Status Update

Generates a clear, structured progress update based solely on verified commands and observable outputs. Prevents misleading or optimistic status claims.

1. Purpose

Report progress truthfully to human operators or peer agents. A "status update" summarizes what was accomplished, what is in flight, blockers, and next steps with verifiable proof.

2. When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Reaching a task milestone or completing execution steps.
• Handing off work to another agent or human.
• A user asks "Where do things stand?" or "What's the status?".

3. When Not to Use

• Do not use to write end-user feature release notes; use release-notes-drafter.
• Do not use to plan upcoming tasks; use task-brief.
• Do not use to diagnose why a command failed; use command-failure-diagnoser.

4. Required Inputs

• task_title: The name of the task or ticket being worked on.
• completed_evidence: List of completed actions with command output or file diff proof.
• blockers: Any errors, missing info, or roadblocks encountered (or "None").
• next_actions: Planned immediate next steps.

5. Missing-Input Behavior

1. If no completed actions or evidence is provided: state "No verified progress completed yet."
2. Never claim an item is completed unless command output or file inspection confirmed it.
3. If blockers are unknown, explicitly check test status before marking "None".

6. Procedure

Follow these numbered actions:

1. Action 1: Verify Evidence
   • For every claimed completion, check for supporting evidence (e.g. exit code 0, file created).
2. Action 2: Classify Overall State
   • Select state: ON TRACK, BLOCKED, or COMPLETED.
3. Action 3: Summarize What Was Done
   • Write 2 to 4 bullet points referencing specific files or tests.
4. Action 4: Document Blockers and Mitigations
   • If blocked, state the exact error and required decision.
5. Action 5: Emit Status Update
   • Format using Section 8.

7. Decision Rules

• If any test failed during work: state BLOCKED or IN PROGRESS (Tests Failing); never state COMPLETED.
• If user input is required to proceed: mark state as BLOCKED (Needs Input).
• If all steps and tests passed: mark state as COMPLETED.

8. Output Format

Emit the status update using this structured template:

### Status Update: [Task Title]

- **Current State**: [COMPLETED | ON TRACK | BLOCKED]
- **Milestone Progress**: [e.g., 2 of 3 steps verified]

#### What Was Completed
- [Action 1 with evidence, e.g., Created `src/auth.ts`, linter passed]
- [Action 2 with evidence]

#### Blockers & Roadblocks
- [None, or exact blocking error and what is needed]

#### Next Immediate Action
- [Next single testable step]

9. Verification Checklist

• Every completed item lists concrete evidence.
• Status is not claimed as COMPLETED if tests are red.
• Next action is concrete and singular.
• No internal hidden reasoning leaked.

10. Common Failures and Recovery

11. Stop or Escalation Conditions

Stop and escalate when:

• State is BLOCKED for more than 2 attempts on the same issue.
• Missing credentials or permissions prevent verification.

12. Examples

Example 1: Successful Execution

Input:

Task: Fix null pointer in billing.ts.
Evidence: Modified billing.ts to check for undefined user. Ran `npm test tests/billing.test.ts` (3 passed, 0 failed).
Blockers: None.
Next: Open pull request.

Output:

### Status Update: Fix null pointer in billing.ts

- **Current State**: COMPLETED
- **Milestone Progress**: 1 of 1 fix completed

#### What Was Completed
- Added undefined guard to `user.subscription` in `src/billing.ts`.
- Verified regression test: `npm test tests/billing.test.ts` passed (3 tests green).

#### Blockers & Roadblocks
- None.

#### Next Immediate Action
- Ready for PR submission or code review.

Example 2: Ambiguous or Missing Input

Input:

Task: "Database migration" (No evidence provided)

Output:

### Status Update: Database migration

- **Current State**: ON TRACK (Pending verification)
- **Milestone Progress**: 0 verified steps

#### What Was Completed
- No verified completions reported yet.

#### Blockers & Roadblocks
- Needs execution log or migration command output to verify database state.

#### Next Immediate Action
- Inspect migration runner log to confirm migration applied cleanly.

Example 3: Expected Final Output

Output:

### Status Update: Upgrade Node.js runtime

- **Current State**: BLOCKED
- **Milestone Progress**: 1 of 3 steps complete

#### What Was Completed
- Updated `.nvmrc` and `package.json` engines to Node 22.

#### Blockers & Roadblocks
- `npm install` fails due to deprecated native binding in `legacy-crypto` package. Needs approval to upgrade or replace `legacy-crypto`.

#### Next Immediate Action
- Await user guidance on replacing `legacy-crypto`.