implement

name	implement
license	MIT
compatibility	Claude Code 2.1.183+. Requires memory MCP server, context7 MCP server, network access.
description	Full-power feature implementation using parallel subagents for backend, frontend, testing, and security. Coordinates architecture design, code generation, test coverage, and quality verification in a single workflow with worktree isolation. Chains with /ork:cover for test generation and /ork:verify for validation. Use when implementing features, building new capabilities, or creating full-stack functionality.
argument-hint	[feature-description]
context	fork
version	2.7.0
disable-model-invocation	true
author	OrchestKit
tags	["implementation","feature","full-stack","parallel-agents","reflection","worktree"]
user-invocable	true
allowed-tools	["AskUserQuestion","Bash","Read","Write","Edit","Grep","Glob","Agent","TaskCreate","TaskUpdate","TaskStop","ToolSearch","CronCreate","CronDelete","Monitor","PushNotification","mcp__context7__query_docs","mcp__memory__search_nodes"]
skills	["api-design","react-server-components-framework","testing-unit","testing-e2e","testing-integration","explore","verify","memory","scope-appropriate-architecture","chain-patterns"]
complexity	medium
persuasion-type	guidance
model	sonnet
hooks	{"PreToolUse":[{"matcher":"Write","command":"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/bin/run-hook.mjs skill/project-convention-loader","once":true},{"matcher":"Agent","command":"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/bin/run-hook.mjs skill/implement-standards-loader","once":true}],"PostToolUse":[{"matcher":"Write|Edit","command":"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/bin/run-hook.mjs skill/pattern-consistency-enforcer"}]}
metadata	{"category":"workflow-automation","mcp-server":"memory, context7"}
triggers	{"keywords":["implement","implment","build","create","add","make","scaffold","set up","file upload","dark mode","rate limiting"],"examples":["build a user authentication system with JWT","add dark mode support to the dashboard","implement the payment webhook handler"],"anti-triggers":["fix","debug","review","explore","test","assess","brainstorm"]}
paths	["src/**/*.{ts,tsx,js,jsx}","package.json","tsconfig.json","CLAUDE.md"]

Implement Feature

Parallel subagent execution for feature implementation with scope control and reflection.

Quick Start

/ork:implement user authentication
/ork:implement --model=opus real-time notifications
/ork:implement dashboard analytics

---

Argument Resolution

FEATURE_DESC = "$ARGUMENTS"  # Full argument string, e.g., "user authentication"
# $ARGUMENTS[0] is the first token, $ARGUMENTS[1] second, etc. (CC 2.1.59)

# Model override detection (CC 2.1.72)
MODEL_OVERRIDE = None
for token in "$ARGUMENTS".split():
    if token.startswith("--model="):
        MODEL_OVERRIDE = token.split("=", 1)[1]  # "opus", "sonnet", "haiku"
        FEATURE_DESC = FEATURE_DESC.replace(token, "").strip()

Pass MODEL_OVERRIDE to all Agent() calls via model=MODEL_OVERRIDE when set. Accepts symbolic names (opus, sonnet, haiku) or full IDs (claude-opus-4-8) per CC 2.1.74.

---

Step -1: MCP Probe + Resume Check

Run BEFORE any other step. Detect available MCP servers and check for resumable state.

# Probe MCPs (parallel — all in ONE message):
# memory is alwaysLoad in .mcp.json (CC 2.1.121+, #1541) — probe below kept as fallback for older CC:
ToolSearch(query="select:mcp__memory__search_nodes")
ToolSearch(query="select:mcp__context7__resolve-library-id")

Write(".claude/chain/capabilities.json", JSON.stringify({
  "memory": <true if found>,
  "context7": <true if found>,
  "timestamp": now()
}))

# Resume check:
Read(".claude/chain/state.json")
# If exists and skill == "implement":
#   Read last handoff (e.g., 04-architecture.json)
#   Skip to current_phase
#   "Resuming from Phase {N} — architecture decided in previous session"
# If not: write initial state
Write(".claude/chain/state.json", JSON.stringify({
  "skill": "implement", "feature": FEATURE_DESC,
  "current_phase": 1, "completed_phases": [],
  "capabilities": capabilities,
  "budget_remaining_pct": 100  // advisory; see Budget Awareness below
}))

Batch Size Governance (large refactors)

For implementations touching >10 files, enforce max 5 files per agent batch, run tests between batches, commit green batches immediately, stop on red. Override via --batch-size N. Full rule: Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/rules/batch-governance.md").

Budget Awareness (Opus 4.8 task budgets, public beta)

Opus 4.8 exposes per-task token budgets. Until the CC side is GA, OrchestKit tracks an advisory budget_remaining_pct in state.json so long runs self-throttle. Update after each phase:

# At end of every phase, estimate remaining budget:
pct = tokensAsContextPct(tokensUsedSoFar)  # from lib/context-window.ts
remaining = max(0, 100 - pct)
state["budget_remaining_pct"] = remaining
Write(".claude/chain/state.json", JSON.stringify(state))

Thresholds influence behavior:

Remaining	Behavior
> 50%	Normal — all optional depth (devil's advocate, visual capture, deep exploration).
20-50%	Efficient — skip optional depth; keep core phases. Warn user once.
< 20%	Conservation — finish current phase, emit a handoff with next steps, do not start new work.

When CC's native task-budget API ships GA, replace the estimate with the real signal; the thresholds and behavior stay the same.

Load: Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/chain-patterns/references/checkpoint-resume.md")

---

Step -0.5: Assess Verdict Gate

If .claude/chain/assess-verdict.json exists with a feature matching this run and verdict == "fail" (composite < the 5.5 min_pass in ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/assess/rubric.json, or any dimension below its min_blocker), BLOCK Phase 1. Present each blockers[] entry (dimension, score, reason), then AskUserQuestion with plain label+description options (no preview):

1. Fix blockers first (Recommended) — address the blockers, re-run /ork:assess, then return here.
2. Override and implement — proceed anyway; record "assess_gate": "overridden" in state.json and carry the blockers into Phase 1 context.

Missing file or verdict == "pass" → no gate; continue to Step 0.

---

Step 0: Effort-Aware Phase Scaling (CC 2.1.76; xhigh added in 2.1.111)

Read the /effort setting to scale implementation depth. The effort-aware context budgeting hook detects effort level automatically — adapt the phase plan accordingly:

Effort Level	Phases Run	Agents	Token Budget
low	1 (Discovery) → 5 (Implement) → 10 (Reflect)	2 max	~50K
medium	1 → 2 → 5 → 7 (Scope Creep) → 10	3 max	~150K
high (default)	All 10 phases	4-7	~400K
xhigh (Opus 4.8, CC 2.1.111+)	All 10 phases + one additional healing iteration on test failures before escalating	4-7	~550K

Override: Explicit user selection in Step 0 (e.g., "Plan first" or "Worktree") overrides /effort downscaling. If user requests full exploration, respect that regardless of effort level.

Step 0a: Project Context Discovery

BEFORE any work, detect the project tier. This becomes the complexity ceiling for all patterns.

Scan codebase signals and classify into tiers 1-6 (Interview through Open Source). Each tier sets an architecture ceiling and determines which phases/agents to use.

Load tier details, workflow mapping, and orchestration mode: Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/tier-classification.md")

Worktree Isolation (CC 2.1.49)

For features touching 5+ files, offer worktree isolation to prevent conflicts with the main working tree:

AskUserQuestion(questions=[{
  "question": "Isolate this feature in a git worktree?",
  "header": "Isolation",
  "options": [
    {"label": "Yes — worktree (Recommended)", "description": "Creates isolated branch via EnterWorktree, merges back on completion"},
    {"label": "No — work in-place", "description": "Edit files directly in current branch"},
    {"label": "Plan first", "description": "Research and design in plan mode before writing code"}
  ],
  "multiSelect": false
}])

If 'Plan first' selected:

# 1. Enter read-only plan mode
EnterPlanMode("Research and design: $ARGUMENTS")

# 2. Research phase — Read/Grep/Glob ONLY, no Write/Edit
#    - Read existing code in the target area
#    - Grep for related patterns, imports, dependencies
#    - Check tests, configs, and integration points
#    - If context7 available: query library docs

# 3. Design the plan — produce:
#    - File map: which files to create/modify
#    - Architecture decisions with rationale
#    - Task breakdown with acceptance criteria
#    - Risk assessment and edge cases

# 4. Exit plan mode — returns plan to user for approval
ExitPlanMode()

# 5. User reviews plan. If approved → continue to Phase 1 (Discovery)
#    with the plan as input. If rejected → revise or stop.

If worktree selected:

1. Call EnterWorktree(name: "feat-{slug}") to create isolated branch
2. All agents work in the worktree directory
3. On completion, merge back: git checkout {original-branch} && git merge feat-{slug}
4. If merge conflicts arise, present diff to user via AskUserQuestion

Load worktree details: Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/worktree-isolation-mode.md")

---

Task Management (MANDATORY)

BEFORE doing ANYTHING else, create tasks to track progress:

# 1. Create main task IMMEDIATELY
TaskCreate(
  subject="Implement: {feature}",
  description="Feature implementation with parallel subagents",
  activeForm="Implementing {feature}"
)

# 2. Create subtasks for each phase
TaskCreate(subject="Research best practices and docs", activeForm="Researching best practices")  # id=2
TaskCreate(subject="Micro-plan: scope, files, criteria", activeForm="Micro-planning")            # id=3
TaskCreate(subject="Architecture design (parallel agents)", activeForm="Designing architecture") # id=4
TaskCreate(subject="Implement and write tests", activeForm="Implementing code")                  # id=5
TaskCreate(subject="Integration verification", activeForm="Verifying integration")               # id=6
TaskCreate(subject="Scope creep check", activeForm="Checking scope creep")                       # id=7
TaskCreate(subject="E2E verification", activeForm="Running E2E verification")                    # id=8
TaskCreate(subject="Document and reflect", activeForm="Documenting decisions")                   # id=9

# 3. Set dependencies for sequential phases
TaskUpdate(taskId="3", addBlockedBy=["2"])  # Plan needs research
TaskUpdate(taskId="4", addBlockedBy=["3"])  # Architecture needs plan
TaskUpdate(taskId="5", addBlockedBy=["4"])  # Implementation needs architecture
TaskUpdate(taskId="6", addBlockedBy=["5"])  # Integration needs implementation
TaskUpdate(taskId="7", addBlockedBy=["6"])  # Scope creep needs integration
TaskUpdate(taskId="8", addBlockedBy=["7"])  # E2E needs scope check
TaskUpdate(taskId="9", addBlockedBy=["8"])  # Docs need E2E

# 4. Before starting each task, verify it's unblocked
task = TaskGet(taskId="2")  # Verify blockedBy is empty

# 5. Update status as you progress
TaskUpdate(taskId="2", status="in_progress")  # When starting
TaskUpdate(taskId="2", status="completed")    # When done — repeat for each subtask

---

Workflow (10 Phases)

Phase	Activities	Agents
1. Discovery	Research best practices, Context7 docs, break into tasks	—
2. Micro-Planning	Detailed plan per task (load ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/micro-planning-guide.md)	—
3. Worktree	Isolate in git worktree for 5+ file features (load ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/worktree-workflow.md)	—
4. Architecture	4 parallel background agents	workflow-architect, backend-system-architect, frontend-ui-developer, llm-integrator
5. Implementation + Tests	Parallel agents, single-pass artifacts with mandatory tests	backend-system-architect, frontend-ui-developer, llm-integrator, test-generator
6. Integration Verification	Code review + real-service integration tests	backend, frontend, code-quality-reviewer, security-auditor
7. Scope Creep	Compare planned vs actual (load ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/scope-creep-detection.md)	workflow-architect
8. E2E Verification	Browser + API E2E testing (load ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/e2e-verification.md)	—
9. Documentation	Save decisions to memory graph	—
10. Reflection	Lessons learned, estimation accuracy	workflow-architect

Load agent prompts: Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/agent-phases.md")

For Agent Teams mode: Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/agent-teams-phases.md")

Nested delegation (CC 2.1.172+): Phase 4-6 specialist agents MAY be instructed to delegate a bounded sub-problem to their own declared sub-agents (e.g. backend-system-architect → database-engineer for schema design) instead of doing everything inline. Keep chains ≤ 3 levels deep; when sub-tasks are independent, flatten to parallel dispatch from this orchestrator. See chain-patterns Pattern 9 (CC 2.1.172+).

Phase Handoffs (CC 2.1.71)

Write handoff JSON after major phases. See chain-patterns skill for schema.

After Phase	Handoff File	Key Outputs
1. Discovery	01-discovery.json	Best practices, library docs, task breakdown
2. Micro-Plan	02-plan.json	File map, acceptance criteria per task
4. Architecture	04-architecture.json	Decisions, patterns chosen, agent results
5. Implementation	05-implementation.json	Files created/modified, test results
7. Scope Creep	07-scope.json	Planned vs actual, PR split recommendation

Progressive Output (CC 2.1.76+)

Output results incrementally after each phase — don't batch everything until the end.

Focus mode (CC 2.1.101): In focus mode (/focus), the user only sees your final message. Include a self-contained summary with all key results — don't assume they saw incremental outputs.

After Phase	Show User
1. Discovery	Key findings, library recommendations, task breakdown
4. Architecture	Each agent's design decisions as they return
5. Implementation	Files created/modified per agent, test results
7. Scope Creep	Planned vs actual delta, PR split recommendation

When agents run with run_in_background=true, output each agent's findings as soon as it returns — don't wait for all agents to finish. This gives users ~60% faster perceived feedback and enables early intervention if an agent's approach diverges from the plan.

Teammate background tasks survive turn-end (CC 2.1.183): A run_in_background task started by a teammate is no longer killed when that teammate finishes its turn. A parallel architecture/test teammate can launch a long build and let it outlive its own turn; the lead collects the result later. Pre-2.1.183 the lead had to own every background task to keep it alive.

Monitor Tool for Background Streaming (CC 2.1.98)

Use Monitor to stream real-time events from background build/test scripts instead of polling output files:

# Start a long-running build in background
Bash(command="npm run build 2>&1", run_in_background=true)
# Stream its output line-by-line as notifications (no polling)
Monitor(pid=build_task_id)

# For background agents with test suites:
Agent(subagent_type="ork:test-generator", run_in_background=true, ...)
# Monitor agent progress via task notifications (CC 2.1.98 partial progress)

Full pattern reference (when to use vs. TaskOutput, until-condition gates, partial-result salvage, anti-patterns): Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/chain-patterns/references/monitor-patterns.md").

Partial results (CC 2.1.98): Background agents that fail now report partial progress to the parent. If a worktree-isolated agent crashes mid-implementation, synthesize its partial output instead of re-spawning:

# After collecting agent results:
for agent_result in agent_results:
    if "[PARTIAL RESULT]" in agent_result.output:
        # Agent crashed mid-work — salvage what it produced
        partial_files = Bash(command="git diff --name-only", cwd=agent_result.worktree)
        if partial_files:
            # Merge partial work — commit what's usable, flag incomplete items
            TaskUpdate(taskId=agent_task_id, status="completed",
                       description=f"Partial: {len(partial_files)} files from crashed agent")
        # Do NOT re-spawn — partial progress > wasted tokens re-doing work
    elif agent_result.status == "BLOCKED":
        # Agent hit a genuine blocker — escalate to user
        TaskUpdate(taskId=agent_task_id, status="in_progress",
                   description=f"BLOCKED: {agent_result.concerns[0]}")

Worktree-Isolated Implementation (CC 2.1.50)

⚠️ isolation="worktree" does NOT reliably isolate parallel agents in CC Opus 4.7. Observed: spawning multiple agents with that param thrashes the PRIMARY worktree's HEAD via sequential git checkout, cutting agents off at ~60 tool uses. Tracked at Yonatan-HQ/platform#3224.

Use the manual pre-create pattern instead. The lead creates one worktree per agent BEFORE spawning, and each agent prompt starts with FIRST: cd <worktree-path>. Empirical: 4–22 tool-uses per agent (vs 60–86 with broken isolation), zero cutoffs across M164 Wave 2/3.

Load full pattern + helper function + incident details + prompt constraints: Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/manual-worktree-pattern.md")

Post-Deploy Monitoring (CC 2.1.71)

After final PR, schedule health monitoring:

# Guard: Skip cron in headless/CI (CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_CRON)
# if env CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_CRON is set, run a single check instead
CronCreate(
  schedule="0 */6 * * *",
  prompt="Health check for {feature} in PR #{pr}:
    gh pr checks {pr} --repo {repo}.
    If healthy 24h → CronDelete. If errors → alert."
)

context7 with Detection

if capabilities.context7:
  mcp__context7__resolve-library-id({ libraryName: "next-auth" })
  mcp__context7__query-docs({ libraryId: "...", query: "..." })
else:
  WebFetch("https://docs.example.com/api")  # T1 fallback

Issue Tracking

If working on a GitHub issue, run the Start Work ceremony from issue-progress-tracking and post progress comments after major phases.

Feedback Loop

Maintain checkpoints after each task. Load triggers: Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/feedback-loop.md")

---

Test Requirements Matrix

Phase 5 test-generator MUST produce tests matching the change type. Each change type maps to specific required tests and testing rules.

Load test matrix, real-service detection, and phase 9 gate: Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/test-requirements-matrix.md")

---

Key Principles

• Verification gate — before claiming ANY task done, apply the 5-step gate: Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/shared/rules/verification-gate.md"). "Should work now" is not evidence.
• Agent status protocol — all subagents report DONE / DONE_WITH_CONCERNS / BLOCKED / NEEDS_CONTEXT per Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/agents/shared/status-protocol.md")
• Tests are NOT optional — each task includes its tests, matched to change type (see matrix above)
• Parallel when independent — use run_in_background: true, launch all agents in ONE message
• Output limits (CC 2.1.77+): Opus 4.8 defaults to 64k output tokens (128k upper bound). Generate complete artifacts in a single pass when possible; chunk across turns if output exceeds the limit
• Micro-plan before implementing — scope boundaries, file list, acceptance criteria
• Detect scope creep (phase 7) — score 0-10, split PR if significant
• Real services when available — if docker-compose/testcontainers exist, use them in Phase 6
• Reflect and capture lessons (phase 10) — persist to memory graph
• Clean up agents — teammates wind down at turn end (CC 2.1.178+ implicit team); press Ctrl+F twice to stop lingering background agents. Note: /clear (CC 2.1.72+) preserves background agents
• Exit worktrees — call ExitWorktree(action: "keep") in Phase 10 if worktree was entered in Step 0; never leave orphaned worktrees

---

Next Steps (suggest to user after implementation)

/ork:verify {FEATURE}              # Grade the implementation
/ork:cover {FEATURE}               # Generate test suite
/ork:commit                        # Commit changes
/loop 10m npm test                 # Watch tests while iterating
/loop 30m /ork:verify {FEATURE}    # Periodic quality gate

PushNotification on Completion (CC 2.1.110+)

/ork:implement runs commonly take 10–30 min with parallel agents. At the final synthesis step, after the PR is opened and tests are green, call PushNotification — the user has almost certainly context-switched.

PushNotification(
  message=f"ork:implement complete — {FEATURE}: {tests_passing}/{tests_total} tests · PR #{pr_num} opened · ready for /ork:verify",
  status="proactive"
)

Full rule (when to fire, body content limits, graceful fallback for users without Remote Control): load Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/chain-patterns/rules/push-notification-on-completion.md").

Agent Coordination

Dispatch envelope (CC 2.1.142+ flags — M146-6 / #1849)

When dispatching subagents — whether via the in-session Agent tool or a headless claude -p --bare from a wrapper script — set explicit --permission-mode and --effort per agent role so behaviour is deterministic across interactive vs CI runs:

Agent role	--permission-mode	--effort	Rationale
Read-only analysis (Explore, code-quality-reviewer, debug-investigator)	dontAsk	low	No writes, no risk; minimise cost.
Test generation (test-generator)	acceptEdits	medium	Writes test files; permission prompts would block the parallel sweep.
Production code (frontend-ui-developer, backend-system-architect)	default or acceptEdits	medium to high	Set per-feature complexity. default keeps the user in the loop.
Never	bypassPermissions	—	Skip the audit trail — only acceptable in throwaway sandboxes.

In-session Agent tool calls inherit the parent session's permission mode; the table is the policy for what those defaults should be. For genuinely headless invocations (cron, CI), pass the flags explicitly to claude -p --bare:

claude -p --bare \
  --permission-mode dontAsk \
  --effort low \
  --max-turns 8 \
  "<prompt>"

Context Passing

All spawned agents receive: changed files list, project tier, architectural constraints, and decisions from prior phases (discovery, plan). Pass via the agent prompt, not just "implement X".

SendMessage (Active Coordination)

When backend and frontend agents need to align on API contracts:

SendMessage(to="frontend-ui-developer", message="API endpoint is POST /api/auth with {token, refreshToken} response shape")
SendMessage(to="test-generator", message="Backend uses JWT — mock auth middleware in test fixtures")

Skill Chain

After implementation completes, chain to verification:

TaskCreate(subject="Verify implementation", activeForm="Verifying changes")
TaskUpdate(taskId=verify_id, addBlockedBy=[impl_task_id])
# Then: /ork:verify {feature}

Session recovery (CC 2.1.108+): After idle periods or interruptions, use /recap to restore conversational context. Combined with .claude/chain/state.json checkpoint-resume, this enables full recovery of multi-phase implement sessions. Enabled by default since CC 2.1.110 (even with telemetry disabled).

Related Skills

• ork:explore: Explore codebase before implementing
• ork:verify: Verify implementations work correctly
• ork:issue-progress-tracking: Auto-updates GitHub issues with commit progress

References

Load on demand with Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/<file>"):

File	Content
agent-phases.md	Agent prompts and spawn templates
agent-teams-phases.md	Agent Teams mode phases
interview-mode.md	Interview/take-home constraints
orchestration-modes.md	Task tool vs Agent Teams selection
feedback-loop.md	Checkpoint triggers and actions
cc-enhancements.md	CC version-specific features
agent-teams-full-stack.md	Full-stack pipeline for teams
team-worktree-setup.md	Team worktree configuration
micro-planning-guide.md	Detailed micro-planning guide
scope-creep-detection.md	Planned vs actual comparison
worktree-workflow.md	Git worktree workflow
e2e-verification.md	Browser + API E2E testing guide
worktree-isolation-mode.md	Worktree isolation details
tier-classification.md	Tier classification, workflow mapping, orchestration mode
test-requirements-matrix.md	Test matrix by change type, real-service detection, phase 9 gate