review

name	review
preamble-tier	1
version	0.1.0
description	Canonical Nexus review command. Persists the required current audit set and structured review completion state for the governed Nexus lifecycle. Use when the user says "review the change", "audit this build", "dual-review before ship", or when a `/build` result needs governed verdict before it can advance to `/qa` or `/ship`. (nexus)
allowed-tools	["Bash","Read","AskUserQuestion"]

Preamble (run first)

_UPD=$(~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-update-check 2>/dev/null || .claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-update-check 2>/dev/null || true)
[ -n "$_UPD" ] && echo "$_UPD" || true
mkdir -p ~/.nexus/sessions
touch ~/.nexus/sessions/"$PPID"
_SESSIONS=$(find ~/.nexus/sessions -mmin -120 -type f 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
find ~/.nexus/sessions -mmin +120 -type f -exec rm {} + 2>/dev/null || true
_CONTRIB=$(~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config get nexus_contributor 2>/dev/null || true)
_PROACTIVE=$(~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config get proactive 2>/dev/null || echo "true")
_PROACTIVE_PROMPTED=$([ -f ~/.nexus/.proactive-prompted ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
_BRANCH=$(git branch --show-current 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")
echo "BRANCH: $_BRANCH"
_SKILL_PREFIX=$(~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config get skill_prefix 2>/dev/null || echo "false")
echo "PROACTIVE: $_PROACTIVE"
echo "PROACTIVE_PROMPTED: $_PROACTIVE_PROMPTED"
echo "SKILL_PREFIX: $_SKILL_PREFIX"
_MODE_CONFIGURED=$(~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config get execution_mode 2>/dev/null || true)
_PRIMARY_PROVIDER_CONFIG=$(~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config get primary_provider 2>/dev/null || true)
_TOPOLOGY_CONFIG=$(~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config get provider_topology 2>/dev/null || true)
if command -v ask >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  _CCB_AVAILABLE="yes"
else
  _CCB_AVAILABLE="no"
fi
if [ -n "$_MODE_CONFIGURED" ]; then
  _EXECUTION_MODE="$_MODE_CONFIGURED"
  _EXECUTION_MODE_CONFIGURED="yes"
else
  _EXECUTION_MODE_CONFIGURED="no"
  if [ "$_CCB_AVAILABLE" = "yes" ]; then
    _EXECUTION_MODE="governed_ccb"
  else
    _EXECUTION_MODE="local_provider"
  fi
fi
if [ "$_EXECUTION_MODE" = "governed_ccb" ]; then
  _PRIMARY_PROVIDER="codex"
  _PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY="multi_session"
else
  if [ -n "$_PRIMARY_PROVIDER_CONFIG" ]; then
    _PRIMARY_PROVIDER="$_PRIMARY_PROVIDER_CONFIG"
  elif command -v claude >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    _PRIMARY_PROVIDER="claude"
  elif command -v codex >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    _PRIMARY_PROVIDER="codex"
  elif command -v gemini >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    _PRIMARY_PROVIDER="gemini"
  else
    _PRIMARY_PROVIDER="claude"
  fi
  if [ -n "$_TOPOLOGY_CONFIG" ]; then
    _PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY="$_TOPOLOGY_CONFIG"
  else
    _PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY="single_agent"
  fi
fi
_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION=$(~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config effective-execution 2>/dev/null || true)
if [ -n "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" ]; then
  _EXECUTION_MODE=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^execution_mode:/{print $2; exit}')
  _EXECUTION_MODE_CONFIGURED=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^execution_mode_configured:/{print $2; exit}')
  _PRIMARY_PROVIDER=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^effective_primary_provider:/{print $2; exit}')
  _PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^effective_provider_topology:/{print $2; exit}')
  _EXECUTION_MODE_SOURCE=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^execution_mode_source:/{print $2; exit}')
  _EXECUTION_PATH=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^effective_requested_execution_path:/{print $2; exit}')
  _CURRENT_SESSION_READY=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^current_session_ready:/{print $2; exit}')
  _REQUIRED_GOVERNED_PROVIDERS=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^required_governed_providers:/{print $2; exit}')
  _GOVERNED_READY=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^governed_ready:/{print $2; exit}')
  _MOUNTED_PROVIDERS=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^mounted_providers:/{print $2; exit}')
  _MISSING_PROVIDERS=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^missing_providers:/{print $2; exit}')
  _LOCAL_PROVIDER_CANDIDATE=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^local_provider_candidate:/{print $2; exit}')
  _LOCAL_PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^local_provider_topology:/{print $2; exit}')
  _LOCAL_PROVIDER_EXECUTION_PATH=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^local_provider_requested_execution_path:/{print $2; exit}')
  _LOCAL_PROVIDER_READY=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^local_provider_ready:/{print $2; exit}')
  _LOCAL_CLAUDE_AGENT_TEAM_READY=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^local_claude_agent_team_ready:/{print $2; exit}')
  _LOCAL_CLAUDE_AGENT_TEAM_REASON=$(printf '%s
' "$_EFFECTIVE_EXECUTION" | awk -F': ' '/^local_claude_agent_team_readiness_reason:/{print $2; exit}')
else
  _EXECUTION_MODE_SOURCE=""
  _EXECUTION_PATH=""
  _CURRENT_SESSION_READY="unknown"
  _REQUIRED_GOVERNED_PROVIDERS=""
  _GOVERNED_READY=""
  _MOUNTED_PROVIDERS=""
  _MISSING_PROVIDERS=""
  _LOCAL_PROVIDER_CANDIDATE=""
  _LOCAL_PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY=""
  _LOCAL_PROVIDER_EXECUTION_PATH=""
  _LOCAL_PROVIDER_READY=""
  _LOCAL_CLAUDE_AGENT_TEAM_READY=""
  _LOCAL_CLAUDE_AGENT_TEAM_REASON=""
fi
echo "CCB_AVAILABLE: $_CCB_AVAILABLE"
echo "EXECUTION_MODE: $_EXECUTION_MODE"
echo "EXECUTION_MODE_CONFIGURED: $_EXECUTION_MODE_CONFIGURED"
echo "EXECUTION_MODE_SOURCE: $_EXECUTION_MODE_SOURCE"
echo "PRIMARY_PROVIDER: $_PRIMARY_PROVIDER"
echo "PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY: $_PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY"
echo "EXECUTION_PATH: $_EXECUTION_PATH"
echo "CURRENT_SESSION_READY: $_CURRENT_SESSION_READY"
echo "REQUIRED_GOVERNED_PROVIDERS: $_REQUIRED_GOVERNED_PROVIDERS"
echo "GOVERNED_READY: $_GOVERNED_READY"
echo "MOUNTED_PROVIDERS: $_MOUNTED_PROVIDERS"
echo "MISSING_PROVIDERS: $_MISSING_PROVIDERS"
echo "LOCAL_PROVIDER_CANDIDATE: $_LOCAL_PROVIDER_CANDIDATE"
echo "LOCAL_PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY: $_LOCAL_PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY"
echo "LOCAL_PROVIDER_EXECUTION_PATH: $_LOCAL_PROVIDER_EXECUTION_PATH"
echo "LOCAL_PROVIDER_READY: $_LOCAL_PROVIDER_READY"
echo "LOCAL_CLAUDE_AGENT_TEAM_READY: $_LOCAL_CLAUDE_AGENT_TEAM_READY"
echo "LOCAL_CLAUDE_AGENT_TEAM_REASON: $_LOCAL_CLAUDE_AGENT_TEAM_REASON"
source <(~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-repo-mode 2>/dev/null) || true
REPO_MODE=${REPO_MODE:-unknown}
echo "REPO_MODE: $REPO_MODE"
_LAKE_SEEN=$([ -f ~/.nexus/.completeness-intro-seen ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
echo "LAKE_INTRO: $_LAKE_SEEN"
# Learnings count
eval "$(~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-slug 2>/dev/null)" 2>/dev/null || true
_LEARN_FILE="$HOME/.nexus/projects/${SLUG:-unknown}/learnings.jsonl"
if [ -f "$_LEARN_FILE" ]; then
  _LEARN_COUNT=$(wc -l < "$_LEARN_FILE" 2>/dev/null | tr -d ' ')
  echo "LEARNINGS: $_LEARN_COUNT entries loaded"
else
  echo "LEARNINGS: 0"
fi
# Check if CLAUDE.md already has Nexus routing guidance or an equivalent routing rule
_HAS_ROUTING="no"
if [ -f CLAUDE.md ]; then
  if grep -q "## Nexus Skill Routing" CLAUDE.md 2>/dev/null; then
    _HAS_ROUTING="yes"
  elif grep -Eiq 'route lifecycle work through .*?/discover.*?/closeout' CLAUDE.md 2>/dev/null; then
    _HAS_ROUTING="yes"
  elif grep -Fq "When the user's request matches a canonical Nexus command, invoke that command first." CLAUDE.md 2>/dev/null; then
    _HAS_ROUTING="yes"
  fi
fi
_ROUTING_DECLINED=$(~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config get routing_declined 2>/dev/null || echo "false")
echo "HAS_ROUTING: $_HAS_ROUTING"
echo "ROUTING_DECLINED: $_ROUTING_DECLINED"

If PROACTIVE is "false", do not proactively suggest Nexus commands AND do not auto-invoke skills based on conversation context. Only run skills the user explicitly types (e.g., /qa, /ship). If you would have auto-invoked a skill, instead briefly say: "I think /skillname might help here — want me to run it?" and wait for confirmation. The user opted out of proactive behavior.

If SKILL_PREFIX is "true", the user has namespaced Nexus commands. When suggesting or invoking other Nexus commands, use the /nexus- prefix (e.g., /nexus-qa instead of /qa, /nexus-ship instead of /ship). Disk paths are unaffected — always use ~/.claude/skills/nexus/[skill-name]/SKILL.md for reading skill files.

If output shows UPGRADE_AVAILABLE <old> <new>: read ~/.claude/skills/nexus/nexus-upgrade/SKILL.md and follow the release-based "Inline upgrade flow" (auto-upgrade if configured, otherwise AskUserQuestion with 4 options, write snooze state if declined). /nexus-upgrade now upgrades from published Nexus releases on the configured release channel, not from upstream repo head. If JUST_UPGRADED <from> <to>: tell user "Running Nexus v{to} (just updated!)" and continue.

If JUST_UPGRADED <from> <to> is present, always include the standardized runtime summary before moving on to work, even when EXECUTION_MODE_CONFIGURED is yes.

When summarizing setup or upgrade state, always keep REPO_MODE and EXECUTION_MODE separate:

• REPO_MODE is repo ownership only, for example solo or collaborative
• EXECUTION_MODE is runtime routing only, either governed_ccb or local_provider
• Never describe solo or collaborative as an execution mode
• If EXECUTION_MODE_CONFIGURED is no, say it is the current default derived from machine state, not a saved preference
• EXECUTION_MODE_SOURCE explains whether the active route came from a saved preference or a machine-state default
• EXECUTION_PATH is the current effective route, for example codex-via-ccb
• CURRENT_SESSION_READY tells you whether the chosen route is runnable right now in this host/session
• REQUIRED_GOVERNED_PROVIDERS is the governed provider set Nexus needs for the standard dual-audit path
• when EXECUTION_MODE=governed_ccb, also surface GOVERNED_READY, MOUNTED_PROVIDERS, and MISSING_PROVIDERS
• LOCAL_PROVIDER_CANDIDATE, LOCAL_PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY, LOCAL_PROVIDER_EXECUTION_PATH, and LOCAL_PROVIDER_READY describe the current-host local fallback path

Whenever you summarize setup, upgrade, or first-run state, present runtime status in this order:

• Repo mode: REPO_MODE
• Execution mode: EXECUTION_MODE plus whether it is a saved preference or a machine-state default (EXECUTION_MODE_SOURCE)
• Execution path: EXECUTION_PATH
• Current session ready: CURRENT_SESSION_READY
• If EXECUTION_MODE=governed_ccb: governed ready, mounted providers, missing providers
• If EXECUTION_MODE=local_provider because governed CCB is not ready, explicitly say whether that is because CCB is missing or because mounted providers are incomplete, and include the local fallback path
• Branch: _BRANCH
• Proactive: PROACTIVE

When EXECUTION_MODE=governed_ccb and CURRENT_SESSION_READY is no, explicitly tell the user whether the gap is:

• CCB not installed (CCB_AVAILABLE=no), or
• CCB installed but required providers are not mounted (MISSING_PROVIDERS is non-empty)

If EXECUTION_MODE=governed_ccb and CURRENT_SESSION_READY is no and LOCAL_PROVIDER_READY is yes, use AskUserQuestion before moving into lifecycle work:

Nexus is currently configured for governed CCB, but this session cannot run that route. The local provider path is ready, so you can either switch this host to local_provider or keep the governed CCB preference and mount the missing providers.

RECOMMENDATION: Choose A if you want to work now in this host. Choose B only if you intend to mount CCB providers before continuing. A) Switch this host to local_provider (human: ~0m / CC: ~0m) — Completeness: 8/10 B) Keep governed_ccb and mount the missing CCB providers (human: ~2m / CC: ~0m) — Completeness: 9/10

If A:

~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set execution_mode local_provider
if [ -n "$_LOCAL_PROVIDER_CANDIDATE" ]; then
  ~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set primary_provider "$_LOCAL_PROVIDER_CANDIDATE"
fi
if [ -n "$_LOCAL_PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY" ]; then
  ~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set provider_topology "$_LOCAL_PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY"
fi

Then explain that future Nexus runs on this host will use local_provider until the user changes the saved preference.

If B: do not change Nexus config. Tell the user to mount the missing providers before running governed commands. If CCB is installed but providers are missing, say the standard start path is tmux with ccb codex gemini claude. If CCB is not installed, say they need to install or restore CCB first.

If JUST_UPGRADED <from> <to> is present and EXECUTION_MODE_CONFIGURED is no, state the effective execution mode explicitly using EXECUTION_MODE, EXECUTION_MODE_SOURCE, and CCB_AVAILABLE. Use ~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config effective-execution when you need the effective provider, topology, or requested execution path. When EXECUTION_MODE=governed_ccb, do not ask the user to configure PRIMARY_PROVIDER or PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY. Those are local-provider host preferences, not governed CCB config keys.

If JUST_UPGRADED <from> <to> is present and EXECUTION_MODE_CONFIGURED is no and GOVERNED_READY is yes, use AskUserQuestion to persist the execution preference:

Nexus just upgraded, but this machine still has no saved execution-mode preference. Repo mode only tells you whether the repo is solo or collaborative. Execution mode tells Nexus whether to stay in this Claude session or move to the governed CCB path.

RECOMMENDATION: Choose B if you want the standard governed Nexus path, because CCB is already installed. Completeness: 9/10. A) Stay in the current Claude session with local_provider (human: ~0m / CC: ~0m) — Completeness: 8/10 B) Persist governed_ccb and use mounted CCB providers (human: ~1m / CC: ~0m) — Completeness: 9/10

If A:

~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set execution_mode local_provider
~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set primary_provider claude

Then explain that the current session can continue with local_provider, and if PROVIDER_TOPOLOGY is empty the default local topology is single_agent.

If B:

~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set execution_mode governed_ccb

Then explain that governed_ccb requires active CCB providers for this repo, and that the standard way to start them is tmux with ccb codex gemini claude if they are not already mounted.

If JUST_UPGRADED <from> <to> is present and EXECUTION_MODE_CONFIGURED is no and GOVERNED_READY is no, tell the user Nexus is defaulting to local_provider for this host/session. If CCB_AVAILABLE is no, say that CCB is not detected. If CCB_AVAILABLE is yes, say which providers are mounted and which are still missing. In both cases, state the effective local provider/topology/path and tell them they can run ./setup later if they want Nexus to help persist a different execution preference.

If LAKE_INTRO is no: Before continuing, introduce the Nexus Completeness Principle. Tell the user: "Nexus follows the Completeness Principle — when the bounded, correct implementation costs only a little more than the shortcut, prefer finishing the real job."

Then run:

touch ~/.nexus/.completeness-intro-seen

This only happens once.

If PROACTIVE_PROMPTED is no AND LAKE_INTRO is yes: After the lake intro is handled, ask the user about proactive behavior. Use AskUserQuestion:

Nexus can proactively figure out when you might need a skill while you work — like suggesting /qa when you say "does this work?" or /investigate when you hit a bug. We recommend keeping this on — it speeds up every part of your workflow.

Options:

• A) Keep it on (recommended)
• B) Turn it off — I'll type /commands myself

If A: run ~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set proactive true If B: run ~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set proactive false

Always run:

touch ~/.nexus/.proactive-prompted

This only happens once. If PROACTIVE_PROMPTED is yes, skip this entirely.

If HAS_ROUTING is no AND ROUTING_DECLINED is false AND PROACTIVE_PROMPTED is yes: Check if a CLAUDE.md file exists in the project root. If it does not exist, create it. Before prompting, treat either the standard ## Nexus Skill Routing section or any existing instruction that routes lifecycle work through /discover to /closeout as equivalent Nexus routing guidance. If equivalent guidance already exists, skip this entirely.

Use AskUserQuestion:

Nexus works best when your project's CLAUDE.md includes canonical Nexus command routing guidance. This helps Claude invoke /discover through /closeout consistently without turning CLAUDE.md into a second contract layer.

Options:

• A) Add Nexus invocation guidance to CLAUDE.md (recommended)
• B) No thanks, I'll invoke Nexus commands manually

If A: Append this section to the end of CLAUDE.md only when the file does not already contain equivalent Nexus routing guidance:

## Nexus Skill Routing

When the user's request matches a canonical Nexus command, invoke that command first.
This guidance helps command discovery only.
Contracts, transitions, governed artifacts, and lifecycle truth are owned by `lib/nexus/`
and canonical `.planning/` artifacts.

Key routing rules:
- Product ideas, "is this worth building", brainstorming → invoke discover
- Scope definition, requirements framing, non-goals → invoke frame
- Architecture review, execution readiness, implementation planning → invoke plan
- Governed routing and handoff packaging → invoke handoff
- Bounded implementation execution → invoke build
- Code review, check my diff → invoke review
- QA, test the site, find bugs → invoke qa
- Ship, deploy, push, create PR → invoke ship
- Final governed verification and closure → invoke closeout

Do not auto-commit the file. After updating CLAUDE.md, tell the user the routing guidance was added and can be committed with their next repo change.

If B: run ~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set routing_declined true Say "No problem. You can add routing guidance later by running nexus-config set routing_declined false and re-running any Nexus skill."

This only happens once per project. If HAS_ROUTING is yes or ROUTING_DECLINED is true, skip this entirely.

Voice

Tone: direct, concrete, sharp, never corporate, never academic. Sound like a builder, not a consultant. Name the file, the function, the command. No filler, no throat-clearing.

Writing rules: No em dashes (use commas, periods, "..."). No AI vocabulary (delve, crucial, robust, comprehensive, nuanced, etc.). Short paragraphs. End with what to do.

The user always has context you don't. Cross-model agreement is a recommendation, not a decision — the user decides.

Stage-Aware Local Topology Chooser

If EXECUTION_MODE=local_provider and PRIMARY_PROVIDER=claude, ask the user which local execution topology to use before starting /review.

RECOMMENDATION: Choose C when available because review benefits from independent code / security / test / performance / design perspectives challenging each other. Completeness: 10/10.

Use AskUserQuestion with these options:

• A) single_agent — One Claude session. Lowest coordination overhead and safest for sequential work.
• B) subagents — Focused local Claude subagents. Good for quick parallel checks whose results return to the lead.
• C) agent_team — Claude Code Agent Teams. Best when teammates should coordinate, challenge each other, or work from independent perspectives.

If LOCAL_CLAUDE_AGENT_TEAM_READY is not yes, still show option C but mark it unavailable and include LOCAL_CLAUDE_AGENT_TEAM_REASON. Do not set agent_team unless the user explicitly chooses to configure Claude Code first.

Stage-specific guidance:

• /review: agent_team maps naturally to code / security / test / performance / design reviewers.
• /investigate: agent_team maps naturally to competing root-cause hypotheses.
• /frame and /plan: agent_team maps naturally to CEO / engineering / design / risk perspectives.
• /build: prefer single_agent for same-file edits or tightly coupled implementation; only choose team modes when file ownership can be split.
• /ship: subagents or agent_team can cover release / QA / security / docs-deploy gates.

If the user chooses A:

~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set provider_topology single_agent

If the user chooses B:

~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set provider_topology subagents

If the user chooses C and LOCAL_CLAUDE_AGENT_TEAM_READY=yes:

~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-config set provider_topology agent_team

After setting the topology, continue with the canonical Nexus command.

Contributor Mode

If _CONTRIB is true: you are in contributor mode. At the end of each major workflow step, rate your Nexus experience 0-10. If not a 10 and there's an actionable bug or improvement — file a field report.

File only: Nexus tooling bugs where the input was reasonable but Nexus failed. Skip: user app bugs, network errors, auth failures on user's site.

To file: write ~/.nexus/contributor-logs/{slug}.md:

# {Title}
**What I tried:** {action} | **What happened:** {result} | **Rating:** {0-10}
## Repro
1. {step}
## What would make this a 10
{one sentence}
**Date:** {YYYY-MM-DD} | **Version:** {version} | **Skill:** /{skill}

Slug: lowercase hyphens, max 60 chars. Skip if exists. Max 3/session. File inline, don't stop.

Completion Status Protocol

When completing a skill workflow, report status using one of:

• DONE — All steps completed successfully. Evidence provided for each claim.
• DONE_WITH_CONCERNS — Completed, but with issues the user should know about. List each concern.
• BLOCKED — Cannot proceed. State what is blocking and what was tried.
• NEEDS_CONTEXT — Missing information required to continue. State exactly what you need.

Escalation

It is always OK to stop and say "this is too hard for me" or "I'm not confident in this result."

Bad work is worse than no work. You will not be penalized for escalating.

• If you have attempted a task 3 times without success, STOP and escalate.
• If you are uncertain about a security-sensitive change, STOP and escalate.
• If the scope of work exceeds what you can verify, STOP and escalate.

Escalation format:

STATUS: BLOCKED | NEEDS_CONTEXT
REASON: [1-2 sentences]
ATTEMPTED: [what you tried]
RECOMMENDATION: [what the user should do next]

Plan Mode Safe Operations

When in plan mode, these operations are always allowed because they produce artifacts that inform the plan, not code changes:

• $B commands (browse: screenshots, page inspection, navigation, snapshots)
• $D commands (design: generate mockups, variants, comparison boards, iterate)
• codex exec / codex review only when the active provider route allows Codex or the user explicitly asks for Codex; in local_provider with a non-Codex primary, use the host/local subagent path instead
• Writing to ~/.nexus/ (config, review artifacts, design artifacts, learnings, eureka notes)
• Writing to the plan file (already allowed by plan mode)
• open commands for viewing generated artifacts (comparison boards, HTML previews)

These are read-only in spirit — they inspect the live site, generate visual artifacts, or get independent opinions. They do NOT modify project source files.

Plan Status Footer

When you are in plan mode and about to call ExitPlanMode:

1. Check if the plan file already has a ## NEXUS REVIEW REPORT section.
2. If it DOES — skip (a review skill already wrote a richer report).
3. If it does NOT — run this command:

```bash ~/.claude/skills/nexus/bin/nexus-review-read ```

Then write a ## NEXUS REVIEW REPORT section to the end of the plan file:

• If the output contains review entries (JSONL lines before ---CONFIG---): format the standard report table with runs/status/findings per skill, same format as the review skills use.
• If the output is NO_REVIEWS or empty: write this placeholder table:

```markdown

NEXUS REVIEW REPORT

Review	Trigger	Why	Runs	Status	Findings
CEO Review	`/plan-ceo-review`	Scope & strategy	0	—	—
Codex Review	`/codex review`	Independent 2nd opinion	0	—	—
Eng Review	`/plan-eng-review`	Architecture & tests (required)	0	—	—
Design Review	`/plan-design-review`	UI/UX gaps	0	—	—

VERDICT: NO REVIEWS YET — run `/autoplan` for full review pipeline, or individual reviews above. ```

PLAN MODE EXCEPTION — ALWAYS RUN: This writes to the plan file, which is the one file you are allowed to edit in plan mode. The plan file review report is part of the plan's living status.

/review — Nexus Governed Review

Nexus-owned review guidance for governed dual-audit completion, synthesis, and explicit gate state.

Iron Laws (mandatory; non-negotiable)

These three rules apply to every /review invocation regardless of provider, topology, or run mode. They are short and absolute on purpose — discipline that lives in qualifiers does not survive contact with the LLM at decision time. /review is the gate /ship reads; ambiguity in the verdict propagates straight to a release decision.

Law 1 — Review Content Contract

A /review verdict — pass, pass_with_advisories, or fail — requires four artifacts visible in the advisor record at decision time:

1. Scope summary — what changed, in concrete terms (files touched, behavior modified). Not "the PR diff" as a substitute; a one-paragraph synthesis the reviewer wrote in this turn.
2. Fresh test evidence — the verification command for this change ran in the current message AND its output is attached. Stale CI runs from a previous turn are not evidence — they describe a different state of the tree.
3. Risk register — listed risks with severity (block, advisory, nit). An empty list is acceptable only when paired with a one-sentence justification. "Looks good" without enumeration is not a risk register.
4. Explicit gate verdict — one of pass | pass_with_advisories | fail, written into the advisor record in this turn. The runtime advisor reads what is attached, not what is remembered.

A review that omits any of the four is not a review; it is an opinion. Opinions don't open gates.

Law 2 — Two-Round Protocol For Block-Grade Advisories

When Pass 1 of /review produces ANY block-severity advisory, single-pass completion is forbidden:

1. The block-grade advisory is recorded in the advisor record.
2. /build is re-entered to address it (per /build Law 3 — prior advisories are address-or-dispute).
3. /review is re-entered for Pass 2. Pass 2 verifies the specific advisory has been closed AND no regression was introduced. Re-running the same audit set is the minimum; spot-checking the changed area is the recommended.
4. Only after Pass 2 completes clean may the gate verdict become pass or pass_with_advisories.

Pass 1 alone never produces pass when block-grade advisories exist. The advisor record carries the round number (pass_round: 1 or 2) and downstream /ship reads it.

Single-round review on block-grade findings is the most common path to "we shipped a regression that the review caught."

Law 3 — Reviewer Disagreement Protocol

When 2+ audit slots disagree on a finding (e.g., codex flags block, gemini flags nit, local_a is silent), the synthesis MUST enumerate the disagreement explicitly. Silent averaging is forbidden.

For every disagreed finding, the synthesis records:

• The conflicting verdicts — which slot said what
• The accepted verdict — which slot's call the synthesis is taking
• The rationale — why this slot is being trusted on this specific finding (e.g., "codex inspected the failure path the others didn't read"; "gemini misread the type signature")
• The pushed-back verdicts — which slot calls are being explicitly NOT followed, and why

When synthesis cannot choose without speculation, escalate via AskUserQuestion. Do not pick the majority and move on; do not pick the most cautious and move on. Either choice without rationale is silent averaging.

The reason: outside voices are signals, not votes. Two-out-of-three agreement on a wrong call is still a wrong call. The synthesis is responsible for the verdict, and the advisor record carries that responsibility.

How to run /review

These steps execute one /review run. Iron Laws constrain what must be true at decision time; this workflow defines what to do in what order. Both apply.

Step 1 — Read the build result

Open .planning/current/build/build-result.md and the most recent /build status.json. Confirm what changed, which acceptance criteria the implementer claimed satisfied, and which verification commands ran in the build turn. The Scope summary required by Law 1 #1 is written from this read — not paraphrased from the diff.

If .planning/current/plan/design-contract.md is present, read it too. Per the Artifact Contract, missing design-contract provenance on a material design-bearing run blocks /review instead of silently proceeding.

Step 2 — Dispatch the dual audit slots

Run two independent audits. The standard pairing is codex + gemini; the local pairing is local_a + local_b. Pass each slot:

• The diff against the base branch
• The acceptance criteria from /plan Law 1
• The fresh test evidence from Step 1

Two slots are the floor — Law 3 only triggers when 2+ slots disagree, so a single-slot review cannot satisfy the disagreement protocol.

Step 3 — Collect audit outputs

Wait for both slots to return. For each, capture:

• The findings list
• Each finding's severity (block, advisory, nit)
• The provenance signature (which audit slot, which model, what diff range)

If either slot returned silent or empty output, treat that as a slot failure — re-dispatch or note the gap explicitly. A silent slot is not "no findings"; it's missing evidence.

Step 4 — Synthesize per Law 1

Write the four required artifacts into the advisor record this turn:

1. Scope summary — one paragraph synthesizing what changed (per Law 1 #1).
2. Fresh test evidence — the verification command for this change ran in this message; output attached (per Law 1 #2). Stale CI runs from a previous turn don't count.
3. Risk register — every finding with severity, with one-sentence justification per item (per Law 1 #3). An empty register requires an explicit "no risks identified because..." note.
4. Explicit gate verdict — pass | pass_with_advisories | fail (per Law 1 #4).

A review that omits any of the four is an opinion, not a verdict.

Step 5 — If any finding is block-grade, route to Pass 2 protocol

Per Law 2, a Pass 1 verdict cannot become pass or pass_with_advisories while any block-severity advisory is open. Use AskUserQuestion:

"Pass 1 found block-grade advisories. Route to (a) /build --review-advisory-disposition fix_before_qa to address them, (b) /qa --review-advisory-disposition continue_to_qa to continue with advisories noted, or (c) /qa --review-advisory-disposition defer_to_follow_on to defer?"

These three dispositions are the governed advisory choices the Completion Advisor footer enumerates — the AskUserQuestion gate surfaces them at the Law 2 branching moment so the operator picks before status is written.

After /build addresses the advisory, re-enter /review for Pass 2. Pass 2 must verify the specific advisory closed AND no regression introduced. The advisor record's pass_round field tracks 1 or 2; /ship Law 1 reads it.

Step 6 — If audit slots disagree, apply the disagreement protocol

Per Law 3, when 2+ slots return conflicting verdicts on the same finding, the synthesis enumerates:

• Which slot said what
• Which slot's call is being accepted
• Why that slot is trusted on this specific finding
• Which slot calls are being explicitly NOT followed, and why

When the synthesis cannot choose without speculation, escalate via AskUserQuestion (Law 3 already gates this path). Do not silent-average and move on.

Step 7 — Write status with verdict and pass_round

Run the canonical command (in the Routing section below). It writes audits to .planning/audits/current/*, the gate verdict to .planning/current/review/status.json with pass_round: 1 or 2, and learning-candidates.json if any audit returned valid candidates. The advisor record carries the verdict; /ship, /qa, and /closeout read it.

Operator Checklist

• run dual audits through Nexus-owned review completion
• verify implementation and audit provenance consistency
• synthesize the audit set and record the gate decision

Artifact Contract

Writes .planning/audits/current/*, .planning/current/review/status.json, and optionally .planning/current/review/learning-candidates.json.

When .planning/current/plan/design-contract.md is present for a material design-bearing run, /review treats it as required provenance, passes it as a predecessor artifact, and limits visual findings to explicit contract violations. Missing design-contract provenance blocks review instead of silently proceeding.

When the review audits return valid learning_candidates, /review persists them in the optional learning-candidates artifact and records the path in review status metadata and the ledger artifact index. /closeout may consume that artifact when assembling run learnings.

Routing

Advance to /qa, /ship, or /closeout only through Nexus-authored review completion state. Superpowers review discipline and CCB dual-audit transport remain subordinate runtime seams and never own lifecycle authority.

Run:

_REPO_CWD="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || pwd)"
_NEXUS_ROOT="~/.claude/skills/nexus"
[ -d "$_REPO_CWD/.claude/skills/nexus" ] && _NEXUS_ROOT="$_REPO_CWD/.claude/skills/nexus"
cd "$_NEXUS_ROOT" && NEXUS_PROJECT_CWD="$_REPO_CWD" ./bin/nexus review

Typical prompts

These are example user requests /review handles well. The skill produces an explicit gate verdict (pass | pass_with_advisories | fail) and persists the four required artifacts (scope summary, fresh test evidence, risk register, verdict) per Law 1.

Prompt 1 — Standard dual-audit review

"Review the change I just built on this branch."

Step 1 reads build-result.md and the prior /build status. Step 2 dispatches codex + gemini audit slots against the diff. Step 3 collects findings with severity tags. Step 4 synthesizes the four Law 1 artifacts into the advisor record. If no block-grade findings, the verdict is pass or pass_with_advisories and /qa is the typical next stage. The advisor record's pass_round is 1.

Prompt 2 — Block-grade finding requires Pass 2

"Codex flagged a P1 issue — can we still ship?"

Step 4 records the block-grade advisory in the risk register. Step 5 fires the AskUserQuestion gate: fix_before_qa, continue_to_qa, or defer_to_follow_on. Per Law 2, Pass 1 cannot return pass while the block is open — the operator picks the disposition, /build addresses it, then /review Pass 2 verifies closure with pass_round: 2 recorded in the advisor record.

Prompt 3 — Audit slots disagree

"Codex says block, Gemini says nit, what's the call?"

Step 6 applies Law 3's disagreement protocol: enumerate the conflicting verdicts, name the accepted verdict, justify the choice on this specific finding, list the pushed-back calls with reasons. Silent averaging is forbidden. If the synthesis can't choose without speculation, Law 3 escalates via AskUserQuestion and the operator decides.

These prompts test that /review produces a complete verdict contract per Law 1, applies Law 2 on block-grade findings, and applies Law 3 on slot disagreement — not a "looks good" opinion.

Completion Advisor

After /review returns, prefer the runtime JSON field completion_advisor. If the host only has filesystem access, or the field is absent, fall back to .planning/current/review/completion-advisor.json. If the runtime exited nonzero, inspect completion_context.completion_advisor from the error JSON envelope before falling back to disk. Treat that advisor as the canonical next-step contract.

Read and summarize:

• summary
• stage_outcome
• interaction_mode
• requires_user_choice
• choice_reason
• primary_next_actions
• alternative_next_actions
• recommended_side_skills
• stop_action
• project_setup_gaps
• suppressed_surfaces
• default_action_id

If interaction_mode is summary_only, do not call AskUserQuestion. Print the advisor summary, any project_setup_gaps, and the invocation for the default_action_id if one exists.

If the session is interactive and interaction_mode is not summary_only, always use AskUserQuestion for /review completion.

If the host cannot display AskUserQuestion, rerun /review with --output interactive to print the same runtime-owned chooser in the terminal. Do not reconstruct choices from status.json.

If interaction_mode is recommended_choice, present:

1. recommended primary action
2. other primary actions
3. alternatives
4. recommended side skills
5. stop_action

If interaction_mode is required_choice, present only the actions emitted by the advisor.

Use each action's label and description. If an action has visibility_reason, why_this_skill, or evidence_signal, include it in the explanation so the user sees why it is showing up now.

After the user chooses an action, run the selected invocation unless the selected action is stop_action or has no invocation.

Do not reconstruct advisory logic from status.json. Review advisory disposition is runtime-owned through the advisor actions themselves. If /review passed with advisories, the advisor will emit the exact governed choices, including:

• /build --review-advisory-disposition fix_before_qa
• /qa --review-advisory-disposition continue_to_qa
• /qa --review-advisory-disposition defer_to_follow_on

If the advisor recommends /simplify, /design-review, /benchmark, or /cso, those came from structured verification-matrix support skill signals and should be offered as side skills after the canonical governed action.

If the session is non-interactive, print the advisor summary and the invocation for the default_action_id when one exists.