| name | backlog-triage |
| description | Use when you need to triage backlog, surface stale backlog items, run backlog-triage, or reconcile backlog. Wraps `scripts/backlog-reconcile.sh` (resolved-but-still-open) and adds a trace-activity cross-reference (active in traces, stale with no activity, or stalled-doing). Output is human-gated — never auto-closes items. |
backlog-triage
When to reach for this
- Heartbeat-style backlog hygiene — periodic check that the registry in
backlog.jsonl still matches reality.
- Before any sprint-style planning pass — clear out items that already shipped or have gone cold so the working set reflects real state.
- After a wave of commits — code may have resolved items that the registry still lists open.
- On a
triage backlog / stale backlog / reconcile backlog instruction.
What it does
Two complementary checks, run together:
- Reconcile (
scripts/backlog-reconcile.sh, no --apply) — finds open IDs that overnight reports, learnings, or recent commits already mark as resolved. Conservative; prefers nag over false-close.
- Trace cross-reference (the new triage step) — for each item still listed open/doing in
backlog.jsonl, grep the last 14 days of traces/*.jsonl for the 6-char ID:
- Active in traces: ID appears in
input_hash or class fields → "active (last activity: )".
- Stale: created >14d ago AND no trace mention → "stale: open >14d, no trace activity".
- Stalled: status is
doing AND most recent trace mention is >7d old → "stalled: doing but no recent activity".
How to run
bash scripts/backlog-triage.sh # default: 14-day trace window
bash scripts/backlog-triage.sh --days 30 # widen window
Output is structured into four markdown sections:
## Resolved-but-open (from reconcile) — pasted from backlog-reconcile.sh.## Active in traces — open IDs that show up in recent traces (still alive).## Stale (no activity, old) — open IDs >14d with no trace echo.## Stalled (doing, idle) — doing IDs whose last trace mention is >7d old.
Exit code is always 0 — this is a reporting tool.
How to interpret the output
- Resolved-but-open: high-confidence close candidates. Verify the evidence pointer (commit / overnight report) actually proves the work landed, then close manually with
bash scripts/backlog.sh done <id> and a note pointing at the evidence.
- Active in traces: working as intended. No action.
- Stale: ask whether the item is still wanted. If yes, leave a
note explaining why it's not moving. If no, drop it with a reason.
- Stalled (doing): the item is claimed but quiet. Either resume it or revert to
open so it's clear nobody is on it.
Guardrail: human-gated close
The script never passes --apply to backlog-reconcile.sh and never mutates backlog.jsonl. Closes happen in a follow-up turn through scripts/backlog.sh done <id> (with a note capturing the evidence). This is intentional — auto-close has historically false-positived on items whose commit message coincidentally name-matches an ID prefix.
Why a skill, not just the script
The reconcile script existed but was invisible at skill-listing time, so the pattern wasn't reached for during planning. This skill surfaces both the existing reconcile flow and the new trace-activity check under a single triage backlog trigger — so the discipline is one tool call away rather than buried in scripts/.
