# plan-task

Turns a rough task spec into a plan with acceptance criteria, an architecture overview and verifiable phases, each gated by a judge.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1300 installs · ★ 1787
- Author: NeoLabHQ
- License: GPL-3.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit/tree/HEAD/skills/plan-task/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-08-26
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/plan-task

## What it does

Point it at a task file under `.specs/tasks/draft/`. The skill runs research, a pass over the codebase and a business-analysis stage at the same time; the last one tightens the description and writes acceptance criteria. Those results get merged into an architecture overview. Then the task is split into separate sub-task files, grouped into phases you can check on their own.

Behaviour is driven by flags. `--target-quality` sets the judge threshold, `--max-iterations` caps retries per phase, and `--included-stages` or `--skip` pick which stages run. `--fast` keeps only business analysis and decomposition while judges still score at a lower bar; `--one-shot` runs the same two stages with no judges at all. Use `--refine` to re-run only what a `git diff` of the task file affected, and `--human-in-the-loop` to pause after chosen phases.

The task file path is required and the file has to sit in `.specs/tasks/draft/`. When the run finishes, the task moves from `draft/` to `todo/`. With `--one-shot` nothing filters out a weak plan, so that mode is the wrong pick for work you care about.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill plan-task -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/plan-task/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/plan-task/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill plan-task -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/plan-task/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill plan-task -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/plan-task/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit plan-task
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/plan-task/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill plan-task -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --path skills/plan-task
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/plan-task/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill plan-task -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit/tree/HEAD/skills/plan-task/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- turn a rough task note into an implementable plan
- break a large task into sub-task files by verifiable phase
- get an architecture overview before writing code
- rerun affected stages after the spec was edited
- set a quality bar for automated phase checks

## Example prompts
- Refine `.specs/tasks/draft/add-validation.feature.md` with `--target-quality 4.0`
- Rerun only the affected stages for `.specs/tasks/draft/add-validation.feature.md` using `--refine`
- Pick up where it stopped for `.specs/tasks/draft/add-validation.feature.md` with `--continue`

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From the same set: [neolabhq/context-engineering-kit](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/neolabhq/context-engineering-kit.md) — 64 cards

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