BMAD-METHOD/docs/reference/workflow-map.md

title	description	sidebar
Workflow Map	Visual reference for BMad Method workflow phases and outputs	order 1

The BMad Method (BMM) is a module in the BMad Ecosystem, targeted at following the best practices of context engineering and planning. AI agents work best with clear, structured context. The BMM system builds that context progressively across 4 distinct phases - each phase, and multiple workflows optionally within each phase, produce documents that inform the next, so agents always know what to build and why.

The rationale and concepts come from agile methodologies that have been used across the industry with great success as a mental framework.

If at any time you are unsure what to do, the bmad-help skill will help you stay on track or know what to do next. You can always refer to this for reference also - but bmad-help is fully interactive and much quicker if you have already installed the BMad Method. Additionally, if you are using different modules that have extended the BMad Method or added other complementary non-extension modules - bmad-help evolves to know all that is available to give you the best in-the-moment advice.

Final important note: Every workflow below can be run directly with your tool of choice via skill or by loading an agent first and using the entry from the agents menu.

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Phase 1: Analysis (Optional)

Explore the problem space and validate ideas before committing to planning.

Workflow	Purpose	Produces
bmad-brainstorming	Brainstorm Project Ideas with guided facilitation of a brainstorming coach	brainstorming-report.md
bmad-domain-research, bmad-market-research, bmad-technical-research	Validate market, technical, or domain assumptions	Research findings
bmad-create-product-brief	Capture strategic vision	product-brief.md

Phase 2: Planning

Define what to build and for whom.

Workflow	Purpose	Produces
bmad-create-prd	Define requirements (FRs/NFRs)	PRD.md
bmad-create-ux-design	Design user experience (when UX matters)	ux-spec.md

Phase 3: Solutioning

Decide how to build it and break work into stories.

Workflow	Purpose	Produces
bmad-create-architecture	Make technical decisions explicit	architecture.md with ADRs
bmad-create-epics-and-stories	Break requirements into implementable work	Epic files with stories
bmad-check-implementation-readiness	Gate check before implementation	PASS/CONCERNS/FAIL decision

Phase 4: Implementation

Build it, one story at a time. Coming soon, full phase 4 automation!

Workflow	Purpose	Produces
bmad-sprint-planning	Initialize tracking (once per project to sequence the dev cycle)	sprint-status.yaml
bmad-create-story	Prepare next story for implementation	story-[slug].md
bmad-dev-story	Implement the story	Working code + tests
bmad-code-review	Validate implementation quality	Approved or changes requested
bmad-correct-course	Handle significant mid-sprint changes	Updated plan or re-routing
bmad-sprint-status	Track sprint progress and story status	Sprint status update
bmad-retrospective	Review after epic completion	Lessons learned

Quick Flow (Parallel Track)

Skip phases 1-3 for small, well-understood work.

Workflow	Purpose	Produces
bmad-quick-spec	Define an ad-hoc change	tech-spec.md (story file for small changes)
bmad-quick-dev	Implement from spec or direct instructions	Working code + tests

Context Management

Each document becomes context for the next phase. The PRD tells the architect what constraints matter. The architecture tells the dev agent which patterns to follow. Story files give focused, complete context for implementation. Without this structure, agents make inconsistent decisions.

Project Context

:::tip[Recommended] Create project-context.md to ensure AI agents follow your project's rules and preferences. This file works like a constitution for your project — it guides implementation decisions across all workflows. This optional file can be generated at the end of Architecture Creation, or in an existing project it can be generated also to capture whats important to keep aligned with current conventions. :::

How to create it:

• Manually — Create _bmad-output/project-context.md with your technology stack and implementation rules
• Generate it — Run bmad-generate-project-context to auto-generate from your architecture or codebase

Learn more about project-context.md