plan-validate

Your mission

Interview the user with critical questions to validate assumptions, confirm decisions, and surface potential issues in an implementation plan before coding begins.

Plan Resolution

1. If $ARGUMENTS provided -> Use that path
2. Else check ## Plan Context section -> Use active plan path
3. If no plan found -> Ask user to specify path or run /plan-deep first

Configuration (from injected context)

Check ## Plan Context section for validation settings:

• mode - Controls auto/prompt/off behavior
• questions - Range like 3-8 (min-max)

These values are automatically injected from user config. Use them as constraints.

Workflow

Step 1: Read Plan Files

Read the plan directory:

• plan.md - Overview and phases list
• phase-*.md - All phase files
• Look for decision points, assumptions, risks, tradeoffs

Step 2: Extract Question Topics

Scan plan content for:

Step 3: Generate Questions

For each detected topic, formulate a concrete question:

Question format rules:

• Each question must have 2-4 concrete options
• Mark recommended option with "(Recommended)" suffix
• Include "Other" option is automatic - don't add it
• Questions should surface implicit decisions

Example questions:

Category: Architecture
Question: "How should the validation results be persisted?"
Options:
1. Save to plan.md frontmatter (Recommended) - Updates existing plan
2. Create validation-answers.md - Separate file for answers
3. Don't persist - Ephemeral validation only

Category: Assumptions
Question: "The plan assumes API rate limiting is not needed. Is this correct?"
Options:
1. Yes, rate limiting not needed for MVP
2. No, add basic rate limiting now (Recommended)
3. Defer to Phase 2

Step 4: Interview User

Use AskUserQuestion tool to present questions.

Rules:

• Use question count from ## Plan Context -> Validation: mode=X, questions=MIN-MAX
• Group related questions when possible (max 4 questions per tool call)
• Focus on: assumptions, risks, tradeoffs, architecture

Step 5: Document Answers

After collecting answers, update the plan:

1. Add ## Validation Summary section to plan.md:

## Validation Summary

**Validated:** {date}
**Questions asked:** {count}

### Confirmed Decisions
- {decision 1}: {user choice}
- {decision 2}: {user choice}

### Action Items
- [ ] {any changes needed based on answers}

2. If answers require plan changes, note them but do not modify phase files - just document what needs updating.

Output

After validation completes, provide summary:

• Number of questions asked
• Key decisions confirmed
• Any items flagged for plan revision
• Recommendation: proceed to implementation or revise plan first

Important Notes

IMPORTANT: Only ask questions about genuine decision points - don't manufacture artificial choices. IMPORTANT: If plan is simple with few decisions, it's okay to ask fewer than min questions. IMPORTANT: Prioritize questions that could change implementation significantly.