Backlog Workflow
A structured workflow for taking features from backlog to implementation using specialized agents.
Workflow Overview
Backlog → Triage → PRD → Plan → Refine → PRD (refined) → Implement → Code
Manual mode: Each step is human-triggered. Agents do not auto-chain.
Conductor mode: Run the conductor workflow to orchestrate all phases automatically until complete or blocked.
Workflow Actions
| Action | Agent | Purpose | Optional command alias |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triage | triager | Select task from backlog, create blank PRD | /triage |
Plan [slug] | planner | Create implementation plan | /plan [slug] |
Refine [slug] | refiner | Complete and validate PRD | /refine [slug] |
Implement [slug] | implementer | Execute plan on feature branch | /implement [slug] |
| Conduct | conductor | Orchestrate all phases in a loop | /conduct |
| Conduct phased run | conductor | Run specific phases only (e.g., triage,plan) | /conduct --phases X |
| Conduct targeted run | conductor | Process specific feature only | /conduct --slug X |
Slash commands are optional convenience wrappers. The workflow is designed to work with plain prompts and subagent invocation across tools.
Agents
Agents are minimal — they define role, boundaries, and tools. Methodology lives in skills.
| Agent | Branch | Writes To | Methodology Skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| triager | main | .backlog/prds/, .backlog/backlog.md | skills/backlog/triage/SKILL.md |
| refiner | main | .backlog/prds/ | skills/backlog/refine/SKILL.md |
| planner | main | .backlog/plans/, .backlog/prds/ | skills/backlog/plan/SKILL.md |
| implementer | feature/* | Source code | skills/backlog/implement/SKILL.md |
| conductor | main + feat | .backlog/, source code, action log | Orchestrates all of the above |
Naming Convention
The workflow uses descriptive slugs instead of numeric IDs:
| Artifact | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Backlog entry | [slug] Title | [user-auth] User Authentication |
| PRD file | PRD-[slug].md | PRD-user-auth.md |
| Plan file | PLAN-[slug].md | PLAN-user-auth.md |
| Branch | feat/[slug] | feat/user-auth |
Slugs: lowercase kebab-case, max 30 characters.
Status Flow
PRD Statuses
blank → refined → needs_review → approved
Only a human sets approved. The refiner sets refined or needs_review.
Plan Statuses
draft → needs_review → approved → implemented | partially_implemented
Only a human sets approved. The planner sets draft or needs_review.
Human Checkpoints
- After Triage: Review selected task, adjust if needed
- After Plan: Review plan, mark as
approvedif ready - After Refine: Review PRD, mark as
approvedif ready - After Implement: Review code, create PR manually
Project Setup
Each project using this workflow needs a .backlog/ directory:
your-project/
└── .backlog/
├── backlog.md
├── prds/
└── plans/
Example Usage
Manual Mode (step-by-step)
# Triage the highest priority task
"Use the triager agent to pick the highest-priority pending task and create a PRD."
# Create implementation plan
"Use the planner agent to create the implementation plan for user-auth."
# Refine a specific PRD
"Use the refiner agent to refine PRD-user-auth."
# Execute the plan
"Use the implementer agent to implement the approved plan for user-auth."
Conductor Mode (automated)
# Run full pipeline until complete or blocked
"Use the conductor agent to run the backlog pipeline until complete or blocked."
# Run only triage and plan phases
"Use the conductor agent and run only phases: triage,plan."
# Process specific feature only
"Use the conductor agent and process only slug: user-auth."
# Named conductor for parallel operation
"Use conductor name frontend and run phases triage,plan."
Parallel Conductors
Multiple conductors can run in parallel when handling different phases:
# Terminal 1: Create PRDs and plans
"Use conductor name frontend and run phases triage,plan."
# Terminal 2: Review plans
"Use conductor name reviewer and run phase refine."
# Terminal 3: Implement approved plans
"Use conductor name builder and run phase implement."