BMAD-METHOD/src/modules/bmb/docs/workflows/templates/step-01-init-continuable-template.md

BMAD Continuable Step 01 Init Template

This template provides the standard structure for step-01-init files that support workflow continuation. It includes logic to detect existing workflows and route to step-01b-continue.md for resumption.

Use this template when creating workflows that generate output documents and might take multiple sessions to complete.

---

name: 'step-01-init' description: 'Initialize the [workflow-type] workflow by detecting continuation state and creating output document'

workflow*path: '{project-root}/_bmad/[module-path]/workflows/[workflow-name]'

File References (all use {variable} format in file)

thisStepFile: '{workflow_path}/steps/step-01-init.md' nextStepFile: '{workflow_path}/steps/step-02-[step-name].md' workflowFile: '{workflow_path}/workflow.md' outputFile: '{output_folder}/[output-file-name]-{project_name}.md' continueFile: '{workflow_path}/steps/step-01b-continue.md' templateFile: '{workflow_path}/templates/[main-template].md'

Template References

This step doesn't use content templates, only the main template

---

Step 1: Workflow Initialization

MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):

Universal Rules:

• 🛑 NEVER generate content without user input
• 📖 CRITICAL: Read the complete step file before taking any action
• 🔄 CRITICAL: When loading next step with 'C', ensure entire file is read
• 📋 YOU ARE A FACILITATOR, not a content generator

Role Reinforcement:

• ✅ You are a [specific role, e.g., "business analyst" or "technical architect"]
• ✅ We engage in collaborative dialogue, not command-response
• ✅ You bring [your expertise], user brings [their expertise], and together we produce something better than we could on our own
• ✅ Maintain collaborative [adjective] tone throughout

Step-Specific Rules:

• 🎯 Focus ONLY on initialization and setup
• 🚫 FORBIDDEN to look ahead to future steps
• 💬 Handle initialization professionally
• 🚪 DETECT existing workflow state and handle continuation properly

EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:

• 🎯 Show analysis before taking any action
• 💾 Initialize document and update frontmatter
• 📖 Set up frontmatter stepsCompleted: [1] before loading next step
• 🚫 FORBIDDEN to load next step until setup is complete

CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:

• Variables from workflow.md are available in memory
• Previous context = what's in output document + frontmatter
• Don't assume knowledge from other steps
• Input document discovery happens in this step

STEP GOAL:

To initialize the [workflow-type] workflow by detecting continuation state, creating the output document, and preparing for the first collaborative session.

INITIALIZATION SEQUENCE:

1. Check for Existing Workflow

First, check if the output document already exists:

• Look for file at {output_folder}/[output-file-name]-{project_name}.md
• If exists, read the complete file including frontmatter
• If not exists, this is a fresh workflow

2. Handle Continuation (If Document Exists)

If the document exists and has frontmatter with stepsCompleted:

• STOP here and load ./step-01b-continue.md immediately
• Do not proceed with any initialization tasks
• Let step-01b handle the continuation logic

3. Handle Completed Workflow

If the document exists AND all steps are marked complete in stepsCompleted:

• Ask user: "I found an existing [workflow-output] from [date]. Would you like to:
  1. Create a new [workflow-output]
  2. Update/modify the existing [workflow-output]"
• If option 1: Create new document with timestamp suffix
• If option 2: Load step-01b-continue.md

4. Fresh Workflow Setup (If No Document)

If no document exists or no stepsCompleted in frontmatter:

A. Input Document Discovery

This workflow requires [describe input documents if any]:

[Document Type] Documents (Optional):

• Look for: {output_folder}/*[pattern1]*.md
• Look for: {output_folder}/*[pattern2]*.md
• If found, load completely and add to inputDocuments frontmatter

B. Create Initial Document

Copy the template from {templateFile} to {output_folder}/[output-file-name]-{project_name}.md

Initialize frontmatter with:

---
stepsCompleted: [1]
lastStep: 'init'
inputDocuments: []
date: [current date]
user_name: { user_name }
[additional workflow-specific fields]
---

C. Show Welcome Message

"[Welcome message appropriate for workflow type]

Let's begin by [brief description of first activity]."

✅ SUCCESS METRICS:

• Document created from template (for fresh workflows)
• Frontmatter initialized with step 1 marked complete
• User welcomed to the process
• Ready to proceed to step 2
• OR continuation properly routed to step-01b-continue.md

❌ FAILURE MODES TO AVOID:

• Proceeding with step 2 without document initialization
• Not checking for existing documents properly
• Creating duplicate documents
• Skipping welcome message
• Not routing to step-01b-continue.md when needed

5. Present MENU OPTIONS

Display: Proceeding to [next step description]...

EXECUTION RULES:

• This is an initialization step with no user choices
• Proceed directly to next step after setup
• Use menu handling logic section below

Menu Handling Logic:

• After setup completion, immediately load, read entire file, then execute {nextStepFile} to begin [next step description]

---

🚨 SYSTEM SUCCESS/FAILURE METRICS

✅ SUCCESS:

• Document created from template (for fresh workflows)
• update frontmatter stepsCompleted to add 1 at the end of the array before loading next step
• Frontmatter initialized with stepsCompleted: [1]
• User welcomed to the process
• Ready to proceed to step 2
• OR existing workflow properly routed to step-01b-continue.md

❌ SYSTEM FAILURE:

• Proceeding with step 2 without document initialization
• Not checking for existing documents properly
• Creating duplicate documents
• Skipping welcome message
• Not routing to step-01b-continue.md when appropriate

Master Rule: Skipping steps, optimizing sequences, or not following exact instructions is FORBIDDEN and constitutes SYSTEM FAILURE.

CRITICAL STEP COMPLETION NOTE

ONLY WHEN initialization setup is complete and document is created (OR continuation is properly routed), will you then immediately load, read entire file, then execute {nextStepFile} to begin [next step description].

Customization Guidelines

When adapting this template for your specific workflow:

1. Update Placeholders

Replace bracketed placeholders with your specific values:

• [workflow-type] - e.g., "nutrition planning", "project requirements"
• [module-path] - e.g., "bmb/reference" or "custom"
• [workflow-name] - your workflow directory name
• [output-file-name] - base name for output document
• [step-name] - name for step 2 (e.g., "gather", "profile")
• [main-template] - name of your main template file
• [workflow-output] - what the workflow produces
• [Document Type] - type of input documents (if any)
• [pattern1], [pattern2] - search patterns for input documents
• [additional workflow-specific fields] - any extra frontmatter fields needed

2. Customize Welcome Message

Adapt the welcome message in section 4C to match your workflow's tone and purpose.

3. Update Success Metrics

Ensure success metrics reflect your specific workflow requirements.

4. Adjust Next Step References

Update {nextStepFile} to point to your actual step 2 file.

Implementation Notes

1. This step MUST include continuation detection logic - this is the key pattern
2. Always include continueFile reference in frontmatter
3. Proper frontmatter initialization is critical for continuation tracking
4. Auto-proceed pattern - this step should not have user choice menus (except for completed workflow handling)
5. Template-based document creation - ensures consistent output structure

Integration with step-01b-continue.md

This template is designed to work seamlessly with the step-01b-template.md continuation step. The two steps together provide a complete pause/resume workflow capability.