Generate Actionable Project Plans

Provides a framework for breaking down work into clear, actionable tasks with verification criteria - emphasizing short, project-specific plans over rigid templates.

Use this skill when starting a new project from scratch, adding a feature, fixing a complex bug, or refactoring multiple files. Not a fit for trivial single-step changes that don't need a written plan, and never use a fixed template copy-pasted across unrelated tasks - each plan must be unique to its specific task.

Core task breakdown principles: each task should take 2-5 minutes with one clear outcome and be independently verifiable; verification must answer how you know it's done, what you can check or test, and what output is expected; ordering must identify dependencies, allow parallel work where possible, and always place a verification phase last; and plan files are saved as {task-slug}.md in the project root (e.g. "add auth" becomes auth-feature.md), never inside .claude/, docs/, or temp folders.

Five planning principles govern content: keep it short (5-10 clear tasks max, one page limit, no micro-step listing); be specific not generic (e.g. "Run npx create-next-app" instead of "Set up project", "Install next-auth, create /api/auth/[...nextauth].ts" instead of "Add authentication"); tailor content dynamically by project type (new project needs tech stack/MVP/file structure decisions, feature addition needs affected files/dependencies/verification, bug fix needs root cause/file-line/test); choose scripts by project type rather than copy-pasting all available scripts (frontend gets ux_audit.py/accessibility_checker.py, backend gets api_validator.py/security_scan.py, mobile gets mobile_audit.py, database gets schema_validator.py); and keep verification simple and concrete (e.g. "curl localhost:3000/api/users returns 200" instead of "Test the API").

The flexible plan structure is minimal: a one-sentence goal, a task checklist where each item pairs a specific action with a verification step, a "Done When" success criteria list, and optional notes - with no forced phases or sub-sections unless truly needed.

Best practices summarize the approach: start with the goal, cap plans at roughly 10 tasks (splitting into multiple plans if more are needed), ensure every task has clear done criteria, keep content project-specific rather than templated, and update checkboxes as work progresses.

References project-type-specific validation scripts (ux_audit.py, accessibility_checker.py, api_validator.py, security_scan.py, mobile_audit.py, schema_validator.py) selected based on what the task actually touches.

Developers and agents writing implementation plans for new projects, features, bug fixes, or refactors who need short, concretely verifiable task lists rather than templated, over-specified project plans.

### Tasks
- [ ] Task 1: [Specific action] -> Verify: [How to check]