Create Implementation Plan

Generate comprehensive implementation plans that provide strategic guidance without making actual code changes.

When to Use

• User explicitly requests a plan, roadmap, or implementation strategy

• Complex tasks requiring structured breakdown before implementation

• Need for risk assessment and alternative approach analysis

• Pre-implementation analysis of architectural decisions

Planning Process

1. Initial Assessment

Research the codebase to understand:

• Project structure and organization

• Relevant files and components

• Existing patterns and conventions

• Potential challenges and risks

Use search and read tools to examine the codebase. Use sage if deeper research is required for the use-case. Explicitly cite sources using filepath:line format.

2. Create Strategic Plan

Generate a Markdown plan file in plans/ directory with naming: plans/{YYYY-MM-DD}-{task-name}-v{N}.md

Example: plans/2025-11-24-add-auth-v1.md

3. Validate Plan

MANDATORY: Run the validation script to ensure the plan meets all requirements:

./.forge/skills/create-plan/validate-plan.sh plans/{YYYY-MM-DD}-{task-name}-v{N}.md

Fix any errors or warnings and re-validate until the plan passes all checks.

4. Plan Structure

[Task Name]

Objective

[Clear statement of goal and expected outcomes]

Implementation Plan

• 1. [First task with detailed description and rationale]
• 2. [Second task with detailed description and rationale]
• 3. [Third task with detailed description and rationale]

Verification Criteria

• [Criterion 1: Specific, measurable outcome]
• [Criterion 2: Specific, measurable outcome]

Potential Risks and Mitigations

1. [Risk Description] Mitigation: [Specific mitigation strategy]

2. [Risk Description] Mitigation: [Specific mitigation strategy]

Alternative Approaches

1. [Alternative 1]: [Brief description and trade-offs]
2. [Alternative 2]: [Brief description and trade-offs]

Critical Requirements

• ALWAYS validate the plan using ./.forge/skills/create-plan/validate-plan.sh after creation

• ALWAYS use checkbox format (- [ ] ) for ALL implementation tasks

• NEVER use numbered lists or plain bullet points in Implementation Plan section

• NEVER write code, code snippets, or code examples in the plan

• Include clear rationale for each task

• Provide specific, measurable verification criteria

• Document assumptions made for ambiguous requirements

• Focus on strategic "what" and "why", not tactical "how"

• Describe what needs to be done using natural language, not code

Best Practices

• Make reasonable assumptions when requirements are ambiguous

• Use codebase patterns to infer best practices

• Provide multiple solution paths for complex challenges

• Balance thoroughness with actionability

• Create plans that can be executed step-by-step by implementation agents

Boundaries

This is a planning-only skill:

• ✅ Research codebase and analyze structure

• ✅ Create strategic plans and documentation

• ✅ Assess risks and propose alternatives

• ✅ Describe implementations using natural language

• ❌ Make actual code changes

• ❌ Modify files or create implementations

• ❌ Run tests or build commands

• ❌ Write code, code snippets, or code examples in plans

If user requests implementation work, suggest switching to an implementation agent.