Agent skill

format-todo-list

Generate properly formatted TodoWrite lists for orchestrator progress tracking. Use when creating phase checklists, updating task status, or ensuring consistent todo formatting.

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Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/tree/main/skills/productivity/format-todo-list

SKILL.md

Format Todo List

Create properly structured todo lists for TodoWrite tool with correct status and activeForm fields.

When to Use

  • Creating initial phase checklists in orchestrators
  • Updating todo list status
  • Ensuring consistent todo formatting
  • Generating progress tracking lists

Instructions

Step 1: Receive Todo Items

Accept array of todo items with status.

Expected Input:

json
{
  "todos": [
    {
      "content": "Phase 1: Discovery",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "content": "Phase 2: Implementation",
      "status": "in_progress"
    },
    {
      "content": "Phase 3: Validation",
      "status": "pending"
    }
  ]
}

Step 2: Generate Active Forms

Create activeForm for each todo based on content.

Rules:

  • Convert imperative to present continuous
  • "Run X" → "Running X"
  • "Create X" → "Creating X"
  • "Fix X" → "Fixing X"
  • "Validate X" → "Validating X"

Step 3: Validate Status

Ensure status is valid TodoWrite value.

Valid Statuses:

  • pending: Not started
  • in_progress: Currently active
  • completed: Finished

Step 4: Format for TodoWrite

Structure data for TodoWrite tool.

Expected Output:

json
{
  "todos": [
    {
      "content": "Phase 1: Discovery",
      "status": "completed",
      "activeForm": "Discovering and analyzing"
    },
    {
      "content": "Phase 2: Implementation",
      "status": "in_progress",
      "activeForm": "Implementing changes"
    },
    {
      "content": "Phase 3: Validation",
      "status": "pending",
      "activeForm": "Validating results"
    }
  ]
}

Error Handling

  • Invalid Status: Return error listing valid statuses
  • Missing Content: Return error for empty content
  • Empty Array: Return error requesting at least one todo

Examples

Example 1: Phase Checklist

Input:

json
{
  "todos": [
    {"content": "Phase 0: Pre-flight validation", "status": "completed"},
    {"content": "Phase 1: Bug detection", "status": "in_progress"},
    {"content": "Phase 2: Bug fixes", "status": "pending"},
    {"content": "Phase 3: Verification", "status": "pending"}
  ]
}

Output:

json
{
  "todos": [
    {
      "content": "Phase 0: Pre-flight validation",
      "status": "completed",
      "activeForm": "Validating pre-flight checks"
    },
    {
      "content": "Phase 1: Bug detection",
      "status": "in_progress",
      "activeForm": "Detecting bugs"
    },
    {
      "content": "Phase 2: Bug fixes",
      "status": "pending",
      "activeForm": "Fixing bugs"
    },
    {
      "content": "Phase 3: Verification",
      "status": "pending",
      "activeForm": "Verifying fixes"
    }
  ]
}

Example 2: Simple Task List

Input:

json
{
  "todos": [
    {"content": "Run type check", "status": "completed"},
    {"content": "Run build", "status": "completed"},
    {"content": "Run tests", "status": "in_progress"}
  ]
}

Output:

json
{
  "todos": [
    {
      "content": "Run type check",
      "status": "completed",
      "activeForm": "Running type check"
    },
    {
      "content": "Run build",
      "status": "completed",
      "activeForm": "Running build"
    },
    {
      "content": "Run tests",
      "status": "in_progress",
      "activeForm": "Running tests"
    }
  ]
}

Example 3: Priority-Based List

Input:

json
{
  "todos": [
    {"content": "Fix critical bugs", "status": "completed"},
    {"content": "Fix high-priority bugs", "status": "in_progress"},
    {"content": "Fix medium-priority bugs", "status": "pending"}
  ]
}

Output:

json
{
  "todos": [
    {
      "content": "Fix critical bugs",
      "status": "completed",
      "activeForm": "Fixing critical bugs"
    },
    {
      "content": "Fix high-priority bugs",
      "status": "in_progress",
      "activeForm": "Fixing high-priority bugs"
    },
    {
      "content": "Fix medium-priority bugs",
      "status": "pending",
      "activeForm": "Fixing medium-priority bugs"
    }
  ]
}

Validation

  • Generates activeForm for all items
  • Validates status values
  • Handles various content formats
  • Preserves original content
  • Returns proper TodoWrite structure

Supporting Files

  • template.json: TodoWrite format template (see Supporting Files section)

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