Automated Test Planner
Creates Story test task with comprehensive automated test coverage (E2E/Integration/Unit) based on Risk-Based Testing methodology and REAL manual testing results.
Purpose & Scope
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Create comprehensive test task for Story automation
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Calculate risk-based priorities (Impact × Probability)
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Generate 11-section test plan from manual test results
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Delegate to ln-301-task-creator (CREATE) or ln-302-task-replanner (REPLAN)
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NOT for: manual testing (ln-512), research (ln-511), orchestration (ln-510)
When to Use This Skill
This skill should be used when:
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Invoked by ln-510-test-planner after ln-511 research and ln-512 manual testing
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All implementation tasks in Story are Done
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Manual testing results documented in Linear comment (from ln-512)
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Research findings available in Linear comment (from ln-511)
Prerequisites:
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All implementation Tasks in Story status = Done
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ln-511-test-researcher completed (research comment exists)
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ln-512-manual-tester completed (manual test results in Linear comment)
Automation: Supports autoApprove: true (default when invoked by ln-510) to skip manual confirmation.
When NOT to Use
Do NOT use if:
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Manual testing NOT completed → Wait for ln-512
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Research NOT completed → Wait for ln-511
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Implementation tasks NOT all Done → Complete impl tasks first
Workflow
Phase 1: Discovery (Automated)
Auto-discovers Team ID from docs/tasks/kanban_board.md (see CLAUDE.md "Configuration Auto-Discovery").
Input: Story ID from orchestrator (ln-510)
Phase 2: Story + Tasks Analysis (NO Dialog)
Step 0: Study Project Test Files
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Scan for test-related files:
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tests/README.md (commands, setup, environment)
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Test configs (jest.config.js, vitest.config.ts, pytest.ini)
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Existing test structure (tests/, tests/ directories)
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Coverage config (.coveragerc, coverage.json)
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Extract: test commands, framework, patterns, coverage thresholds
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Ensures test planning aligns with project practices
Step 1: Load Research and Manual Test Results
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Fetch Story from Linear (must have label "user-story")
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Extract Story.id (UUID) - Use UUID, NOT short ID (required for Linear API)
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Load research comment (from ln-511): "## Test Research: {Feature}"
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Load manual test results comment (from ln-512): "## Manual Testing Results"
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If not found → ERROR: Run ln-510-test-planner pipeline first
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Parse sections: AC results (PASS/FAIL), Edge Cases, Error Handling, Integration flows
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Map to test design: PASSED AC → E2E, Edge cases → Unit, Errors → Error handling, Flows → Integration
Step 2: Analyze Story + Tasks
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Parse Story: Goal, Test Strategy, Technical Notes
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Fetch all child Tasks (parentId = Story.id, status = Done) from Linear
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Analyze each Task:
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Components implemented
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Business logic added
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Integration points created
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Conditional branches (if/else/switch)
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Identify what needs testing
Phase 3: Parsing Strategy for Manual Test Results
Process: Locate Linear comment with "Manual Testing Results" header → Verify Format Version 1.0 → Extract structured sections (Acceptance Criteria, Test Results by AC, Edge Cases, Error Handling, Integration Testing) using regex → Validate (at least 1 PASSED AC, AC count matches Story, completeness check) → Map parsed data to test design structure
Error Handling: Missing comment → ERROR (run ln-512 first), Missing format version → WARNING (try legacy parsing), Required section missing → ERROR (re-run ln-512), No PASSED AC → ERROR (fix implementation)
Phase 4: Risk-Based Test Planning (Automated)
Reference: See references/risk_based_testing_guide.md for complete methodology.
E2E-First Approach: Prioritize by business risk (Priority = Impact x Probability), not coverage metrics.
Workflow:
Step 1: Risk Assessment
Calculate Priority for each scenario from manual testing:
Priority = Business Impact (1-5) x Probability (1-5)
Decision Criteria:
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Priority >=15 → MUST test
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Priority 9-14 → SHOULD test if not covered
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Priority <=8 → SKIP (manual testing sufficient)
Step 2: E2E Test Selection (2-5): Baseline 2 (positive + negative) ALWAYS + 0-3 additional (Priority >=15 only)
Step 3: Unit Test Selection (0-15): DEFAULT 0. Add ONLY for complex business logic (Priority >=15): financial, security, algorithms
Step 4: Integration Test Selection (0-8): DEFAULT 0. Add ONLY if E2E gaps AND Priority >=15: rollback, concurrency, external API errors
Step 5: Validation: Limits 2-28 total (realistic goal: 2-7). Auto-trim if >7 (keep 2 baseline + top 5 by Priority)
Phase 5: Test Task Generation (Automated)
Generates complete test task per test_task_template.md (11 sections):
Sections 1-7: Context, Risk Matrix, E2E/Integration/Unit Tests (with Priority scores + justifications), Coverage, DoD
Section 8: Existing Tests to Fix (analysis of affected tests from implementation tasks)
Section 9: Infrastructure Changes (packages, Docker, configs - based on test dependencies)
Section 10: Documentation Updates (README, CHANGELOG, tests/README, config docs)
Section 11: Legacy Code Cleanup (deprecated patterns, backward compat, dead code)
Shows preview for review.
Phase 6: Confirmation & Delegation
Step 1: Preview generated test plan (always displayed for transparency)
Step 2: Confirmation logic:
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autoApprove: true (default from ln-510) → proceed automatically
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Manual run → prompt user to type "confirm"
Step 3: Check for existing test task
Query Linear: list_issues(parentId=Story.id, labels=["tests"])
Decision:
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Count = 0 → CREATE MODE (Step 4a)
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Count >= 1 → REPLAN MODE (Step 4b)
Step 4a: CREATE MODE (if Count = 0)
Invoke ln-301-task-creator worker with taskType: "test"
Pass to worker:
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taskType, teamId, storyData (Story.id, title, AC, Technical Notes, Context)
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researchFindings (from ln-511 comment)
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manualTestResults (from ln-512 comment)
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testPlan (e2eTests, integrationTests, unitTests, riskPriorityMatrix)
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infrastructureChanges, documentationUpdates, legacyCleanup
Worker returns: Task URL + summary
Step 4b: REPLAN MODE (if Count >= 1)
Invoke ln-302-task-replanner worker with taskType: "test"
Pass to worker:
- Same data as CREATE MODE + existingTaskIds
Worker returns: Operations summary + warnings
Step 5: Return summary to orchestrator (ln-510)
Definition of Done
Research and Manual Results Loaded:
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Research comment "## Test Research: {Feature}" found (from ln-511)
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Manual test results "## Manual Testing Results" found (from ln-512)
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At least 1 AC marked as PASSED
Risk-Based Test Plan Generated:
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Risk Priority Matrix calculated for all scenarios
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E2E tests (2-5): Baseline 2 + additional 0-3 with Priority >=15
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Integration tests (0-8): ONLY if E2E doesn't cover AND Priority >=15
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Unit tests (0-15): ONLY complex business logic with Priority >=15
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Total tests: 2-7 realistic goal (hard limit: 2-28)
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No framework/library testing: Each test validates OUR business logic only
Test Task Description Complete (11 sections):
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All 11 sections populated per template
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Risk Priority Matrix included
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Each test beyond baseline 2 justified
Worker Delegation Executed:
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CREATE MODE: Delegated to ln-301-task-creator
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REPLAN MODE: Delegated to ln-302-task-replanner
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Linear Issue URL returned
Output:
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CREATE MODE: Linear Issue URL + confirmation
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REPLAN MODE: Operations summary + URLs
Reference Files
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Risk-based testing methodology: shared/references/risk_based_testing.md
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Auto-discovery patterns: shared/references/auto_discovery_pattern.md
risk_based_testing_guide.md
Purpose: Risk-Based Testing methodology (detailed guide)
Location: references/risk_based_testing_guide.md
test_task_template.md (CENTRALIZED)
Location: shared/templates/test_task_template.md
Usage: Workers (ln-301, ln-302) load via Template Loading logic
Best Practices
Minimum Viable Testing: Start with 2 E2E tests (positive + negative). Add more ONLY with critical justification. Realistic goal: 2-7 tests per Story.
Risk-Based Testing: Prioritize by Business Impact x Probability. E2E-first from ACTUAL manual testing results. Priority >=15 scenarios covered by tests.
Expected-Based Testing: For deterministic tests, compare actual vs expected using diff . See ln-512-manual-tester Test Design Principles.
Version: 1.0.0 (Initial release - extracted from ln-510-test-planner) Last Updated: 2026-01-15