| name | pre-flight-check |
| description | Checks essential information and project status before starting work and emits readiness signals for orchestration. |
Pre-Flight Check Skill
Role: Check essential info and project status before starting work to reduce omissions and emit machine-readable readiness signals.
Inputs
analysisContext.* (structured state, if exists)
- Feature name/branch name (optional)
- Required doc paths:
CLAUDE.md, PROJECT.md, context.md, verification contract, etc.
- Project reference docs when present:
workflow/README.md, docs/design/README.md, docs/glossary/README.md, docs/daily/README.md, TEST_GUIDE.md, docs/analysis/README.md
Checklist
- execution plane (
read_only, product_project, meta_harness)
- UI spec version/design assets availability
- API spec availability
- Similar feature references
- git status/branch, build status
- context.md freshness, unresolved items in pending-questions.md
- downstream project contract readiness (
PROJECT.md)
- project reference docs readiness (workflow/design/glossary/daily/test/analysis)
- downstream verification contract readiness (
.claude/verification.contract.yaml or equivalent policy)
- local policy-set and ignore strategy readiness (
policySets, .claudeignore, or documented equivalent)
- Document Memory Policy check:
- context.md token usage (warn if > 6,000 tokens, ~80% of limit)
- specification.md exists and is summarized (if large spec)
- archives/ directory structure in place
- Doc Freshness Check:
- Check
ARCHITECTURE.md last modified vs code change
- Check
docs/generated/* vs related source code
Structured Output Contract
Return machine-readable readiness signals first, then optional human summary.
signals:
executionPlane: product_project
projectContractReady: false
contextReady: false
verificationContractReady: false
shouldEscalateStrict: true
docStale: false
notes:
- "pre-flight: executionPlane=product_project"
- "pre-flight: project contract missing required command/test sections"
- "pre-flight: project reference docs missing workflow/design/test guidance"
- "pre-flight: ignore or protected-path policy missing"
recommendedActions:
- "run project-contract-gate"
- "run context-readiness-gate"
- "refresh security and ignore policy docs"
Optional human-readable example:
# Pre-flight Check Results
## Plane
product_project
## Readiness
WARN PROJECT.md incomplete
WARN context.md missing minimum sections
WARN verification contract missing
## Recommended Actions
1. [HIGH] Run `project-contract-gate`
2. [HIGH] Run `context-readiness-gate`
3. [MEDIUM] Add `.claude/verification.contract.yaml`
Anti-Pattern Check
Detect common mistakes based on "How to write a good spec for AI agents" guide
Checklist
| Anti-Pattern | Detection Method | Status |
|---|
| Vague prompts | "Make something cool", "Make it work better" | ⚠️ |
| Large context without summary | specification.md > 3,000 tokens + no summary | ⚠️ |
| Missing 6 core areas | PROJECT.md lacks commands/tests/structure/style/Git/boundaries | ⚠️ |
| Vibe coding ↔ Production confusion | Attempting production deploy without tests | ⚠️ |
| Ignoring deadly trinity | Proceeding without verification for speed/non-determinism/cost | ⚠️ |
Recommended Actions on Detection
| Detected Anti-Pattern | Recommended Action |
|---|
| Vague request | Invoke requirements-analyzer to clarify |
| Large document | Follow document-memory-policy.md to summarize |
| Missing areas | Set projectContractReady=false, recommend project-contract-gate or project-md-refresh |
| No tests | Recommend writing tests before completion-verifier |
| No ignore/protected-path policy | Refresh security docs and add .claudeignore or equivalent |
References
.claude/docs/guidelines/document-memory-policy.md
.claude/docs/guidelines/context-readiness-schema.md
.claude/docs/guidelines/verification-contract.md