request-refactor-plan
Skill0 starsChanged 5 months agoMITView on GitHub
Create a detailed refactor plan with tiny commits via user interview, then file it as a GitHub issue. Use when user wants to plan a refactor, create a refactoring RFC, or break a refactor into safe incremental steps.
51 other projects use a version of this, 9 of them edited.
Adopted by
Most recently taken up by
- chrislacey89/skillsedited, first seen Nov 4, 2026
- tada5hi/skillsword for word, first seen Nov 1, 2026
- Boom-Vitt/skills-thaitheir own version, first seen Nov 1, 2026
- kishan-ict/skillsword for word, first seen Nov 1, 2026
- hmjBill/skillstheir own version, first seen Oct 29, 2026
- amit-t/skillsword for word, first seen Oct 25, 2026
Used with
Projects with it also use batch-grill-me, prd-to-plan and 3 more.
Other files people use alongside this one.
Files found in the same public projects as a version of this one, more often than they turn up anywhere else. Each project counts once, large collections count for less, and this file's own repository is left out.
boyingliu01Skillbatch-grill-me
A relentless interview that asks every frontier question at once, round by round. Thin alias of `grilling` (#540) — upstream mattpocock/skills absorbed this protocol into grilling; XP-Gate keeps this name as the sprint-flow Phase 2 entry point so orchestration docs stay stable.
Also in 6 projects that use this
HK-hubSkillprd-to-plan
Turn a PRD into a multi-phase implementation plan using tracer-bullet vertical slices, saved as a local Markdown file in ./plans/. Use when user wants to break down a PRD, create an implementation plan, plan phases from a PRD, or mentions "tracer bullets".
Also in 8 projects that use this
ShopifySkilltriage-issue
Triage a GitHub issue — classify priority (P0/P1/P2), search for duplicates, and apply labels.
Also in 12 projects that use this
liufeng1976Skillsetup-ts-deep-modules
Wire dependency-cruiser into a TypeScript repo so each package is a deep module — implementation hidden in subfolders, reachable only through its entry-point files. User-invoked.
Also in 8 projects that use this
ryotaroh180105Skillclaude-handoff
Hand the current conversation off to a fresh background agent that picks up the work immediately.
Also in 9 projects that use this
Other versions51 projects use a version of this.
Word for word · 39
- amazingloft999-droid/mattpocock-skills★ 422100% same
- InditexTech/weavejs★ 266100% same
- loulanyue/skills★ 231100% same
- ayoubben18/ab-method★ 192100% same
- aurorasoft2/Matt_Pocock_Skills★ 133100% same
- VisualxIntelligence/mattpocok-skills★ 55100% same
- metrogg/AgentHub★ 19100% same
- GAGAA-HUE/ASHUO-claude-skills★ 5100% same
- amit-t/skills★ 4100% same
- Roentek/Claude_Code_Boilerplate_Framework★ 4100% same
29 more not listed
Edited · 9
- Shiven0504/claude-skills-collection★ 6100% same
- chrislacey89/skills★ 453% same
- qhuang20/shazam★ 495% same
- kayaman/skills★ 397% same
- witi-projects/Skills★ 295% same
- charlesmatte/claude_code_skills★ 150% same
- ook826092-cloud/skills★ 1100% same
- popsiclelmlm/skills-cn★ 066% same
- simo97/claude-skills★ 097% same
Wrote their own version · 3
- Boom-Vitt/skills-thai★ 5same name
- KroxiDev/engineering-skills★ 4same name
- hmjBill/skills★ 0same name
How matches are found. Word for word: the exact same text. Edited: shares passages with this file (“99% same” means 99% of its five-word phrases also appear here; 10% or more counts). Their own version: similar meaning, or, weakest, the same name. We can’t tell which project had it first. Projects are counted among the 200 most-starred candidates, and mentions are links to the repository we found, up to 50 per site, so both counts are a floor.
In this repository35 other files it gives its agents.
- CLAUDE.mdCLAUDE.md
- design-an-interfaceSkill
- qaSkill
- ubiquitous-languageSkill
- ask-mattSkill
- codebase-designSkill
- diagnosing-bugsSkill
- domain-modelingSkill
- grill-with-docsSkill
- implementSkill
- improve-codebase-architectureSkill
- prototypeSkill
- resolving-merge-conflictsSkill
- setup-matt-pocock-skillsSkill
- tddSkill
- to-issuesSkill
- to-prdSkill
- triageSkill
- decision-mappingSkill
- loop-meSkill
- reviewSkill
- writing-beatsSkill
- writing-fragmentsSkill
- writing-shapeSkill
- git-guardrails-claude-codeSkill
- migrate-to-shoehornSkill
- scaffold-exercisesSkill
- setup-pre-commitSkill
- edit-articleSkill
- obsidian-vaultSkill
- grillingSkill
- grill-meSkill
- handoffSkill
- teachSkill
- writing-great-skillsSkill
The file
We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent
5 rules. 5 are common, 0 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.
5
Common
Most of the 10 edited versions we read keep these.
0
Distinctive
This author's own choices. Worth a look.
0
Very specific
Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.
- Common
- Distinctive
- Very specific
- Common: line 8
Ask the user for a long, detailed description of the problem they want to solve and any potential ideas for solutions.
- Common: line 12
Ask whether they have considered other options, and present other options to them.
- Common: line 18
Look in the codebase to check for test coverage of this area of the codebase.
- Common: line 22
Create a GitHub issue with the refactor plan.
- Common: line 50
Do NOT include specific file paths or code snippets.
“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 10 edited versions of this file we could read. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.
Files
This skill will be invoked when the user wants to create a refactor request. You should go through the steps below. You may skip steps if you don't consider them necessary.
- Ask the user for a long, detailed description of the problem they want to solve and any potential ideas for solutions.
- Explore the repo to verify their assertions and understand the current state of the codebase.
- Ask whether they have considered other options, and present other options to them.
- Interview the user about the implementation. Be extremely detailed and thorough.
- Hammer out the exact scope of the implementation. Work out what you plan to change and what you plan not to change.
- Look in the codebase to check for test coverage of this area of the codebase. If there is insufficient test coverage, ask the user what their plans for testing are.
- Break the implementation into a plan of tiny commits. Remember Martin Fowler's advice to "make each refactoring step as small as possible, so that you can always see the program working."
- Create a GitHub issue with the refactor plan. Use the following template for the issue description:
<refactor-plan-template>Problem Statement
The problem that the developer is facing, from the developer's perspective.
Solution
The solution to the problem, from the developer's perspective.
Commits
A LONG, detailed implementation plan. Write the plan in plain English, breaking down the implementation into the tiniest commits possible. Each commit should leave the codebase in a working state.
Decision Document
A list of implementation decisions that were made. This can include:
- The modules that will be built/modified
- The interfaces of those modules that will be modified
- Technical clarifications from the developer
- Architectural decisions
- Schema changes
- API contracts
- Specific interactions
Do NOT include specific file paths or code snippets. They may end up being outdated very quickly.
Testing Decisions
A list of testing decisions that were made. Include:
- A description of what makes a good test (only test external behavior, not implementation details)
- Which modules will be tested
- Prior art for the tests (i.e. similar types of tests in the codebase)
Out of Scope
A description of the things that are out of scope for this refactor.
Further Notes (optional)
Any further notes about the refactor.
</refactor-plan-template>Does it work?
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Your trail
Files you open will collect here, so you can find them again.
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