What is a Manifest in Claude Code?

A Manifest is a structured document created by the /define skill that captures exactly what will be built, the technical approach, and the rules (invariants) the AI must follow during implementation.

What are Global Invariants?

Invariants are rules that must be maintained across the entire task, such as 'No new dependencies,' 'Follow existing naming conventions,' or 'Maintain 100% test coverage.'

How does the interview process work?

The skill initiates a 'Domain-Grounded' interview, asking targeted questions based on the task type (e.g., Coding, Research, or Writing) to surface requirements you might not have considered yet.

Does this skill support team collaboration tools?

Yes, the --medium flag allows you to route the manifest building process through platforms like Slack or Discord, using specific task files for those environments.

Can I update a plan after it has been created?

Yes, using the --amend flag, you can modify an existing manifest to add new requirements or adjust the scope without restarting the entire planning process.

Manifest Builder

Name: Manifest Builder
Author: doodledood

bydoodledood

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Productivity & Workflow

Generates comprehensive execution manifests to plan, scope, and define requirements before implementation.

The Manifest Builder skill transforms vague development requests into structured implementation plans called Manifests. By guiding users through a domain-grounded interview process, it surfaces latent requirements, identifies edge cases, and establishes global invariants before any code is written. It ensures that complex tasks—whether bug fixes, new features, or refactors—are fully specced out with verifiable acceptance criteria, significantly reducing the back-and-forth iterations typical in AI-assisted development by defining exactly what 'done' looks like from the start.

Key Features

01Amendment Mode: Allows for iterative updates to existing manifests without losing historical context.

02Structured Manifest Generation: Creates a single source of truth for deliverables, approach, and invariants.

03Verifiable Acceptance Criteria: Ensures every requirement has a clear bash, subagent, or manual verification path.

0463 GitHub stars

05Domain-Specific Probing: Tailors interviews based on task types like Bug, Feature, Refactor, and Research.

06Multi-Medium Support: Adapts communication and routing for Slack, Discord, and local environments.

Use Cases

01Debugging intricate issues by defining exact success states and specific verification steps.

02Planning new feature implementations with specific architectural constraints and global invariants.

03Scoping complex multi-file refactors to ensure all side effects and edge cases are accounted for.

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add doodledood/manifest-dev define

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT