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Create Implementation Plan

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Automate the creation of structured implementation plans.

by github37.7k stars on github/awesome-copilot
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Updated Aug 10, 2026
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What Create Implementation Plan does

The Create Implementation Plan skill is designed to facilitate the generation of comprehensive implementation plans for various software development tasks. Whether you're introducing new features, refactoring existing code, or upgrading packages, this skill provides a structured approach to documenting the necessary steps. It emphasizes machine-readability and deterministic outputs, making it suitable for both AI systems and human developers. By adhering to a strict template, the skill ensures that all plans are consistent and complete, reducing the likelihood of ambiguity.

This skill is particularly useful for teams working on complex projects where clarity and precision are paramount. It allows developers to outline implementation phases that can be independently executed, ensuring that tasks can be performed in parallel where possible. Each phase is clearly defined with measurable completion criteria, which aids in tracking progress and accountability. The structured format also supports automated processing, making it easier for AI agents to interpret and act on the plans generated.

In addition, the skill enforces strict validation rules to maintain the integrity of the implementation plans. This includes checks for duplicate identifiers and ensuring that all necessary sections are populated with actionable content. By following these guidelines, users can produce plans that are ready for execution without requiring further interpretation or clarification. The output files are saved in a designated directory with a clear naming convention, making it easy to manage and retrieve plans as needed.

Overall, the Create Implementation Plan skill is ideal for developers and teams looking to streamline their planning processes and enhance collaboration through clear, actionable documentation. By utilizing this skill, teams can ensure that their implementation plans are not only thorough but also readily usable by both AI systems and human stakeholders.

When to use it

Use this skill when you need to create detailed implementation plans for software development tasks, ensuring clarity and machine-readability.

When not to use it

This skill may not be suitable for informal or ad-hoc planning scenarios where flexibility and human interpretation are required.

What you can build with it

Feature Development

When planning a new feature, use this skill to create a detailed implementation plan that outlines all necessary tasks and requirements.

Code Refactoring

For refactoring existing code, generate a structured plan that specifies the steps and criteria for completion, ensuring clarity for all team members.

Package Upgrade Planning

When upgrading packages, utilize this skill to document the implementation steps and potential risks, making the process smoother and more organized.

How to install Create Implementation Plan

View source

1. Install with the skills CLI

npx skills add github/awesome-copilot/create-implementation-plan --agent claude-code

2. Or install it manually

Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.

Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs

Inside SKILL.md

Written by github

Create Implementation Plan

Primary Directive

Your goal is to create a new implementation plan file for ${input:PlanPurpose}. Your output must be machine-readable, deterministic, and structured for autonomous execution by other AI systems or humans.

Execution Context

This prompt is designed for AI-to-AI communication and automated processing. All instructions must be interpreted literally and executed systematically without human interpretation or clarification.

Core Requirements

  • Generate implementation plans that are fully executable by AI agents or humans
  • Use deterministic language with zero ambiguity
  • Structure all content for automated parsing and execution
  • Ensure complete self-containment with no external dependencies for understanding

Plan Structure Requirements

Plans must consist of discrete, atomic phases containing executable tasks. Each phase must be independently processable by AI agents or humans without cross-phase dependencies unless explicitly declared.

Phase Architecture

  • Each phase must have measurable completion criteria
  • Tasks within phases must be executable in parallel unless dependencies are specified
  • All task descriptions must include specific file paths, function names, and exact implementation details
  • No task should require human interpretation or decision-making

AI-Optimized Implementation Standards

  • Use explicit, unambiguous language with zero interpretation required
  • Structure all content as machine-parseable formats (tables, lists, structured data)
  • Include specific file paths, line numbers, and exact code references where applicable
  • Define all variables, constants, and configuration values explicitly
  • Provide complete context within each task description
  • Use standardized prefixes for all identifiers (REQ-, TASK-, etc.)
  • Include validation criteria that can be automatically verified

Output File Specifications

  • Save implementation plan files in /plan/ directory
  • Use naming convention: [purpose]-[component]-[version].md
  • Purpose prefixes: upgrade|refactor|feature|data|infrastructure|process|architecture|design
  • Example: upgrade-system-command-4.md, feature-auth-module-1.md
  • File must be valid Markdown with proper front matter structure

Mandatory Template Structure

All implementation plans must strictly adhere to the following template. Each section is required and must be populated with specific, actionable content. AI agents must validate template compliance before execution.

Template Validation Rules

  • All front matter fields must be present and properly formatted
  • All section headers must match exactly (case-sensitive)
  • All identifier prefixes must follow the specified format
  • Tables must include all required columns
  • No placeholder text may remain in the final output
  • Identifiers must be uniquely declared. Every identifier (REQ-NNN, SEC-NNN, CON-NNN, GUD-NNN, PAT-NNN, GOAL-NNN, TASK-NNN, ALT-NNN, DEP-NNN, FILE-NNN, TEST-NNN, RISK-NNN, ASSUMPTION-NNN) must be declared exactly once. A declaration is where the identifier introduces a row: the leading cell in a TASK/GOAL table row, or the bolded prefix in a bullet line like - **REQ-001**: .... The same identifier may then appear any number of times as a reference elsewhere in the plan (a TASK body citing a REQ, one TASK citing another TASK, the Dependencies section pointing at a DEP already declared upstream, etc.). References are expected and not collisions.

Identifier Uniqueness Check

Run these checks before finalizing the plan. Checks (1) and (2) target declarations and must return zero rows. Check (3) is a broad informational scan: it will surface valid references too, so use it for awareness rather than as a gate.

# Set PLAN_FILE to the plan being validated.
PLAN_FILE="/plan/<purpose>-<component>-<version>.md"

# 1) Duplicate TASK / GOAL declarations in table rows.
grep -oE '\| (TASK|GOAL)-[0-9]+ \|' "$PLAN_FILE" \
  | sed -E 's/.*((TASK|GOAL)-[0-9]+).*/\1/' \
  | sort | uniq -d

# 2) Duplicate declaration IDs in bullet-style spec lines.
grep -oE '^- \*\*(REQ|SEC|CON|GUD|RISK|ASSUMPTION|TASK|GOAL|FILE|TEST|PAT|ALT|DEP)-[0-9]+\*\*:' "$PLAN_FILE" \
  | sed -E 's/^- \*\*([A-Z]+-[0-9]+)\*\*:.*/\1/' \
  | sort | uniq -d

# 3) Broad duplicate scan (diagnostic only; may include valid references).
grep -oE '(REQ|SEC|CON|GUD|RISK|ASSUMPTION|TASK|GOAL|FILE|TEST|PAT|ALT|DEP)-[0-9]+' "$PLAN_FILE" \
  | sort | uniq -d

Prerequisites: a POSIX-compatible shell (sh / bash) with grep, sed, sort, and uniq. On Windows without these tools, use equivalent platform-native commands and preserve the same declaration-vs-reference logic.

If check (1) or (2) returns any row, re-number the duplicate so each identifier is declared exactly once, then re-run the checks until both are empty.

Status

The status of the implementation plan must be clearly defined in the front matter and must reflect the current state of the plan. The status can be one of the following (status_color in brackets): Completed (bright green badge), In progress (yellow badge), Planned (blue badge), Deprecated (red badge), or On Hold (orange badge). It should also be displayed as a badge in the introduction section.

---
goal: [Concise Title Describing the Package Implementation Plan's Goal]
version: [Optional: e.g., 1.0, Date]
date_created: [YYYY-MM-DD]
last_updated: [Optional: YYYY-MM-DD]
owner: [Optional: Team/Individual responsible for this spec]
status: 'Completed'|'In progress'|'Planned'|'Deprecated'|'On Hold'
tags: [Optional: List of relevant tags or categories, e.g., `feature`, `upgrade`, `chore`, `architecture`, `migration`, `bug` etc]
---

# Introduction

![Status: <status>](https://img.shields.io/badge/status-<status>-<status_color>)

[A short concise introduction to the plan and the goal it is intended to achieve.]

## 1. Requirements & Constraints

[Explicitly list all requirements & constraints that affect the plan and constrain how it is implemented. Use bullet points or tables for clarity.]

- **REQ-001**: Requirement 1
- **SEC-001**: Security Requirement 1
- **[3 LETTERS]-001**: Other Requirement 1
- **CON-001**: Constraint 1
- **GUD-001**: Guideline 1
- **PAT-001**: Pattern to follow 1

## 2. Implementation Steps

### Implementation Phase 1

- GOAL-001: [Describe the goal of this phase, e.g., "Implement feature X", "Refactor module Y", etc.]

| Task | Description | Completed | Date |
|------|-------------|-----------|------|
| TASK-001 | Description of task 1 | ✅ | 2025-04-25 |
| TASK-002 | Description of task 2 | |  |
| TASK-003 | Description of task 3 | |  |

### Implementation Phase 2

- GOAL-002: [Describe the goal of this phase, e.g., "Implement feature X", "Refactor module Y", etc.]

| Task | Description | Completed | Date |
|------|-------------|-----------|------|
| TASK-004 | Description of task 4 | |  |
| TASK-005 | Description of task 5 | |  |
| TASK-006 | Description of task 6 | |  |

## 3. Alternatives

[A bullet point list of any alternative approaches that were considered and why they were not chosen. This helps to provide context and rationale for the chosen approach.]

- **ALT-001**: Alternative approach 1
- **ALT-002**: Alternative approach 2

## 4. Dependencies

[List any dependencies that need to be addressed, such as libraries, frameworks, or other components that the plan relies on.]

- **DEP-001**: Dependency 1
- **DEP-002**: Dependency 2

## 5. Files

[List the files that will be affected by the feature or refactoring task.]

- **FILE-001**: Description of file 1
- **FILE-002**: Description of file 2

## 6. Testing

[List the tests that need to be implemented to verify the feature or refactoring task.]

- **TEST-001**: Description of test 1
- **TEST-002**: Description of test 2

## 7. Risks & Assumptions

[List any risks or assumptions related to the implementation of the plan.]

- **RISK-001**: Risk 1
- **ASSUMPTION-001**: Assumption 1

## 8. Related Specifications / Further Reading

[Link to related spec 1]
[Link to relevant external documentation]

Frequently asked questions about Create Implementation Plan

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