---
name: bmad-dev-auto
description: 'One iteration of an unattended development loop. Use when invoked by name.'
---
# Dev Auto Workflow
**Goal:** Turn intent into a hardened, reviewable artifact, without human interaction.
**CRITICAL:** If a step says "read fully and follow step-XX", you read and follow step-XX. No exceptions.
## HALT
To HALT with a final status and optional blocking condition:
1. **Folder+id dispatch** (`{spec_folder}` and `{story_id}` are set): the write-back always lands at the id-keyed story spec. The `{implementation_artifacts}` fallback in step 2 below is never used in this mode, even for halts before planning starts.
- If `{spec_file}` is still empty, resolve it now:
- **Entry not resolved** (`stories.yaml` is missing/unparseable, or `{story_id}` has no matching entry): use the fixed slug segment `unresolved`: `{spec_file}` = `{spec_folder}/stories/{story_id}-unresolved.md`.
- **Ambiguous on-disk match** (the halt is `ambiguous story file match` — more than one file already matches `{spec_folder}/stories/{story_id}-*.md`): use the fixed slug segment `ambiguous` instead of deriving from the title, so the write-back neither creates a third title-derived candidate nor risks silently landing on one of the existing ambiguous files: `{spec_file}` = `{spec_folder}/stories/{story_id}-ambiguous.md`.
- **Otherwise** (the entry was resolved and no ambiguous on-disk match exists): derive `{spec_file}` = `{spec_folder}/stories/{story_id}-{slug}.md`, where `{slug}` is a kebab-case slug from `title` (and `description` if needed) with no `{story_id}` prefix — the same derivation step-01's Route uses.
- If `{spec_file}` exists on disk, update `status` in frontmatter and append missing result details under `## Auto Run Result`.
- If it does not exist, create it as a skeletal story spec:
```markdown
---
status: <final status>
---
# <entry title, or "Story {story_id}" if the entry could not be resolved or the on-disk match was ambiguous>
## Auto Run Result
Status: <final status>
Blocking condition: <blocking condition, if any>
```
2. **Otherwise:**
- If `{spec_file}` is known and exists, update `status` in frontmatter and append missing result details under `## Auto Run Result`.
- If `{spec_file}` is unknown or missing, create `{implementation_artifacts}/bmad-dev-auto-result-<slug-or-timestamp>.md` with:
```markdown
---
status: <final status>
---
# BMad Dev Auto Result
Status: <final status>
Blocking condition: <blocking condition, if any>
```
3. Run: `python3 {project-root}/_bmad/scripts/resolve_customization.py --skill {skill-root} --key workflow.on_complete`
4. If the resolved `workflow.on_complete` is non-empty, follow it as the final instruction before exiting.
5. Stop the workflow.
## Subagents
Using subagents when instructed is mandatory. If you cannot, HALT with status `blocked` and blocking condition `no subagents`.
Invoke every subagent **synchronously**: launch it, wait for it to return within the same turn, then continue with its result. When a step says to run subagents "in parallel" (e.g. the reviewers), that means several **blocking** calls awaited together in one turn — not detached execution. Never run a subagent in the background / detached / async (e.g. `run_in_background: true`), and never end your turn to "await a completion notification." This workflow runs unattended: there is no event loop to resume a yielded turn, so a backgrounded subagent never hands control back and the run stalls. The only sanctioned way to end a turn is the HALT protocol above with an explicit terminal `status`.
## READY FOR DEVELOPMENT STANDARD
A specification is "Ready for Development" when:
- **Actionable**: Every task has a file path and specific action.
- **Logical**: Tasks ordered by dependency.
- **Testable**: All ACs use Given/When/Then.
- **Surface-anchored**: ACs observe the outermost surface the intent references — never a more internal proxy for it (e.g. the API response, not the database row behind it).
- **Complete**: No placeholders or TBDs.
- **Sufficient**: No known requirement, acceptance, dependency, or implementation gaps remain unresolved.
- **Coherent**: No unresolved ambiguities or internal contradictions.
## Conventions
- Bare paths (e.g. `step-01-clarify-and-route.md`) resolve from the skill root.
- `{skill-root}` resolves to this skill's installed directory (where `customize.toml` lives).
- `{project-root}`-prefixed paths resolve from the project working directory.
- `{skill-name}` resolves to the skill directory's basename.
## On Activation
### Step 1: Resolve the Workflow Block
Run: `python3 {project-root}/_bmad/scripts/resolve_customization.py --skill {skill-root} --key workflow`
**If the script fails**, resolve the `workflow` block yourself by reading these three files in base → team → user order and applying the same structural merge rules as the resolver:
1. `{skill-root}/customize.toml` — defaults
2. `{project-root}/_bmad/custom/{skill-name}.toml` — team overrides
3. `{project-root}/_bmad/custom/{skill-name}.user.toml` — personal overrides
Any missing file is skipped. Scalars override, tables deep-merge, arrays of tables keyed by `code` or `id` replace matching entries and append new entries, and all other arrays append.
### Step 2: Execute Prepend Steps
Execute each entry in `{workflow.activation_steps_prepend}` in order before proceeding.
### Step 3: Load Persistent Facts
Treat every entry in `{workflow.persistent_facts}` as foundational context you carry for the rest of the workflow run. Entries prefixed `file:` are paths or globs under `{project-root}` -- load the referenced contents as facts. All other entries are facts verbatim.
### Step 4: Load Config
Load config from `{project-root}/_bmad/bmm/config.yaml` and resolve:
- `project_name`, `planning_artifacts`, `implementation_artifacts`, `user_name`
- `communication_language`, `document_output_language`, `user_skill_level`
- `date` as system-generated current datetime
- `project_context` = `**/project-context.md` (load if exists)
- YOU MUST ALWAYS SPEAK OUTPUT in your Agent communication style with the config `{communication_language}`
- Language MUST be tailored to `{user_skill_level}`
- Generate all documents in `{document_output_language}`
### Step 5: Execute Append Steps
Execute each entry in `{workflow.activation_steps_append}` in order.
Activation is complete after all activation steps have run.
## Workflow Execution
Follow the step files in order. Read one step fully, execute it, then load the next step only when directed. Do not skip, reorder, or pre-load steps.
## First workflow step
Read fully and follow: `./step-01-clarify-and-route.md` to begin the workflow.