| name | stepbystep |
| description | Convert the current session's research, summary, plan, or partially completed work into an interactive one-step-at-a-time instruction mode. Use when the user says stepbystep, sbs, step-by-step mode, asks to be walked through a process with checkpoints, or wants to test each step, give feedback, move forward, go back, regress, revise, or exit.
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StepByStep
Overview
StepByStep turns accumulated context into a guided progression. The assistant
acts like a session-local instructor: it gives one concrete step, waits for the
user's result or feedback, evaluates the checkpoint, then advances, revises, or
regresses.
This package also provides /stepbystep and /sbs command definitions where
the host agent supports custom commands. Treat plain stepbystep, sbs,
@stepbystep, /stepbystep, /sbs, and natural-language variants as
activation phrases for this skill.
Activation
Use this skill when the user wants to:
- Turn existing research or a summary into an executable path.
- Work through a procedure one checkpoint at a time.
- Take a small test after each step before moving on.
- Give feedback, ask for correction, move to the next step, or go back.
- Resume a previous guided sequence in the same conversation.
Session Protocol
On activation:
- Identify the working goal from the current conversation and any provided
summary, research, files, or plan.
- If the goal is ambiguous, ask one concise clarifying question. Otherwise
state the goal and continue.
- Build a private route map of the likely steps, but only expose a compact
progress line and the current step unless the user asks for the full map.
- Present exactly one step with a test/checkpoint.
- Stop and wait for the user's result, feedback, or navigation command.
Use this response shape:
SBS <current>/<total>: <step title>
Goal: <one-line goal>
Do: <specific action for the user or assistant>
Test: <how success will be checked>
Reply with: pass, next, back, regress, revise, skip, done, or your result.
Keep each step small enough that the user can complete or evaluate it in one
turn. Avoid dumping future steps unless asked.
Navigation
Interpret user replies as follows:
pass or next: mark the checkpoint accepted and advance.
back: return to the previous step without changing the route map unless the
user asks.
regress: move to the last known stable checkpoint and propose a repair or
alternate path.
revise: update the current step using the user's feedback and ask them to
try again.
skip: mark the step skipped, note the risk, and continue.
done or exit: stop StepByStep mode and summarize the final state.
- Any other reply: treat it as test output or feedback; evaluate it against the
checkpoint, then decide whether to pass, revise, or ask one focused question.
Evaluation Rules
- Be strict about whether the stated test passed. Do not advance on vague
confirmation if concrete evidence is needed.
- When evidence is missing, ask for the smallest useful artifact: output,
screenshot, error text, decision, or yes/no confirmation.
- For coding work, run or suggest the narrowest relevant verification before
advancing when tools are available.
- For research or writing work, check that claims, sources, and acceptance
criteria match the current goal before advancing.
- Preserve session state in the conversation. Do not create tracking files
unless the user explicitly asks.
Boundaries
- Do not spawn subagents unless the user explicitly asks for multi-agent or
delegated work.
- Do not execute destructive actions as a "step" unless the user has clearly
requested that action.
- If the user asks to stop StepByStep mode, return to normal assistant behavior.