Track Management

---
name: track-management
description: Use this skill when creating, managing, or working with Conductor tracks - the logical work units for features, bugs, and refactors. Applies to spec.md, plan.md, and track lifecycle operations.
version: 1.0.0
---

# Track Management

Guide for creating, managing, and completing Conductor tracks - the logical work units that organize features, bugs, and refactors through specification, planning, and implementation phases.

## When to Use This Skill

- Creating new feature, bug, or refactor tracks
- Writing or reviewing spec.md files
- Creating or updating plan.md files
- Managing track lifecycle from creation to completion
- Understanding track status markers and conventions
- Working with the tracks.md registry
- Interpreting or updating track metadata

## Detailed patterns and worked examples

Detailed pattern documentation lives in `references/details.md`. Read that file when the navigation tier above is insufficient.

## Best Practices

1. **One track, one concern**: Keep tracks focused on a single logical change
2. **Small phases**: Break work into phases of 3-5 tasks maximum
3. **Verification after phases**: Always include verification tasks
4. **Update markers immediately**: Mark task status as you work
5. **Record SHAs**: Always note commit SHAs for completed tasks
6. **Review specs before planning**: Ensure spec is complete before creating plan
7. **Link dependencies**: Explicitly note track dependencies
8. **Archive, don't delete**: Preserve completed tracks for reference
9. **Size appropriately**: Keep tracks between 1-5 days of work
10. **Clear acceptance criteria**: Every requirement must be testable

Run this skill on a real model without leaving the page. Every run is saved to your history for this skill.

How to use

1. 1Save the content below as SKILL.md in your agent's skills directory (e.g. .claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md).
2. 2Or paste it directly into the conversation as context before asking the agent to do the task.
3. 3Adjust any project-specific paths or conventions mentioned in the skill to match your setup.