start-workflow

name	start-workflow
version	1.0.0
description	[Skill Management] Use when starting a detected workflow, initializing workflow state, or activating a workflow sequence.

Quick Summary

Goal: Detect user intent → auto-select direct/skill/standard/custom path → activate with full TaskCreate plan.

Workflow:

1. Detect — Execute explicit /workflow-* or /start-workflow <id> directly; otherwise match prompt against workflow catalog and skill list
2. Auto-select — Choose direct execution, a skill, a standard workflow, or a custom pipeline without asking the user to pick the path
3. Activate — Create ALL TaskCreate items for chosen sequence; mark first in_progress

Key Rules:

• MUST ATTENTION define success criteria before execution and loop until observable verification passes.

• MUST ATTENTION when creating/reviewing specs or tests, name Business Intent / Invariant Guarded or the protected business intent/invariant and ensure the test would fail if that intent breaks.

• MUST ATTENTION auto-select the best execution path for ordinary prompts. Do not ask the user to choose between direct execution, skill, standard workflow, or custom workflow.

• Explicit /workflow-* or /start-workflow <id> invocation counts as the user choosing that workflow; execute it directly.

• Propose Custom Pipeline when no catalog workflow is a strong fit (>80% steps relevant = use catalog)

• workflows.json workflows field is an OBJECT — use workflows[workflowId], NEVER .find() or [index]

• Create ALL TaskCreate items BEFORE marking the first task in_progress — batch creation, then execute

• NEVER mark a task completed without invoking its Skill tool — skip = in_progress + comment, not delete

• ALWAYS check context for ## Workflow Catalog first (Tier 1) — NEVER read workflows.json directly when catalog is in context

• If another workflow is active, it auto-switches (ends current, starts new) — no manual cleanup needed

NOT for: Manual step execution (follow TaskCreate items), workflow design (use plan), catalog management.

Related: /start-workflow <workflowId> | Catalog: static ## Workflow Catalog baked into CLAUDE.md (no router/tracker hooks)

---

Custom Pipeline Option

When the prompt doesn't cleanly match a single catalog workflow — or combining steps from multiple workflows serves the request better — the AI MAY propose a Custom Pipeline alongside the catalog option.

When to propose

Condition	Example
No catalog workflow matches well	"Review hook changes and update skill docs" — spans review + docs
Best-match has significant unnecessary steps	Quick investigate + fix, but workflow-bugfix includes full TDD + integration cycle
Prompt combines 2+ workflow domains	"Audit performance and write integration tests for the slow query"
User explicitly requests a step sequence	"Just run scout, plan, and feature-implement — nothing else"

Do NOT propose when a catalog workflow is a strong match (>80% of its steps are relevant). Catalog workflows encode validated best-practice sequences — prefer them.

How to build

1. Valid steps only — Use only canonical step ids — those appearing in workflow sequence arrays in workflows.json (each maps to a real .claude/skills/<step>/SKILL.md and is invoked as /<step>). No invented step names.
2. Logical order — Investigate → Plan → Implement → Test. Never reverse dependency order.
3. Minimal — Include only steps the prompt needs. No "just in case" additions.
4. Name it — Short descriptive name: "Quick Fix + Docs", "Audit + Test Coverage".

How to present (AskUserQuestion format)

Show full step sequences for ALL options so the user compares scope:

Option A — Activate "Bug Fix" workflow (Recommended)
  Steps: /scout → /investigate → /debug-investigate → /plan → /fix → /prove-fix → /test → ...

Option B — Custom Pipeline: "Quick Fix + Docs"
  Steps: /scout → /investigate → /fix → /docs-update
  Rationale: Prompt targets a known location — full TDD cycle is over-engineered here.

Rules:

• Always show full step list per option
• One-sentence AI rationale for the custom pipeline
• Catalog workflow = "(Recommended)" unless custom pipeline confidence is clearly higher
• NEVER present custom pipeline as the only option — always include the catalog option
• For project-specific architecture, test, documentation, naming, or workflow rules, read docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md; keep this reusable start-workflow protocol generic.

Task creation for Custom Pipeline

Same 1:1 protocol — one TaskCreate per step. Use [Custom] prefix to distinguish from catalog tasks:

TaskCreate: subject="[Custom] /{step-name} — {brief description}", description="Custom pipeline step N/{total}.", activeForm="Executing /{step-name}"

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Workflow Lookup — Token-Efficient (3-Tier Strategy)

ALWAYS try tiers in order — stop at first success.

Tier 1: Context (FREE — no file reads)

The workflow catalog is already present as the ## Workflow Catalog section in your context — baked statically into CLAUDE.md (and the AGENTS.md mirror), not injected by any hook.

1. Search your context for ## Workflow Catalog
2. Find the line: **{workflowId}** — {name}
3. Read the NEXT line: Use: ... | Steps: /step1 → /step2 → ...
4. Parse the Steps: value — these ARE the slash commands for TaskCreate

Example: Steps: /scout → /plan → /feature-implement → /test → /workflow-end → Create 5 TaskCreate items for /scout, /plan, /feature-implement, /test, /workflow-end in order.

✅ Use Tier 1 for: all standard TaskCreate creation (no file reads needed) ⚠️ Use Tier 2 if: catalog not in context, OR you need preActions.injectContext

Tier 2: Targeted Grep (1 grep operation)

Use when catalog is absent from context OR preActions.injectContext is needed:

Grep: pattern='"<workflowId>":'  path='.claude/workflows.json'  context=35

Returns only that workflow's entry (~35 lines vs full file). Parse: sequence array → step IDs → invoke each as /<stepId>.

Tier 3: Minimal Read (last resort — avoid)

Only if Tier 1 and Tier 2 both fail:

Grep '"<workflowId>":' context=30    ← that workflow's entry only

NEVER read the full file — it is large and wastes tokens.

---

After Activation — Task Creation Protocol (ZERO TOLERANCE)

Active-goal resolution (BEFORE child task creation): resolve the active Goal Contract per SYNC:goal-contract-satisfaction-loop — active plan goal.md, else plans/goals/{YYMMDD-HHmm}-{slug}/goal.md, else create one from the current user request using .claude/templates/goal-contract-template.md. Record the resolved goal path and pass it to every child step/sub-agent so the whole workflow executes against the same saved success criteria. The workflow may end only when the goal's Goal Satisfaction matrix passes or a blocker is escalated.

FIRST action after activation: create EXACTLY one TaskCreate for EACH entry in the workflow's sequence array.

How to read workflows.json — CRITICAL SCHEMA

workflows.json is a JSON OBJECT, not an array. Most common AI mistake.

{
  "settings":       { ... },
  "workflows":      { <workflowId>: WorkflowEntry }   ← OBJECT, keyed by ID
}

Lookup algorithm:

workflow = workflows[workflowId]           // key lookup — NOT .find(), NOT [index]
steps    = workflow.sequence               // array of step ID strings
// resolve slash command — step id IS the command:
slashCmd = "/" + stepId                     // "scout" → "/scout"

WorkflowEntry fields:

Field	Type	Notes
name	string	Display name
sequence	string[]	Ordered step IDs — SOLE source of truth
whenToUse	string	Natural language intent matching
preActions	object	Optional injectContext / readFiles

FORBIDDEN (common mistakes):

// ❌ WRONG
workflows.find(w => w.id === workflowId)
workflows[0]

// ✅ CORRECT
workflows[workflowId]
Object.keys(workflows)   // list all IDs

Task creation steps

1. Tier 1 first (no file read): Search context for ## Workflow Catalog → find **{workflowId}** → parse Steps: line → slash commands are ready to use
2. Tier 2 if needed: Grep .claude/workflows.json --pattern '"<workflowId>":' --context 35 → parse sequence, invoke each step as /<stepId>
3. Create one TaskCreate per step IN ORDER

See Workflow Lookup — Token-Efficient (3-Tier Strategy) above for full lookup rules and fallback chain.

Task format:

TaskCreate: subject="[Workflow] /{step-name} — {brief description}", description="Workflow step N/{total}. {conditional note}", activeForm="Executing /{step-name}"

Rules (NON-NEGOTIABLE):

• 1:1 mapping — each sequence entry = exactly one task. No consolidation, no invented tasks.
• Conditional steps still get tasks — add to description: "Conditional — skip if reviews pass"
• Recursive self-calls get tasks — e.g., [Workflow] /workflow-review-changes — Recursive re-review (conditional)
• Count verification — after creation: task count == len(sequence). Fix mismatch before proceeding.

Create ALL tasks first → then TaskUpdate first task to in_progress.

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Step Execution Protocol

Per step: TaskUpdate in_progress → invoke Skill tool → complete skill → TaskUpdate completed.

• Completing a task without invoking its Skill tool = workflow violation
• Validation gates (/plan-validate, /plan-review, /why-review) MUST use explicit evidence and local project protocol — NEVER auto-approve inferred decisions. Explicit user approval in the prompt may satisfy the gate only when the gate's skill permits it.
• To skip a conditional step: TaskUpdate in_progress → comment "Skipped — {reason}" → TaskUpdate completed. Never delete.

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Workflow-in-Workflow Gate (HARD GATE — NO EXCEPTIONS)

Some workflow steps ARE themselves full workflows. Running them inline causes the parent session to absorb the entire nested workflow's tool calls, file reads, and sub-agent reports — guaranteed context overflow on long sequences.

Steps requiring sub-agent delegation (hard gate):

Step	Workflow activated	Step count source	Agent type
/workflow-review-changes	workflow-review-changes	len(workflows["workflow-review-changes"].sequence)	code-reviewer

Protocol when these steps appear in the active workflow sequence:

1. NEVER invoke via inline Skill tool call
2. Spawn via Agent tool: subagent_type: "code-reviewer"
3. Agent prompt must include: current git diff context + feature/task description
4. Sub-agent runs the full nested workflow in its isolated context
5. Return ONLY SYNC:subagent-return-contract summary — write full findings to plans/reports/
6. Main agent reads plans/reports/ file only when resolving specific blockers

The ⚠️ [WORKFLOW-IN-WORKFLOW GATE] is model-driven: apply it yourself whenever the next step is one of the above — no hook emits this warning.

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IMPORTANT MANDATORY Steps: detect-workflow -> analyze-best-match -> auto-select-execution-path -> activate-workflow -> create-task-tracking -> execute-sequence

IMPORTANT MANDATORY Steps: detect-workflow -> analyze-best-match -> auto-select-execution-path -> activate-workflow -> create-task-tracking -> execute-sequence

[MANDATORY] TaskCreate FIRST — break every workflow into tasks before any action. NEVER skip. [MANDATORY] Auto-select the best path for auto-detected workflows; do not use AskUserQuestion for workflow-selection confirmation. Explicit workflow invocation executes directly. [MANDATORY] Skill tool REQUIRED per step — NEVER mark a task completed without invoking it.

AI Mistake Prevention — Failure modes to avoid on every task:

Re-read files after context changes. Context compaction, resume, or long-running work can make memory stale; verify current files before acting. Verify generated content against source evidence. AI hallucinates APIs, names, claims, and document facts. Check the relevant source before documenting or referencing. Check downstream references before deleting or renaming. Removing an artifact can stale docs, generated mirrors, configs, and callers; map references first. Trace the full impact chain after edits. Changing a definition can miss derived outputs and consumers. Follow the affected chain before declaring done. Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first. One green check is not all green checks; validate every output surface the change can affect. Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing. Before changing a constant, limit, flag, wording, or pattern, read nearby context and history. Surface ambiguity before acting — don't pick silently. Multiple valid interpretations require an explicit question or stated assumption with risk. Keep shared guidance role-relevant. Universal guidance must help every receiving skill or agent; code-specific obligations belong only in code-specific protocols.

Critical Thinking Mindset — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.

Incremental Result Persistence — MANDATORY for all sub-agents or heavy inline steps processing >3 files.

1. Before starting: Create report file plans/reports/{skill}-{date}-{slug}.md
2. After each file/section reviewed: Append findings to report immediately — never hold in memory
3. Return to main agent: Summary only (per SYNC:subagent-return-contract) with Full report: path
4. Main agent: Reads report file only when resolving specific blockers

Why: Context cutoff mid-execution loses ALL in-memory findings. Each disk write survives compaction. Partial results are better than no results.

Report naming: plans/reports/{skill-name}-{YYMMDD}-{HHmm}-{slug}.md

Sub-Agent Return Contract — When this skill spawns a sub-agent, the sub-agent MUST return ONLY this structure. Main agent reads only this summary — NEVER requests full sub-agent output inline.

## Sub-Agent Result: [skill-name]

Status: ✅ PASS | ⚠️ PARTIAL | ❌ FAIL
Confidence: [0-100]%

### Findings (Critical/High only — max 10 bullets)

- [severity] [file:line] [finding]

### Actions Taken

- [file changed] [what changed]

### Blockers (if any)

- [blocker description]

Full report: plans/reports/[skill-name]-[date]-[slug].md

Main agent reads Full report file ONLY when: (a) resolving a specific blocker, or (b) building a fix plan. Sub-agent writes full report incrementally (per SYNC:incremental-persistence) — not held in memory.

Context budget — the return payload is a SUMMARY, not a transcript: ≤10 finding bullets, no raw file contents / full diffs / verbatim logs inline, no re-pasted source. Everything beyond the summary lives in the Full report on disk. A sub-agent that would exceed the summary shape MUST write the detail to its report and return only the pointer — the orchestrator's context is the scarce resource the whole map-reduce protects.

MUST ATTENTION apply critical + sequential thinking — every claim needs appropriate traced evidence (file:line for repo/code claims; source URL or artifact section for research, product, content, and docs claims); confidence >80% to act, <60% DO NOT recommend. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact, admit uncertainty freely, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence.

MUST ATTENTION apply AI mistake prevention — verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references before deleting or renaming, verify all affected outputs, re-read files after context loss, and surface ambiguity before acting.

• MANDATORY Resolve the active Goal Contract BEFORE work (active plan goal.md → plans/goals/{YYMMDD-HHmm}-{slug}/goal.md → create from current request) and read saved success criteria before editing.
• MANDATORY Append iteration evidence after execution; emit a Goal Satisfaction matrix (PASS/FAIL/BLOCKED) before reporting PASS; loop on validated FAIL; escalate repeated no-progress or blockers. NEVER store secrets in goal files.

Closing Reminders

Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):

• AI Mistake Prevention: verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references, verify all affected outputs, re-read after context loss, surface ambiguity.
• Critical Thinking: traced file:line proof, confidence >80%; NEVER present guess as fact.
• Incremental Persistence: append findings to report per file; NEVER hold in memory.
• Sub-Agent Return Contract: sub-agents return summary only; NEVER inline full output.

MUST ATTENTION auto-select the best path for ordinary prompts; explicit /workflow-* or /start-workflow <id> invocation executes directly. Do not ask for workflow-selection confirmation. MUST ATTENTION workflows is an OBJECT — workflows[workflowId], NEVER .find() / [index] / .forEach() MUST ATTENTION create ALL TaskCreate items for the full sequence BEFORE marking the first task in_progress MUST ATTENTION never mark a task completed without invoking its Skill tool — skip means comment + completed, not delete MUST ATTENTION custom pipeline steps must be canonical step ids (each maps to a real .claude/skills/<step>/SKILL.md) — never invent step names MUST ATTENTION use Tier 1 context parse FIRST — check ## Workflow Catalog in context before any file read

[TASK-PLANNING] Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using TaskCreate.

[IMPORTANT] Analyze how big the task is and break it into many small todo tasks systematically before starting — this is very important.