mcpField
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new-work

new-work

github.com/posit-devAgent workflows551339 installsUpdated today
Repository

About new-work

new-work is an Agent skill for tracking work in Markdown files with YAML status metadata. It keeps plans and progress in a persistent record that can be resumed in later sessions.

Key features

  1. 01Create date-prefixed todo files
  2. 02Record status and links in YAML
  3. 03Move completed items to a done folder
  4. 04Update progress and decision records

Use cases

  1. 01Save a plan for resuming in a later session
  2. 02Track task progress, issues, and key decisions

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/posit-dev/skills --skill new-work

After installing, type/new-workin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.

Details

From the project README

New Work

Todo notes track work items as markdown files with YAML front matter capturing status, context, and progress.

Storage Location

Use _dev/todos/ if it exists in the repository root; otherwise ask the user where to store todo notes before creating anything. It contains two subdirectories: pending/ (active) and done/ (finished).

File Naming

YYYY-MM-DD_short-kebab-slug.md, e.g. 2026-02-18_add-oauth-support.md.

File Contents

YAML front matter plus a markdown body. Only status is required.

---
status: pending   # pending | in progress | review | blocked | done
issue: https://github.com/org/repo/issues/123   # optional
pr: https://github.com/org/repo/pull/456        # optional
---

# Title

Overview of what this is about and why it matters.

## Key Files

- `src/relevant-file.ts` — what it does
- `src/other-file.ts:functionName()` — why it matters

## Work Items

- [ ] First thing to do
- [ ] Second thing to do

## Design Decisions

Context, constraints, or choices worth capturing.

## Decision Log

<!--
### YYYY-MM-DD — Short Decision Title
**Decision:** What was decided?
**Rationale:** Why?
-->

Lifecycle

  • Create: make pending/ if needed, create the date-prefixed file with status: pending, and write enough context to resume later.
  • In progress: update status; add issue/pr links when they exist; check off Work Items (- [ ] → - [x]); record significant decisions in the Decision Log.
  • Complete: set status: done and mv the file from pending/ to done/.

Keeping the Document Current

Treat the todo as a living record for the rest of the session. Update it after any decision, newly discovered problem or requirement, issue raised/resolved, significant implementation work, or commit. When in doubt, update it.

When you form a plan — whether in response to a user request or on your own initiative — write it to the todo document rather than presenting it only in chat. The document is the persistent record; the chat is not.

To resume in a future session, use /working-on <path-to-todo> — same live-document behavior without re-creating the file.

Comments

Markdown supported