Skip to content

ADR-002: Backlog.md Task Tracking

Status: Accepted Date: 2026-06-02 Backfilled from: AGENTS.md, Docs/superpowers/specs/2026-05-03-backlog-md-task-tracking-design.md Decision owner: User + prior Codex collaboration session Related task: TASK-506, TASK-507, TASK-508 Related spec/plan: Docs/superpowers/specs/2026-05-03-backlog-md-task-tracking-design.md

Decision

Require an associated Backlog.md task before work changes repository files.

Context

The repository needs a durable task and history layer that records why work exists, how it was planned, what files changed, what verification ran, and what was skipped or blocked.

Alternatives considered

Option Why rejected
Git commits only Commits do not capture task state, verification history, blockers, or reviewable unit boundaries.
GitHub issues only Not every local agent task maps cleanly to a remote issue, and local work needs MCP/CLI-first task tracking.
Manual markdown notes Too easy to duplicate or bypass; Backlog.md provides a consistent task workflow.

Consequences

Repo-changing work must search for or create a Backlog task before edits begin. Read-only investigation can proceed without a task. Backlog tasks link to specs, plans, PRs, verification, and final summaries; they do not replace those artifacts.

Follow-up

None for Stage 1.