "let's draft this together"), or (b) Context & Goal is too thin to outline without back-and-forth, or (c) you anticipate more than ~3 substantive ambiguities.
   • Otherwise proceed single-shot through steps 4-5 below.

   To run interactive mode: load references/interactive-flow.md and follow its six-step flow until the outline is ready for the gate. The interactive flow owns the conversation; this skill resumes at the Approval Gate once the outline is approved. Skip steps 4-5 below in this mode.

4. List ambiguities (single-shot mode). For each one, decide:

   • Resolvable with a reasonable assumption → record the assumption in the draft's "Open Questions" section
   • Requires user input → add to a clarifying-questions list to surface at the gate

5. Draft the spec outline (single-shot mode) for approval. Include:

   • Exact target file path (default .github/specs/<kebab-case-feature>.spec.md; honor any override the user requested)
   • Section list (Problem Statement, Personas, Value Assessment, User Stories, Design, Tasks, Out of Scope, Future Considerations)
   • One-line persona summary and value-type summary
   • Estimated task count
   • Clarifying-question text to optionally post on the source issue

Approval Gate

Present the outline through the agent's approval mechanism. In runtimes with ExitPlanMode, call it; otherwise ask for explicit approval in the conversation. Present:

• The target file path
• The section list (headers only)
• The persona/value summary
• The task count
• Any clarifying-question text, with an explicit yes/no prompt: "Should I also post these as a comment on issue #N?"

Wait for user approval before continuing.

Phase 2 — Create (POST-APPROVAL)

1. Load the spec format reference. Read references/spec-format.md for the authoritative template, EARS patterns, persona table, value assessment block, task structure, and diagram requirements.

2. Resolve the output path. Default .github/specs/<kebab-case-feature>.spec.md. If the repo uses a different convention (e.g., docs/specs/, specs/), honor it.

3. Write the spec using the Spec File Structure template. The following section identities are required — keep the same set of sections in this order. Cosmetic title variation is allowed only when the target repo has an established convention (e.g., ## Stakeholders instead of ## Personas, or ## Acceptance instead of ## Acceptance Criteria). If you customize a title, keep the role of the section identical to what's described below; never drop a section.

   • # Feature: <name>
   • ## Problem Statement (2-3 sentences — problem, not solution)
   • ## Personas (table with Impact column)
   • ## Value Assessment (Primary / Secondary value types)
   • ## User Stories (each with EARS acceptance criteria)
   • ## Design (Components Affected, Dependencies, Data Model Changes, Diagrams, Open Questions)
   • ## Tasks (each with Objective, Context, Affected files, Requirements, Verification, Done when)
   • ## Out of Scope
   • ## Future Considerations

4. Include Mermaid diagrams. At minimum a data-flow diagram (flowchart TB or flowchart LR) and a sequence diagram (sequenceDiagram). Use state, ER, or class diagrams when the feature warrants them.

5. Mark every checkbox [ ] (not [x]). Tasks, Verification, and Done-when lists are unchecked at draft time. Only the implementer marks them [x] as they ship.

6. Add a Cross-Reference footer if seeded from an issue:

   ---
   
   ## Cross-Reference
   
   - GitHub Issue: #<N>
   - <Any tracker ID or external link surfaced in Phase 1>
   

7. Optionally post clarifying questions on the source issue (only if the user opted in at the gate):

   gh issue comment <N> --body "Clarifying questions before drafting the spec: ..."
   

Phase 3 — Validate

1. Generate the diff:

   git diff -- <path/to/new-spec>
   

2. Classify each finding. Apply the classification rubric inline:

   • Security — Does the spec leak credentials, prescribe unsafe defaults, or invite injection patterns?
   • Correctness — Are EARS criteria testable? Do tasks have measurable verification?
   • Performance — Does the design imply hot paths, N+1 patterns, or unbounded loops?
   • Style — Headings, link formats, file conventions consistent with the repo
   • Architecture — Does the design contradict existing engineering guidance you read in Phase 1?

3. Re-Edit the spec to resolve each finding. Keep this lightweight — don't rewrite working content.

4. Iterate up to 3 rounds. Exit when no high/medium severity findings remain or after the third round, whichever comes first.

5. Run the repo's own validation gate before reporting completion. Use whatever the repo defines — for example make lint, npm run lint, bun run format:check && bun run lint, cargo fmt --check, or a CI workflow. Markdown-only changes typically don't affect test/build, but running the gate keeps you honest.

Delegation Rules

Situation	Hand off to
User says "walk me through" / "let's draft this together" / wants multi-turn collaboration	Load references/interactive-flow.md
Phase 1 surfaces > 3 substantive ambiguities	Load references/interactive-flow.md
Spec already lives in an open PR and the user wants review	triaging-pr-reviews skill with the PR number — this skill should not be used at all

Output Contract

• File path: .github/specs/<kebab-case-feature>.spec.md by default, or the user's specified location
• Required sections: all sections in the Spec File Structure template (see references/spec-format.md)
• EARS: every acceptance criterion uses one of the six EARS patterns (Ubiquitous, Event-driven, State-driven, Optional, Unwanted, Complex)
• Diagrams: at least one Mermaid data-flow diagram and one sequence diagram
• Tasks: each has Objective, Context, Affected files, Requirements, Verification, Done when — checkboxes start unchecked
• Cross-Reference footer: present if seeded from a GitHub issue

Gotchas

• Historical specs use varying extensions (*.md, *.spec.md, *.prd.md). Match whatever the target repo already uses; don't rename existing files.
• Nested planning states behave unexpectedly. If the runtime uses a dedicated plan mode and the skill is invoked while already planning, calling ExitPlanMode may exit the outer plan. Make this clear in the gate prompt.
• Spec output path is not universal. Default to .github/specs/ but respect any existing convention you find (e.g., docs/specs/, specs/, rfcs/).