27 added, 1 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: kiro-spec-tasks
description: Generate implementation tasks from requirements and design. Use when creating actionable task lists.
- allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep
+ allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Agent
argument-hint: <feature-name> [-y] [--sequential]
metadata:
shared-rules: "tasks-generation.md, tasks-parallel-analysis.md"
---
# kiro-spec-tasks Skill
## Core Mission
- **Success Criteria**:
- All requirements mapped to specific tasks
- Tasks properly sized (1-3 hours each)
- Clear task progression with proper hierarchy
- Natural language descriptions focused on capabilities
+ - A lightweight task-plan sanity review confirms the task graph is executable before `tasks.md` is written
## Execution Steps
### Step 1: Gather Context
If steering/spec context is already available from conversation, skip redundant file reads.
Otherwise, load all necessary context:
- `{{KIRO_DIR}}/specs/{feature}/spec.json`, `requirements.md`, `design.md`
- `{{KIRO_DIR}}/specs/{feature}/tasks.md` (if exists, for merge mode)
- Core steering context: `product.md`, `tech.md`, `structure.md`
- Additional steering files only when directly relevant to requirements coverage, design boundaries, runtime prerequisites, or team conventions that affect task executability
- Determine execution mode:
- `sequential = (sequential flag is true)`
**Validate approvals**:
- If auto-approve flag (`-y`) is true: Auto-approve requirements and design in spec.json. Tasks approval is also handled automatically in Step 4.
- Otherwise: Verify both approved (stop if not, see Safety & Fallback)
### Step 2: Generate Implementation Tasks
- Read `rules/tasks-generation.md` from this skill's directory for principles
- Read `rules/tasks-parallel-analysis.md` from this skill's directory for parallel judgement criteria
- Read `{{KIRO_DIR}}/settings/templates/specs/tasks.md` for format (supports `(P)` markers)
#### Parallel Research
The following research areas are independent and can be executed in parallel:
1. **Context loading**: Spec documents (requirements.md, design.md), steering files
2. **Rules loading**: tasks-generation.md, tasks-parallel-analysis.md, tasks template
After all parallel research completes, synthesize findings before generating tasks.
**Generate task list following all rules**:
- Use language specified in spec.json
- Map all requirements to tasks and list numeric requirement IDs only (comma-separated) without descriptive suffixes, parentheses, translations, or free-form labels
- Ensure all design components included
- Verify task progression is logical and incremental
+ - Ensure each executable sub-task includes at least one detail bullet that states what "done" looks like in observable terms
+ - Keep normal implementation tasks within a single responsibility boundary; if work crosses boundaries, make it an explicit integration task
- Apply `(P)` markers to tasks that satisfy parallel criteria when `!sequential`
- Explicitly note dependencies preventing `(P)` when tasks appear parallel but are not safe
- If sequential mode is true, omit `(P)` entirely
- If existing tasks.md found, merge with new content
### Step 3: Review Task Plan
- Keep the draft task plan in working memory; do NOT write `tasks.md` yet
- Run the `Task Plan Review Gate` from `rules/tasks-generation.md`
- Review coverage:
- Every requirement ID appears in at least one task
- Every design component, contract, integration point, runtime prerequisite, and validation concern is represented
- Review executability:
- Each sub-task is an executable 1-3 hour work unit
- Each sub-task has a verifiable deliverable
+ - Each executable sub-task includes an observable completion bullet
- No implicit prerequisites remain hidden
- `_Depends:_`, `_Boundary:_`, and `(P)` markers still match the dependency graph and architecture boundaries
- If issues are task-plan-local, repair the draft and re-run the review gate before writing
- Keep the review bounded to at most 2 repair passes
- If review exposes a real requirements/design gap or contradiction, stop and send the user back to requirements/design instead of inventing filler tasks
+ ### Step 3.5: Run Task-Graph Sanity Review
+
+ Before writing `tasks.md`, run one lightweight independent sanity review of the task graph.
+
+ - If fresh subagent dispatch is available, spawn one fresh review subagent for this step. Otherwise perform the same review in the current context.
+ - Provide only file paths, the draft task plan, and merge context if an existing `tasks.md` is being updated. The reviewer should read `requirements.md`, `design.md`, and the task-generation rules directly instead of relying on a parent-synthesized coverage summary.
+ - Check only:
+ - hidden prerequisites or missing setup tasks
+ - dependency or ordering mistakes
+ - boundary overlap or ambiguous ownership between tasks
+ - tasks that are too large, too vague, cross boundaries without being explicit integration tasks, or are missing a verifiable deliverable
+ - contradictions introduced between requirements, design, and the task graph
+ - Return one verdict:
+ - `PASS`
+ - `NEEDS_FIXES`
+ - `RETURN_TO_DESIGN`
+ - If `NEEDS_FIXES`, repair the draft once and re-run the sanity review one time.
+ - If `RETURN_TO_DESIGN`, stop without writing `tasks.md` and point back to the exact gap in requirements/design.
+ - Keep this bounded. Do not turn it into a second full planning cycle.
+
### Step 4: Finalize
**Write tasks.md**:
- Create/update `{{KIRO_DIR}}/specs/{feature}/tasks.md`
- Update spec.json metadata:
- Set `phase: "tasks-generated"`
- Set `approvals.tasks.generated: true, approved: false`
- Set `approvals.requirements.approved: true`
- Set `approvals.design.approved: true`
- Update `updated_at` timestamp
**Approval**:
- If auto-approve flag (`-y`) is true:
- Set `approvals.tasks.approved: true` in spec.json
- Display task summary (task count, major groups, parallel markers)
- Respond: "Tasks generated and auto-approved. Start implementation with `/kiro-impl {feature}`"
- Otherwise (interactive):
- Display a summary of the generated tasks (task count, major groups, parallel markers)
- Ask the user: "Tasks generated. Approve and proceed to implementation?"
- If the user approves:
- Set `approvals.tasks.approved: true` in spec.json
- Respond: "Tasks approved. Start implementation with `/kiro-impl {feature}`"
- If the user wants changes:
- Keep `approvals.tasks.approved: false`
- Respond with guidance on what to adjust and re-run
## Critical Constraints
- **Task Integration**: Every task must connect to the system (no orphaned work)
- **Boundary annotations**: Required for `(P)` tasks, recommended for all (`_Boundary: ComponentName_`)
- **Explicit dependencies**: Cross-boundary non-obvious dependencies declared with `_Depends: X.X_`
- **Executable deliverable granularity**: Each task must produce a verifiable deliverable (file, endpoint, UI component, config). Infrastructure tasks (project scaffolding, manifest, host integration, build config) must be explicit — never assume they exist
+ - **Observable done state**: Each executable sub-task must include at least one detail bullet that makes the completed state visible without adding new bookkeeping fields
- **No implicit prerequisites**: If a task requires a runtime, SDK, framework setup, or config file, that setup must be a separate preceding task
## Output Description
Provide brief summary in the language specified in spec.json:
1. **Status**: Confirm tasks generated at `{{KIRO_DIR}}/specs/{feature}/tasks.md`
2. **Task Summary**:
- Total: X major tasks, Y sub-tasks
- All Z requirements covered
- Average task size: 1-3 hours per sub-task
3. **Quality Validation**:
- All requirements mapped to tasks
- Design coverage and runtime prerequisites reviewed
- Task dependencies verified
- Task plan review gate passed
+ - Independent task-graph sanity review passed
- Testing tasks included
4. **Next Action**: Review tasks and proceed when ready
**Format**: Concise (under 200 words)
## Safety & Fallback
### Error Scenarios
**Requirements or Design Not Approved**:
- **Stop Execution**: Cannot proceed without approved requirements and design
- **User Message**: "Requirements and design must be approved before task generation"
- **Suggested Action**: "Run `/kiro-spec-tasks {feature} -y` to auto-approve all (requirements, design, and tasks) and proceed"
**Missing Requirements or Design**:
- **Stop Execution**: Both documents must exist
- **User Message**: "Missing requirements.md or design.md at `{{KIRO_DIR}}/specs/{feature}/`"
- **Suggested Action**: "Complete requirements and design phases first"
**Incomplete Requirements Coverage**:
- **Warning**: "Not all requirements mapped to tasks. Review coverage."
- **User Action Required**: Confirm intentional gaps or regenerate tasks
**Spec Gap Found During Task Review**:
- **Stop Execution**: Do not write a patched-over `tasks.md`
- **User Message**: "Requirements/design do not provide enough clear coverage to generate an executable task plan"
- **Suggested Action**: "Refine requirements.md or design.md, then re-run `/kiro-spec-tasks {feature}`"
**Template/Rules Missing**:
- **User Message**: "Template or rules files missing in `{{KIRO_DIR}}/settings/`"
- **Fallback**: Use inline basic structure with warning
- **Suggested Action**: "Check repository setup or restore template files"
- **Missing Numeric Requirement IDs**:
- **Stop Execution**: All requirements in requirements.md MUST have numeric IDs. If any requirement lacks a numeric ID, stop and request that requirements.md be fixed before generating tasks.
### Next Phase: Implementation
Tasks are approved in Step 4 via user confirmation. Once approved:
- Autonomous implementation: `/kiro-impl {feature}`
- Specific tasks only: `/kiro-impl {feature} 1.1,1.2`