backlog (Codex)
Use this skill to mirror the Claude /backlog plugin flows inside Codex. It assumes the repository follows the tasks/ structure described in the plugin README.
Responsibilities
- •Enumerate tasks by reading
tasks/INDEX.mdwhen present, otherwise infer fromtasks/[PREFIX]-[N]directories. - •Display task details by reading
tasks/[ID]/PRD.md,PROGRESS.md, andREVIEW.md. - •Launch work by creating/updating a worktree and generating
PROMPT.md+PROGRESS.mdguidance. - •Move tasks through
pending -> in_progress -> review -> completeand archive when done.
How to Use
- •
status: Summarize tasks by status with dependencies and worktrees. Prefertasks/INDEX.md; if missing, scantasks/*exceptarchive/. - •
read <ID>: Normalize IDs (allowP-5or5with detected prefix). Output PRD highlights (title, goals, acceptance criteria) and the latest progress/review notes. - •
work <ID>: Start working on a task in the current session (no worktree). Creates PROMPT.md, marks statusin_progress. Use for quick/simple tasks. - •
launch <ID>:- •Resolve repo root (
git rev-parse --show-toplevel) and expected worktree branch (commonlyfeature/<kebab>from PRD). - •Create or reuse worktree via
plugins/backlog/scripts/wt-create.sh <branch> [repo-root]. - •Generate/refresh
PROMPT.mdin the worktree root with: task summary, completion promise (TASK_COMPLETE), instructions to updatetasks/[ID]/PROGRESS.md, and memory/compact guidance. - •Ensure
tasks/[ID]/PROGRESS.mdexists with a Checkpoints section; append a new entry noting the launch. - •Mark status
in_progressintasks/INDEX.md(or add frontmatter to PRD if no index). - •Print launch steps for the user (
cd <worktree>, run Claude/Codex, start agent loop).
- •Resolve repo root (
- •
complete <ID>: Complete a task. Supports two modes:- •In-session mode (from
/backlog:work): Commits changes, rebases if on feature branch, merges to main, removes PROMPT.md, marks complete. - •Worktree mode (from
/backlog:launch): Two-phase workflow - Phase 1 from worktree (rebase, mark pending), Phase 2 from main (merge, archive, cleanup).
- •In-session mode (from
- •
prune [<ID>|--all]: Move completed/reviewed tasks totasks/archive/, updateINDEX.md, and list any stale worktrees to delete (useplugins/backlog/scripts/wt-remove.sh <branch> [repo-root]). - •
review <ID>: Transition task to code review mode (not task definition audit - use/design:reviewfor that). Updates PROMPT.md in worktree to switch from implementation to code review. - •
list: Readtasks/INDEX.mdand display formatted table with columns: ID, Title, Status, Dependencies, Worktree. Include summary counts and next actions. Use--worktrees-onlyto show only active worktrees.
Key Files
- •
tasks/INDEX.md— canonical task table (layer name, prefix, status, worktree, deps). - •
tasks/[ID]/PRD.md,PROGRESS.md,REVIEW.md— task docs to read/write. - •
PROMPT.md(in worktrees) — agent instructions; regenerate when launching if stale. - •Scripts:
plugins/backlog/scripts/wt-create.sh,wt-remove.sh(worktree management),deps.sh(dependency checks).
Conventions
- •Layer/prefix detection: read
tasks/INDEX.mdforlayer/prefix; else derive prefix from repo/dir name first letter. - •Status icons: 🆕
pending, 🚀in_progress, 📋review, ✅complete. Respect any existing icon mapping. - •Dependencies: mark tasks blocked if prerequisites are not
complete/review. - •Be non-destructive with user files; append to
PROGRESS.mdinstead of overwriting unless asked.