# ship-checklist

A definition-of-done skill for the ax graph: it checks that a new write has a read path an agent can find, not just a manual CLI run.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · ★ 121
- Author: Necmttn
- License: AGPL-3.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/Necmttn/ax/tree/HEAD/skills/ship-checklist/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-07
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/ship-checklist

## What it does

The skill targets a repeated miss in ax. A write ships together with an on-demand CLI read, and the agent-facing side never happens. A signal you only see when you run the CLI by hand stays invisible to the self-improvement loop, so the work is not finished until an agent can surface it unprompted.

Six sections make up the checklist: write, on-demand read, proactive read, docs, onboarding, verify. The write section covers the schema in `schema.surql` and its registration in `SCHEMA_TABLES`, an idempotent ingest that respects `since`, and denormalization for reads without record derefs inside aggregates. One line asks whether history gets the signal or only new data.

Section C is the reason the skill exists: an MCP tool in `apps/axctl/src/mcp/tools.ts`, the `ax improve recommend` generator, wiring into `ax insights`, a dojo agenda item, and a skill that teaches an agent to act on the signal. You may skip a row, but the PR has to name it and explain why. Run the checklist before you open the PR.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Necmttn/ax --skill ship-checklist -a claude-code
```

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

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Necmttn/ax --skill ship-checklist -a codex
```

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

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Necmttn/ax --skill ship-checklist -a cursor
```

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

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install Necmttn/ax ship-checklist
```

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

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Necmttn/ax --skill ship-checklist -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/Necmttn/ax --path skills/ship-checklist
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Necmttn/ax --skill ship-checklist -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/Necmttn/ax/tree/HEAD/skills/ship-checklist/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- confirm a new graph write has a read path an agent can find
- remember the MCP tool and proposal generator for a new signal
- flag that a signal stays dark until re-ingest
- paste live-verified output into the PR body
- walk sections A through F before opening the pull request

## Example prompts
- Run ship-checklist on the new `signal_events` table before I open the PR
- I added a signal — check section C and tell me what is missing
- Is this ready to merge? Go through the ship-checklist

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From the same set: [necmttn/ax](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/necmttn/ax.md) — 3 cards

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md