Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Create Implementation Plan agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The create-implementation-plan skill is a template and set of formatting rules that tells an AI agent to write a formal plan file before a large change begins. It is for developers and teams who hand work between AI agents and people and want the plan written in a consistent, step-by-step form. After reading this guide you will know how to install the skill, how to ask for a plan in plain language, and what the resulting file contains.
Create Implementation Plangithub/awesome-copilot · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the skill. Download the ZIP from this page. It contains SKILL.md.
- 2Unzip the folder. Extract the ZIP so that the create-implementation-plan folder with SKILL.md is ready to copy.
- 3Place the skill. Copy the folder to ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or to .claude/skills/ inside a project. Alternatively, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 4Make a specific request. Ask the agent for a plan file and name the feature, refactor, or upgrade and the component it touches.
- 5Review the plan. Open the generated file in /plan/ and check every file path and function name against your real code.
- 6Track progress. Mark tasks complete in the table columns and update the status in the front matter as work moves forward.
What the skill makes the agent do
When the skill is installed, the agent can turn a description of a feature, a refactor, a package upgrade, or an architecture or infrastructure change into a plan file. The file is saved in a /plan/ folder. The plan is split into phases, and each phase contains requirements, constraints, tasks in tables, and validation criteria so that another AI agent or a person can carry it out step by step.
The skill is mainly a detailed template and set of formatting rules. It does not change your code by itself. Its job ends with the written plan.
- Output: a Markdown plan file in /plan/, named like upgrade-system-command-4.md or feature-auth-module-1.md
- Structure: phases with GOAL entries, task tables with status columns, and identifiers such as REQ-, TASK- and RISK-
- Status: each plan carries a status in its front matter (Completed, In progress, Planned, Deprecated or On Hold)
Install the create-implementation-plan skill
The skill is distributed as a single file, SKILL.md. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. You can then place the skill in one of two locations, or upload it through the Claude apps.
Install it for yourself across projects by putting the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/. To limit it to one project, put it in the .claude/skills/ folder inside that project. If you use the Claude apps instead, upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Trigger the skill with a natural request
You do not need a special command. Describe the change you want planned and say that you want a plan file. The skill's description covers new features, refactoring existing code, upgrading packages, and design, architecture or infrastructure work, so requests phrased around those tasks are the ones it is meant to handle.
The skill's template puts the purpose of the plan in a placeholder, so name the feature, refactor or upgrade clearly in your request. Be specific about the component, because the file name is built from the purpose and component.
- "Create an implementation plan for adding OAuth login to the web app."
- "Write a plan file to upgrade the database driver to the new major version."
- "Make a plan to refactor the billing module into separate services."
Check the plan before anyone executes it
The skill tells the agent to run identifier checks before finalising a plan. These look for duplicate TASK, GOAL and other identifiers declared in the file. The checks use grep, sed, sort and uniq. On Windows without those tools, the instructions say to use equivalent platform-native commands.
The skill's instructions do not tell the agent to inspect your files. A plan can therefore contain file paths and function names the agent guessed. Read the plan against your real codebase before you start work from it.
- Confirm every file path and function name exists in your repository
- Confirm the phases and task order match how your team works
- Update task status in the tables as work completes
PLAN_FILE="/plan/<purpose>-<component>-<version>.md"Know when this skill is the wrong tool
The template adds real overhead. For a quick one-off edit or a small bug fix, a full plan file is more structure than the job needs. The output is also tailored to software implementation, so it is not a general project plan for non-technical work.
The skill runs no scripts of its own and uses no network access, according to its listing. The identifier checks are shell commands the agent may run while validating a plan; review them before running them on your machine.
- Use it for large features, multi-step refactors, and package upgrades with several phases
- Skip it for small edits, quick fixes, or non-software projects
What people use it for
- Planning a multi-phase refactor of an existing module so each phase can be handed to a different agent or developer
- Structuring a package upgrade with tracked phases, tasks and validation criteria
- Writing a plan for a new feature before any code is written, with requirements, constraints and alternatives recorded
- Documenting an architecture or infrastructure change with its dependencies and affected files listed
Frequently asked questions
Is the create-implementation-plan skill free?
The skill is published under the MIT licence in the github/awesome-copilot repository. The listing shows no price. Check the licence file in the repository for the full terms.
What do I need to install this skill?
The listing shows no listed requirements. You install it by unzipping the downloaded ZIP and placing SKILL.md's folder in ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/, or by uploading it in the Claude apps.
Where does the skill save the plan?
The skill saves plan files in a /plan/ directory using the naming pattern purpose-component-version.md. Purpose prefixes include upgrade, refactor, feature, architecture and design.
Does the skill change my code?
No. It is mainly a template and formatting rules that produce a written plan. It does not itself edit your files.
Why does the plan have guessed file paths?
The skill's instructions do not tell the agent to inspect your codebase, so it may write file paths and function names without checking them. Verify them against your repository before work starts.
What should I use instead for a simple change?
For quick edits or small bug fixes, ask the agent directly without the plan template. The template is meant for large changes where tracked phases and tasks are worth the overhead.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you want a consistent, detailed, machine-readable plan before a large feature, refactor or package upgrade, especially when work passes between AI agents and people. Skip it for small fixes, for non-software projects, or if you need a plan checked against your real codebase, since you will have to verify its file paths and function names yourself.
Download the skill