Our review
This skill implements a persistent, file-based planning system that helps AI agents manage complex, multi-step tasks by creating and updating markdown files for tracking phases, progress, and findings.
Strengths
- Provides a structured, persistent approach that survives conversation resets.
- Reduces context window pressure by offloading state to files.
- Encourages granular step tracking and immediate updates, improving agent reliability.
- Supports easy resumption of interrupted tasks via resume_last_run.
Limitations
- Relies on the agent correctly calling tools; improper usage can lead to outdated plan files.
- Limited to the current working directory—no cross-project planning.
- No built-in collaboration or sharing capabilities among multiple agents.
Use this skill for any complex, multi-phase development task where task breakdown and progress tracking are critical and where conversation history alone may be insufficient.
Avoid this skill for very simple, single-step tasks where the overhead of creating and maintaining plan files would be unnecessary.
Security analysis
SafeThe skill only manages three markdown planning files and does not perform any destructive, network, or arbitrary code execution operations. It is limited to the listed planning tools, which are harmless.
No concerns found
Examples
Initiate a planning session to build a Python web scraper with BeautifulSoup. Include phases for research, setup, implementation, and testing.I was working on a plan to develop a REST API but got interrupted. Please resume the last run and continue where I left off.Add a finding: under 'Technical Decisions', record that we chose PostgreSQL over MySQL because of better JSON support.name: planner description: File-based planning system. allowed-tools:
- init_planning
- resume_last_run
- read_plan
- update_plan_status
- mark_step_complete
- add_finding
- erase_plans
Planner Skill
This skill implements a persistent planning pattern using markdown files.
Files Managed
task_plan.md: Tracks phases, progress, and high-level goal.findings.md: Records research, technical decisions, and resources.progress.md: Detailed session log of actions and thoughts.
Tools
init_planning
Initialize the planning files in the current working directory. For coding task, you do not have to provide rigorous testing.
task_description: What needs to be done.phases: List of high-level phases.phase_steps: REQUIRED. List of lists of strings. Each inner list provides the detailed checklist steps for the corresponding phase.- Example:
[["Research the official API documentation for authentication methods", "Read the developer guides on rate limiting strategies"], ["Set up the initial project structure using Python Poetry and git", "Implement the core logic for the connection manager class"]]
- Example:
resume_last_run
Reads existing planning files to allow the agent to resume an interrupted task.
Returns the content of task_plan.md and the recent log from progress.md.
read_plan
Read the current status from the planning files.
update_plan_status
Update the status of a phase in task_plan.md and log a note in progress.md.
phase_name: Name of the phase.status: New status (pending, in_progress, completed).notes: Optional note to append to progress log.
mark_step_complete
Mark a specific step in task_plan.md as complete ([x]).
phase_name: The name of the phase containing the step.step_keyword: A unique substring to identify the step line.
add_finding
Record a finding, decision, or resource in findings.md.
category: Target section ("Requirements", "Research", "Technical Decisions", "Resources").content: The text to add. For technical decisions, you can use markdown table row format| Decision | Rationale |.
erase_plans
Quickly erase existing plans in artifacts/cache by deleting the three planning files.
- This is useful when you want to start fresh without any leftover plan files.
- No parameters needed.
Best Practices for Agents
- Start Strong: Always begin complex tasks with
init_planning. Break down phases into granular, actionable steps inphase_stepsrather than broad goals. - Update Frequently: As you complete sub-tasks, use
mark_step_completeIMMEDIATELY. This acts as a "save point" and keeps your reasoning grounded. - Log Discoveries: Don't rely on conversation history for long-term facts. Use
add_findingto record important URLs, file paths, or architectural decisions. - Transition Phases: When a phase is done, explicitly use
update_plan_statusto mark it ascompletedand the next one asin_progress. - Resume Smart: If you see existing plan files, prefer
resume_last_runover starting from scratch.
Next.js App Router Expert
Development
A skill that turns Claude into a Next.js App Router expert.
README Generator
Development
Creates professional and comprehensive README.md files for your projects.
API Documentation Writer
Development
Generates comprehensive API documentation in OpenAPI/Swagger format.