TASKS.md Template
Section titled “TASKS.md Template”Templates for per-project task specification files. Use with Superpowers, headless mode, or manual task tracking.
Template 1: Feature Development (Superpowers-Compatible)
Section titled “Template 1: Feature Development (Superpowers-Compatible)”# Project Tasks
> Generated: YYYY-MM-DD> Status: [Planning | In Progress | Testing | Complete]
## Current Sprint
### Feature: [Feature Name]
**Context:**[Brief description of what this feature does and why it's needed]
**Acceptance Criteria:**- [ ] Criterion 1- [ ] Criterion 2- [ ] Criterion 3
**Tasks:**- [ ] Write failing tests for [component]- [ ] Verify tests fail (RED)- [ ] Implement minimal [component] logic- [ ] Verify tests pass (GREEN)- [ ] Refactor if needed- [ ] Commit with message: "feat: [description]"- [ ] Integration test across [systems]- [ ] Update documentation
**Dependencies:**- Blocked by: [Task name or #ID]- Blocks: [Task name or #ID]
**Notes:**[Any technical decisions, trade-offs, or context]
---
### Bug Fix: [Bug Name]
**Problem:**[What's broken and how it manifests]
**Root Cause:**[What investigation revealed]
**Fix:**- [ ] Write regression test reproducing bug- [ ] Verify test fails with current code- [ ] Implement fix in [file:line]- [ ] Verify test passes- [ ] Check for similar patterns in [related files]- [ ] Commit with message: "fix: [description]"
---
## Backlog
- [ ] [Task description] - [Est: Xh]- [ ] [Task description] - [Est: Xh]
---
## Completed
- [x] [Completed task] - YYYY-MM-DD- [x] [Completed task] - YYYY-MM-DDTemplate 2: Overnight Autonomous Run (Ralph Loop)
Section titled “Template 2: Overnight Autonomous Run (Ralph Loop)”# Autonomous Task List
> Run Date: YYYY-MM-DD> Target: Overnight execution via ralph-loop> Est. Duration: 6-8 hours> Max Iterations: 50
## Success Criteria
All tasks below completed with:- Tests passing- No grep matches for stale references- Atomic commit per task- No manual intervention required
## Tasks
### 1. Refactor Authentication Module
**Goal:** Extract auth logic into standalone service
**Steps:**- [ ] Create new AuthService class in `services/auth_service.py`- [ ] Move login logic from views.py to AuthService- [ ] Update unit tests to mock AuthService- [ ] Run full test suite: `pytest tests/`- [ ] Commit: "refactor: extract auth logic into AuthService"
**Completion Check:**```bashpytest tests/auth/ && grep -r "TODO_AUTH" src/2. Update Deprecated API Calls
Section titled “2. Update Deprecated API Calls”Goal: Replace old API v1 calls with v2
Steps:
- Find all v1 API calls:
grep -r "api/v1" src/ - Replace with v2 equivalents per migration guide
- Update response parsing for new schema
- Run integration tests:
pytest tests/integration/ - Commit: “chore: migrate from API v1 to v2”
Completion Check:
! grep -r "api/v1" src/ && pytest tests/integration/3. Generate Missing Documentation
Section titled “3. Generate Missing Documentation”Goal: Add docstrings to all public methods in core/ module
Steps:
- Scan for missing docstrings:
pylint --disable=all --enable=missing-docstring core/ - Add Google-style docstrings to each flagged method
- Generate API docs:
sphinx-build -b html docs/ docs/_build/ - Commit: “docs: add docstrings to core module”
Completion Check:
pylint --disable=all --enable=missing-docstring core/ && test -f docs/_build/index.htmlRollback Plan
Section titled “Rollback Plan”If any task fails after 3 attempts:
- Commit current progress with
WIP:prefix - Create
OVERNIGHT_FAILURES.mdwith error details - Stop execution (do NOT continue to next task)
Morning Review Checklist
Section titled “Morning Review Checklist”- Check git log for commits
- Run full test suite manually
- Review code changes for quality
- Check OVERNIGHT_FAILURES.md if exists
- Update this file with lessons learned
---
## Template 3: Simple Checklist (Lightweight)
```markdown# Tasks
## Today- [ ] Task 1- [ ] Task 2- [ ] Task 3
## This Week- [ ] Task 4- [ ] Task 5
## Backlog- [ ] Task 6- [ ] Task 7
## Done- [x] Previous task - 2026-02-08Usage Guidelines
Section titled “Usage Guidelines”When to Use Which Template
Section titled “When to Use Which Template”| Template | Use Case | Tool Compatibility |
|---|---|---|
| Feature Development | Interactive sessions, complex features requiring TDD | Superpowers, manual |
| Overnight Autonomous | Batch operations, refactors, bulk changes | Ralph Loop, headless CC |
| Simple Checklist | KB work, quick tasks, personal projects | Manual, /ptr command |
Best Practices
Section titled “Best Practices”- One TASKS.md per project - Lives in project root, version-controlled
- Clear completion criteria - Each task should have verifiable done state
- Atomic tasks - Each task = one commit (aids git bisect, rollback)
- Include test commands - Make verification automated and repeatable
- Link to context - Reference design docs, issues, or requirements
Integration with _Now/_Next Workflow
Section titled “Integration with _Now/_Next Workflow”_Now.md points to projects:
- Monorepo: see TASKS.md- Python utils: see TASKS.md- KB: reorganize 04_AI/ (no TASKS.md needed, simple work)Next*.md captures cross-project insights:
Source: _Now.md -- "Completed monorepo auth refactor"
## Lessons Learned- Ralph loop completed 8/10 tasks overnight- Failed on task 9 due to test environment issue- Solution: Add env setup check to task 1Advanced: Multi-Project Coordination
Section titled “Advanced: Multi-Project Coordination”For complex work spanning multiple repos:
## Project: Launch Marketing Site
### Backend (api-repo)- [ ] See `api-repo/TASKS.md`- Dependency: Must complete before frontend
### Frontend (web-repo)- [ ] See `web-repo/TASKS.md`- Blocked by: Backend API endpoints
### Infrastructure (infra-repo)- [ ] See `infra-repo/TASKS.md`- Parallel: Can run alongside backend/frontendThen use CC Native TaskCreate with addBlockedBy for coordination across parallel agents.
Resources
Section titled “Resources”- Superpowers: https://github.com/obra/superpowers
- Ralph Loop: Official CC plugin for autonomous loops
- planning-with-files: https://github.com/OthmanAdi/planning-with-files
- GSD methodology: https://github.com/glittercowboy/get-shit-done