13 KiB
| name | description | web_bundle |
|---|---|---|
| Agent Dialog Workflow | Create structured agent dialog folders for implementation tasks with isolated context and reproducible instructions | true |
Agent Dialog Workflow
Goal: Create structured, documented agent dialog folders that enable isolated, reproducible implementation tasks.
Your Role: Guide the user through creating an agent dialog structure that captures scope, context, and step-by-step instructions for implementation work.
OVERVIEW
Agent Dialogs solve these problems:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Context window limits | Each step is a fresh agent dialog |
| Lost planning work | Everything documented in files |
| Handoff to others | Complete instructions, anyone can execute |
| Resumability | Pick up where you left off |
| Reproducibility | Same inputs → same outputs |
Key Insight: By structuring implementation work into documented dialog folders, we create:
- Isolation — Each step can run in a fresh context
- Traceability — Clear record of what was planned and executed
- Replayability — Instructions can be rerun if needed
- Handoff — Different agents or humans can continue the work
The Bridge Role
Agent Dialogs bridge the gap between specifications and development:
┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐
│ SPECIFICATION │ │ AGENT DIALOG │ │ DEVELOPMENT │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ • What to build │────────▶│ • What's in scope │────────▶│ • How to build │
│ • Object IDs │ │ • Step breakdown │ │ • Code files │
│ • Requirements │ │ • Traceability │ │ • Components │
│ • Translations │ │ • Progress tracking │ │ • Tests │
└─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘
Single Source Navigation Implementation
of Truth Layer
The specification is the single source of truth. Dialogs do not duplicate spec content — they map implementation tasks to spec sections via Object IDs
WHEN TO USE
Use this workflow when:
- ✅ Implementing features from specifications
- ✅ Making changes across multiple files
- ✅ Work that benefits from step-by-step documentation
- ✅ Tasks that might need to be resumed later
- ✅ Work that could be handed off to another agent/person
- ✅ Saving ideas for later — Capture work when you don't have time now
Skip this workflow when:
- ❌ Simple one-file changes
- ❌ Quick fixes that don't need documentation
- ❌ Exploratory work where the path is unclear
AGENT STARTUP PROTOCOL
When an agent is awakened, it should check for pending dialogs.
Startup Check
1. Check: docs/F-Agent-Dialogs/
2. Find dialogs where:
- Status = "Not Started" or "In Progress"
- Agent matches the awakened agent
3. Present pending dialogs to user:
"You have X pending dialogs:
- [DATE] Feature Name (Status)
- [DATE] Feature Name (Status)
Would you like to continue one of these?"
Dialog States
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not Started | Dialog created but no steps executed |
| In Progress | Some steps complete, work ongoing |
| Blocked | Waiting on external dependency |
| On Hold | Deliberately paused |
| Complete | All steps finished |
This ensures no captured work is forgotten.
CAPTURE DIALOGS
When you have an idea but no time to execute:
Capture Flow
- Create minimal dialog — Just the main file
- Capture the essence:
- What's the idea/task?
- What specification is it based on?
- Any initial thoughts on approach?
- Set status: "Not Started"
- Done — Pick it up later
Minimal Dialog Structure
For "save for later" dialogs, you can skip step files initially:
F-Agent-Dialogs/
└── 2026-01-23-booking-details-drawer/
└── 2026-01-23-booking-details-drawer-dialog.md ← Just this file
When you return:
- Agent startup check finds it
- You continue with Step 2 (Analyze Scope)
- Create step files as needed
DIALOG TYPES
Choose the right template for your work. See templates/dialog-types/INDEX.md.
| Type | Icon | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| Prototype Implementation | 🔧 | Building UI from specifications |
| Bug Fix | 🐛 | Fixing issues and defects |
| Design Exploration | 🎨 | Exploring visual/UX directions |
| Capture | 💾 | Saving ideas for later |
| Generic | 📋 | Anything else |
Each type has a specialized template with relevant sections pre-configured.
FOLDER STRUCTURE
docs/F-Agent-Dialogs/
└── {DATE}-{agent}-{feature-name}/
├── {DATE}-{agent}-{feature-name}-dialog.md ← Main file (meta, purpose, setup, progress)
└── steps/
├── 01-{step-name}.md ← Self-contained step instructions
├── 02-{step-name}.md
└── ...
Naming Convention:
- Date format:
YYYY-MM-DD - Agent name: lowercase (e.g.,
freya,saga,eira) - Feature name: lowercase, hyphenated (e.g.,
booking-details-drawer) - Step files: numbered prefix with descriptive name
Examples:
2026-01-23-freya-booking-details-overlay/2026-01-23-saga-course-workflow-integration/2026-01-23-eira-visual-design-exploration/
THE DIALOG FILE
The main dialog file ({DATE}-{agent}-{feature-name}-dialog.md) contains everything needed to understand and manage the implementation work.
Required Sections
- Meta — Date, agent, feature, specification reference, status
- Purpose — What this dialog accomplishes
- About This Dialog — Explains the bridge role between spec and development
- Where to Find What — Navigation table for agents/humans
- Setup Context — All context an agent needs to start fresh
- Scope — What's in/out, dependencies
- Steps Overview — Table tracking progress across all steps
- Progress Log — Chronological record of work done
- Spec Changes Discovered — Track any spec updates made during implementation
See template: templates/dialog.template.md
STEP FILES
Each step file is self-contained — an agent with no prior context can execute it.
Core Principle: Link, Don't Duplicate
Step files link to specifications rather than copying content:
## Object ID Implementation Map
| Object ID | Spec Section | Lines |
|-----------|--------------|-------|
| `booking-detail-header` | Drawer Header | L149-L158 |
| `booking-detail-close` | Close Button | L159-L168 |
This ensures:
- Specification remains the single source of truth
- No drift between spec and step files
- Clear traceability from code → Object ID → spec section
Required Sections
- Meta — Agent, step number, focus area
- Single Source of Truth — Link to specification with warning to read first
- Object ID Implementation Map — Table mapping Object IDs to spec line numbers
- Task — Clear description of what to implement
- Files to Modify — Explicit list of files
- Implementation Checklist — Per Object ID: Read → Implement → Verify
- Acceptance Criteria — All Object IDs present and match spec
See template: templates/step.template.md
WORKFLOW PHASES
Phase 1: Dialog Initialization
What: Create the dialog folder and main file
Steps:
- Determine the feature/implementation to work on
- Create folder:
docs/F-Agent-Dialogs/{DATE}-{feature-name}/ - Create main dialog file from template
- Fill in Meta, Purpose, and Setup Context sections
Go to: steps/step-01-initialize-dialog.md
Phase 2: Scope Analysis
What: Analyze the specification and determine scope
Steps:
- Read the relevant specification(s)
- Identify what needs to be implemented
- Note any spec changes or clarifications needed
- Document in the Scope section
Go to: steps/step-02-analyze-scope.md
Phase 3: Step Breakdown
What: Break the work into discrete, implementable steps
Steps:
- Identify logical sections/features to implement
- Order them by dependencies (what must come first)
- Create step files for each
- Update Steps Overview table in dialog file
Go to: steps/step-03-create-steps.md
Phase 4: Step Execution
What: Execute each step (can be in fresh agent dialogs)
Steps:
- Open step file
- Execute the instructions
- Verify against acceptance criteria
- Update status in dialog file
- Log progress
- Repeat for next step
Go to: steps/step-04-execute-steps.md
Phase 5: Completion
What: Finalize the dialog and capture learnings
Steps:
- Verify all steps complete
- Document any spec changes discovered
- Note learnings for future dialogs
- Update final status
Go to: steps/step-05-complete-dialog.md
INITIALIZATION
First Step Execution
To begin, load and execute steps/step-01-initialize-dialog.md.
User Input Needed:
- What feature/implementation are we working on?
- Which specification(s) are relevant?
- What's the target location for the dialog folder?
BEST PRACTICES
Single Source of Truth
- Never duplicate spec content — Link to spec sections with line numbers
- Object IDs are the contract — Every implementation maps to an Object ID
- Spec changes update the spec — Not the dialog or step files
- Verify against spec — Not against copied content in step files
Dialog Files
- Be thorough in Setup Context — Assume the agent has zero prior knowledge
- Include file paths — Always use absolute or project-relative paths
- "Where to Find What" table — Help agents navigate between spec, dialog, and code
- Track progress — Update the Steps Overview table after each step
Step Files
- Object ID Implementation Map — Every step lists its Object IDs with spec line refs
- One clear task — Each step should accomplish one thing
- Implementation Checklist — Read spec → Implement → Verify (per Object ID)
- Self-contained — Include all context needed to execute
Execution
- Read spec first — Before implementing any Object ID
- Fresh context is fine — Steps are designed to work in isolation
- Update as you go — Don't wait to update progress
- Capture discoveries — Note spec changes or issues found
EXAMPLES
Example: Feature Implementation Dialog (Freya)
2026-01-23-freya-booking-details-drawer/
├── 2026-01-23-freya-booking-details-drawer-dialog.md
└── steps/
├── 01-drawer-shell.md
├── 02-date-display.md
├── 03-dog-info-section.md
├── 04-status-badge.md
├── 05-action-buttons.md
└── 06-state-transitions.md
Example: Bug Fix Dialog (Dev Agent)
2026-01-23-dev-calendar-scroll-fix/
├── 2026-01-23-dev-calendar-scroll-fix-dialog.md
└── steps/
├── 01-reproduce-issue.md
├── 02-implement-fix.md
└── 03-verify-fix.md
Example: Capture Dialog (SAGA)
2026-01-23-saga-user-settings-page/
└── 2026-01-23-saga-user-settings-page-dialog.md ← Just this file, expand later
INTEGRATION WITH OTHER WORKFLOWS
Agent Dialogs can be created from:
- UX Design Workflow — Specification implementation becomes a dialog
- Design System Workflow — Component creation becomes a dialog
- Testing Workflow — Validation tasks become a dialog
The Agent Dialog structure provides a consistent way to document and execute implementation work from any source.
Note: This workflow IS the Agentic Development approach. Interactive Prototypes, Prototype Implementation, Bug Fixes, and Design Exploration are all output types of this workflow.
Agent Dialog Workflow — Structured, reproducible implementation with isolated context