takt/docs/workflows.md

Workflow Guide

This guide explains how to create and customize TAKT workflows.

Workflow Basics

A workflow is a YAML file that defines a sequence of steps executed by AI agents. Each step specifies:

• Which agent to use
• What instructions to give
• Rules for routing to the next step

File Locations

• Builtin workflows are embedded in the npm package (dist/resources/)
• ~/.takt/workflows/ — User workflows (override builtins with the same name)
• Use takt /eject <workflow> to copy a builtin to ~/.takt/workflows/ for customization

Workflow Schema

name: my-workflow
description: Optional description
max_iterations: 10
initial_step: first-step  # Optional, defaults to first step

steps:
  - name: step-name
    agent: ../agents/default/coder.md  # Path to agent prompt file
    agent_name: coder                  # Display name (optional)
    edit: true                         # Whether the step can edit files
    allowed_tools:                     # Optional tool allowlist
      - Read
      - Glob
      - Grep
      - Edit
      - Write
      - Bash
    rules:
      - condition: "Implementation complete"
        next: next-step
      - condition: "Cannot proceed"
        next: ABORT
    instruction_template: |
      Your instructions here with {variables}

Available Variables

Variable	Description
{task}	Original user request (auto-injected if not in template)
{iteration}	Workflow-wide turn count (total steps executed)
{max_iterations}	Maximum iterations allowed
{step_iteration}	Per-step iteration count (how many times THIS step has run)
{previous_response}	Previous step's output (auto-injected if not in template)
{user_inputs}	Additional user inputs during workflow (auto-injected if not in template)
{report_dir}	Report directory path (e.g., .takt/reports/20250126-143052-task-summary)
{report:filename}	Resolves to {report_dir}/filename (e.g., {report:00-plan.md})

Note

: {task}, {previous_response}, and {user_inputs} are auto-injected into instructions. You only need explicit placeholders if you want to control their position in the template.

Rules

Rules define how each step routes to the next step. The instruction builder auto-injects status output rules so agents know what tags to output.

rules:
  - condition: "Implementation complete"
    next: review
  - condition: "Cannot proceed"
    next: ABORT
    appendix: |
      Explain what is blocking progress.

Rule Condition Types

Type	Syntax	Description
Tag-based	"condition text"	Agent outputs [STEP:N] tag, matched by index
AI judge	ai("condition text")	AI evaluates the condition against agent output
Aggregate	all("X") / any("X")	Aggregates parallel sub-step results

Special next Values

• COMPLETE — End workflow successfully
• ABORT — End workflow with failure

Rule Field: appendix

The optional appendix field provides a template for additional AI output when that rule is matched. Useful for structured error reporting or requesting specific information.

Parallel Steps

Steps can execute sub-steps concurrently with aggregate evaluation:

  - name: reviewers
    parallel:
      - name: arch-review
        agent: ../agents/default/architecture-reviewer.md
        edit: false
        rules:
          - condition: approved
          - condition: needs_fix
        instruction_template: |
          Review architecture and code quality.
      - name: security-review
        agent: ../agents/default/security-reviewer.md
        edit: false
        rules:
          - condition: approved
          - condition: needs_fix
        instruction_template: |
          Review for security vulnerabilities.
    rules:
      - condition: all("approved")
        next: supervise
      - condition: any("needs_fix")
        next: fix

• all("X"): true if ALL sub-steps matched condition X
• any("X"): true if ANY sub-step matched condition X
• Sub-step rules define possible outcomes; next is optional (parent handles routing)

Report Files

Steps can generate report files in the report directory:

# Single report file
report: 00-plan.md

# Single report with format specification
report:
  name: 00-plan.md
  format: |
    ```markdown
    # Plan
    ...
    ```

# Multiple report files
report:
  - Scope: 01-scope.md
  - Decisions: 02-decisions.md

Step Options

Option	Default	Description
edit	-	Whether the step can edit project files (true/false)
pass_previous_response	true	Pass previous step's output to {previous_response}
allowed_tools	-	List of tools the agent can use (Read, Glob, Grep, Edit, Write, Bash, etc.)
provider	-	Override provider for this step (claude or codex)
model	-	Override model for this step
permission_mode	default	Permission mode: default, acceptEdits, or bypassPermissions
report	-	Report file configuration (name, format) for auto-generated reports

Examples

Simple Implementation Workflow

name: simple-impl
max_iterations: 5

steps:
  - name: implement
    agent: ../agents/default/coder.md
    edit: true
    permission_mode: acceptEdits
    allowed_tools: [Read, Glob, Grep, Edit, Write, Bash, WebSearch, WebFetch]
    rules:
      - condition: Implementation complete
        next: COMPLETE
      - condition: Cannot proceed
        next: ABORT
    instruction_template: |
      Implement the requested changes.

Implementation with Review

name: with-review
max_iterations: 10

steps:
  - name: implement
    agent: ../agents/default/coder.md
    edit: true
    permission_mode: acceptEdits
    allowed_tools: [Read, Glob, Grep, Edit, Write, Bash, WebSearch, WebFetch]
    rules:
      - condition: Implementation complete
        next: review
      - condition: Cannot proceed
        next: ABORT
    instruction_template: |
      Implement the requested changes.

  - name: review
    agent: ../agents/default/architecture-reviewer.md
    edit: false
    allowed_tools: [Read, Glob, Grep, WebSearch, WebFetch]
    rules:
      - condition: Approved
        next: COMPLETE
      - condition: Needs fix
        next: implement
    instruction_template: |
      Review the implementation for code quality and best practices.

Passing Data Between Steps

steps:
  - name: analyze
    agent: ../agents/default/planner.md
    edit: false
    allowed_tools: [Read, Glob, Grep, WebSearch, WebFetch]
    rules:
      - condition: Analysis complete
        next: implement
    instruction_template: |
      Analyze this request and create a plan.

  - name: implement
    agent: ../agents/default/coder.md
    edit: true
    pass_previous_response: true
    permission_mode: acceptEdits
    allowed_tools: [Read, Glob, Grep, Edit, Write, Bash, WebSearch, WebFetch]
    rules:
      - condition: Implementation complete
        next: COMPLETE
    instruction_template: |
      Implement based on this analysis:
      {previous_response}

Best Practices

1. Keep iterations reasonable — 10-30 is typical for development workflows
2. Use edit: false for review steps — Prevent reviewers from modifying code
3. Use descriptive step names — Makes logs easier to read
4. Test workflows incrementally — Start simple, add complexity
5. Use /eject to customize — Copy a builtin as starting point rather than writing from scratch