planning-and-task-breakdown

Decompose specifications into ordered, verifiable implementation tasks with acceptance criteria.

Updated Mar 14, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/yourlabpt/yourlabpt_website --skill planning-and-task-breakdown-yourlabpt
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: planning-and-task-breakdown
Source: https://github.com/yourlabpt/yourlabpt_website/tree/main/projects/skills/planning-and-task-breakdown
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/yourlabpt/yourlabpt_website --skill planning-and-task-breakdown-yourlabpt

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Large or vague work items cause agents and developers to start coding without direction, producing tangled implementations and missed requirements. This Skill turns a spec into a written plan with small, testable tasks, explicit dependencies, and verification checkpoints. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Structured Planning Process: Guides read-only exploration, dependency graph mapping, and vertical slicing so each task delivers working, testable functionality. - Task Templates with Acceptance Criteria: Every task includes acceptance criteria, verification steps, dependencies, files touched, and size estimates (XS through XL). - Flexible Output Targets: Writes plans to tasks/plan.md and tasks to tasks/todo.md by default, or maps tasks onto external trackers like GitHub Issues, Jira, or Linear. - Use Case: Given a spec for a user authentication feature, produce a plan that slices work into vertical tasks (registration, login, session handling) with checkpoints after each phase, instead of building the entire database layer first. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to read the feature spec and break the work into an ordered task list with acceptance criteria saved to tasks/plan.md and tasks/todo.md.

Frequently Asked Questions about planning-and-task-breakdown

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I break a large feature spec into implementable tasks?▼

Map the dependency graph first, then slice vertically so each task delivers one complete working feature path rather than building entire layers horizontally. Give every task acceptance criteria, verification steps, and a size estimate of five files or fewer.

What is vertical slicing in task breakdown?▼

Vertical slicing builds one complete feature path across all layers (schema, API, UI) per task instead of completing one layer at a time. Each slice produces working, testable functionality, such as a full user registration flow.

Can I use GitHub Issues or Jira instead of a markdown task list?▼

Yes. If the project's agent rules or the user designate an external tracker, create one tracker item per task instead of writing tasks/todo.md. Map acceptance criteria into the item body and dependencies via the tracker's linking mechanism, and note the tracker in tasks/plan.md.

When should a task be broken down further?▼

Break a task down when it exceeds roughly five files, takes more than one focused session, needs more than three acceptance criteria bullets, touches multiple independent subsystems, or contains 'and' in its title. Tasks sized L or larger should always be split.

What happens if a tasks/plan.md file already exists?▼

The Skill never overwrites an incomplete plan. If the existing file covers the same work, it updates in place; if it covers different work with unchecked tasks, it stops and asks the user before proceeding, since those tasks may be mid-build in another session.