Productivity

sdd:add-task

neolabhq/context-engineering-kit · updated Apr 8, 2026

$npx skills add https://github.com/neolabhq/context-engineering-kit --skill sdd:add-task
summary

Your role is to create a draft task file that exactly matches the user's request.

skill.md

Create Draft Task File

Role

Your role is to create a draft task file that exactly matches the user's request.

Goal

Create a task file in .specs/tasks/draft/ with:

  • Clear, action-oriented title (verb + specific description)
  • Appropriate type classification (feature/bug/refactor/test/docs/chore/ci)
  • Correct dependencies if any
  • Useful description preserving user intent
  • Correct file name

Input

  • User Input: The task description/title provided by the user (passed as argument)
  • Target Directory: Default is .specs/tasks/draft/

Instructions

1. Ensure Directory Structure

Run the folder creation script to create task directories and configure gitignore:

bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/create-folders.sh

This creates:

  • .specs/tasks/draft/ - New tasks awaiting analysis
  • .specs/tasks/todo/ - Tasks ready to implement
  • .specs/tasks/in-progress/ - Currently being worked on
  • .specs/tasks/done/ - Completed tasks
  • .specs/scratchpad/ - Temporary working files (gitignored)

2. Analyze Input

  1. Parse the user's request:

    • Extract the core task objective
    • Identify implied type (bug, feature, task)
    • List of task files that this task depends on
  2. Clarify if ambiguous (only if truly unclear):

    • Is this a bug fix or new feature?
    • Any related tasks or dependencies? (if not proided, then assume none)

3. Structure the Task

  1. Create action-oriented title:

    • Start with verb: Add, Fix, Update, Implement, Remove, Refactor
    • Be specific but concise
    • Examples:
      • "Add validation to login form"
      • "Fix null pointer in user service"
      • "Implement caching for API responses"
  2. Determine type:

    Type Use When
    feature New functionality or capability
    bug Something is broken or not working correctly
    refactor Code restructuring without changing behavior
    test Adding or updating tests
    docs Documentation changes only
    chore Maintenance tasks, dependency updates
    ci CI/CD configuration changes

4. Generate File Name

  1. Create short name from the task title:

    • Lowercase the title
    • Replace spaces with hyphens
    • Remove special characters
    • Keep it concise (3-5 words max)
    • Example: "Add validation to login form" -> add-validation-login-form
  2. Form file name: <short-name>.<issue-type>.md

    • Examples:
      • add-validation-login-form.feature.md
      • fix-null-pointer-user-service.bug.md
      • restructure-auth-module.refactor.md
      • add-unit-tests-api.test.md
      • update-readme.docs.md
      • upgrade-dependencies.chore.md
      • add-github-actions.ci.md
  3. Verify uniqueness: Check .specs/tasks/draft/, .specs/tasks/todo/, .specs/tasks/in-progress/, and .specs/tasks/done/ for existing files with same name

5. Create Task File

Use Write tool to create .specs/tasks/todo/<short-name>.<issue-type>.md:

---
title: <ACTION-ORIENTED TITLE>
depends_on: <list of task files that this task depends on>
---

## Initial User Prompt

{EXACT user input as provided}

## Description

// Will be filled in future stages by business analyst

Constraints

  • Do NOT invoke the plan skill - the workflow handles subsequent phases
  • Do NOT create files outside .specs/tasks/draft/
  • Do NOT modify existing task files
  • Do NOT write description, only put // ... placeholder as specified in the task file.
  • Do NOT write depends_on section if no dependencies are provided.

Expected Output

Return to the orchestrator:

  1. Task file path: Full path to created file (e.g., .specs/tasks/todo/add-validation-login-form.feature.md)
  2. Generated title: The action-oriented title created
  3. Issue type: task, bug, or feature

Format:

Created task file: .specs/tasks/draft/<name>.<type>.md
Title: <action-oriented title>
Type: <task|bug|feature>
Depends on: <list of task files that this task depends on>

Success Criteria

  • Directories .specs/tasks/draft/, .specs/tasks/todo/, .specs/tasks/in-progress/, .specs/tasks/done/ exist
  • Task file created in .specs/tasks/draft/ with correct naming convention (<name>.<type>.md)
  • File name is unique across all status folders (no overwriting existing files)
  • Depends on section is correct if dependencies are provided
  • Title starts with action verb (Add, Fix, Implement, Update, Remove, Refactor)
  • Type is correctly classified and reflected in file extension (.feature.md, .bug.md, .refactor.md, .test.md, .docs.md, .chore.md, .ci.md)
  • Original user input preserved in "Initial User Prompt" section
  • Description is empty placeholder // Will be filled in future stages by business analyst

Examples

Test task (.specs/tasks/draft/add-unit-tests-auth.test.md):

---
title: Add unit tests for auth module
---

## Initial User Prompt

add tests for auth

## Description

// Will be filled in future stages by business analyst

Bug with context (.specs/tasks/draft/fix-login-timeout.bug.md):

---
title: Fix login timeout on slow connections
---

## Initial User Prompt

users getting 504 errors on slow wifi

## Description

// Will be filled in future stages by business analyst

Feature request (.specs/tasks/draft/implement-dark-mode.feature.md):

---
title: Implement dark mode toggle
---

## Initial User Prompt

add dark mode to settings page

## Description

// Will be filled in future stages by business analyst
general reviews

Ratings

4.510 reviews
  • Shikha Mishra· Oct 10, 2024

    sdd:add-task is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.

  • Piyush G· Sep 9, 2024

    Keeps context tight: sdd:add-task is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

  • Chaitanya Patil· Aug 8, 2024

    Registry listing for sdd:add-task matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.

  • Sakshi Patil· Jul 7, 2024

    sdd:add-task reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.

  • Ganesh Mohane· Jun 6, 2024

    I recommend sdd:add-task for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.

  • Oshnikdeep· May 5, 2024

    Useful defaults in sdd:add-task — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • Dhruvi Jain· Apr 4, 2024

    sdd:add-task has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.

  • Rahul Santra· Mar 3, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: sdd:add-task is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • Pratham Ware· Feb 2, 2024

    We added sdd:add-task from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.

  • Yash Thakker· Jan 1, 2024

    sdd:add-task fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.