backlog-manager

# Backlog Manager Skill

## Overview

The backlog manager provides a unified interface for tracking work items across different task management systems. Choose your backend based on team preferences and existing tooling.

**Supported Backends:**

| Backend | Integration | Best For |
|---------|-------------|----------|
| **GitHub** | `gh` CLI | Teams using GitHub Issues |
| **Linear** | MCP server | Teams using Linear |
| **Beads** | `bd` CLI | Dependency-aware workflows, AI agents |

**For simple/solo projects:** Use native Tasks (`TaskCreate`, `TaskList`, `TaskUpdate`) instead of backlog-manager.

## Configuration

Configure your preferred backend in your project's `.agents.yml`:

```yaml
task_management: github  # Options: github, linear, beads

# Workflow labels (for github/linear backends)
workflow_labels:
  - backlog
  - in-progress
  - ready-for-review
  - done

# Beads configuration (when task_management: beads)
# beads_prefix: myapp               # Optional: custom issue prefix
```

**Default:** If no configuration is found, use native Tasks (`TaskCreate`, `TaskList`, `TaskUpdate`) for simple tracking.

## When to Use This Skill

**Create a backlog item when:**
- Work requires more than 15-20 minutes
- Needs research, planning, or multiple approaches considered
- Has dependencies on other work
- Requires approval or prioritization
- Part of larger feature or refactor
- Technical debt needing documentation

**Act immediately instead when:**
- Issue is trivial (< 15 minutes)
- Complete context available now
- No planning needed
- User explicitly requests immediate action
- Simple bug fix with obvious solution

## Core Concepts

### Status Lifecycle

All backends follow this status workflow:

```
pending → ready → complete
```

| Status | Meaning |
|--------|---------|
| **pending** | Needs triage/approval before work begins |
| **ready** | Approved and ready for implementation |
| **complete** | Work finished, acceptance criteria met |

### Priority Levels

|