Agent Instructions

This project uses bd (beads) for issue tracking. Run bd onboard to get started.

Quick Reference

bd ready              # Find available work
bd show <id>          # View issue details
bd update <id> --status in_progress  # Claim work
bd close <id>         # Complete work
bd sync               # Sync with git

Issue Tracking with bd (beads)

IMPORTANT: This project uses bd (beads) for ALL issue tracking. Do NOT use markdown TODOs, task lists, or other tracking methods.

Why bd?

Dependency-aware: Track blockers and relationships between issues
Git-friendly: Auto-syncs to JSONL for version control
Agent-optimized: JSON output, ready work detection, discovered-from links
Prevents duplicate tracking systems and confusion

Quick Start

Check for ready work:

bd ready --json

Create new issues:

bd create "Issue title" --description="Detailed context" -t bug|feature|task -p 0-4 --json
bd create "Issue title" --description="What this issue is about" -p 1 --deps discovered-from:bd-123 --json

Claim and update:

bd update bd-42 --status in_progress --json
bd update bd-42 --priority 1 --json

Complete work:

bd close bd-42 --reason "Completed" --json

Issue Types

bug - Something broken
feature - New functionality
task - Work item (tests, docs, refactoring)
epic - Large feature with subtasks
chore - Maintenance (dependencies, tooling)

Priorities

0 - Critical (security, data loss, broken builds)
1 - High (major features, important bugs)
2 - Medium (default, nice-to-have)
3 - Low (polish, optimization)
4 - Backlog (future ideas)

Workflow for AI Agents

Check ready work: bd ready shows unblocked issues
Claim your task: bd update <id> --status in_progress
Work on it: Implement, test, document
Discover new work? Create linked issue:
- bd create "Found bug" --description="Details about what was found" -p 1 --deps discovered-from:<parent-id>
Complete: bd close <id> --reason "Done"

Auto-Sync

bd automatically syncs with git:

Exports to .beads/issues.jsonl after changes (5s debounce)
Imports from JSONL when newer (e.g., after git pull)
No manual export/import needed!

Important Rules

✅ Use bd for ALL task tracking
✅ Always use --json flag for programmatic use
✅ Link discovered work with discovered-from dependencies
✅ Check bd ready before asking "what should I work on?"
❌ Do NOT create markdown TODO lists
❌ Do NOT use external issue trackers
❌ Do NOT duplicate tracking systems

For more details, see README.md and docs/QUICKSTART.md.

Landing the Plane (Session Completion)

When ending a work session, you MUST complete ALL steps below. Work is NOT complete until git push succeeds.

MANDATORY WORKFLOW:

File issues for remaining work - Create issues for anything that needs follow-up
Run quality gates (if code changed) - Tests, linters, builds
Update issue status - Close finished work, update in-progress items

PUSH TO REMOTE - This is MANDATORY:

git pull --rebase
bd sync
git push
git status  # MUST show "up to date with origin"

Clean up - Clear stashes, prune remote branches
Verify - All changes committed AND pushed
Hand off - Provide context for next session

CRITICAL RULES:

Work is NOT complete until git push succeeds
NEVER stop before pushing - that leaves work stranded locally
NEVER say "ready to push when you are" - YOU must push
If push fails, resolve and retry until it succeeds

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