bd
Backlog management with the bd (beads) utility for issue tracking. Use when creating issues, claiming work, updating task status, closing completed work, or syncing the backlog with git.
When & Why to Use This Skill
The bd (Beads) skill is a specialized backlog management and issue-tracking utility designed to enhance agentic workflows. It enables Claude to decompose complex requests into actionable tasks, maintain state across sessions, and synchronize progress with Git repositories. By enforcing a 'backlog-first' principle, it ensures full visibility, auditability, and seamless task delegation, solving the problem of context loss and fragmented task execution in long-running projects.
Use Cases
- Task Decomposition: Breaking down multifaceted user requirements into discrete, manageable issues for systematic execution.
- Cross-Session Continuity: Preserving the state of work and pending tasks when a session ends, allowing for a seamless restart in future interactions.
- Subagent Delegation: Creating scoped issues that can be assigned to subagents, ensuring focused execution and clear boundaries.
- Git-Integrated Issue Tracking: Synchronizing local task statuses with Git to maintain a single source of truth for both the AI and human collaborators.
- Progress Auditing: Providing a clear audit trail of completed, in-progress, and planned work through standardized status updates.
| name | bd |
|---|---|
| description | Backlog management with the bd (beads) utility for issue tracking. Use when creating issues, claiming work, updating task status, closing completed work, or syncing the backlog with git. |
bd (Beads) Skill
This skill covers using bd for issue tracking and backlog management.
Run bd onboard to get started.
Core Principle: The Backlog Is Everything
Every task MUST be a bd issue. No exceptions.
Why Everything Goes Through bd
- Visibility: The human can see all planned and in-progress work
- Context Management: Subagents get focused, scoped tasks instead of sprawling conversations
- Continuity: If a session ends, the backlog preserves state
- Auditability: Every change traces back to an issue
Workflow
When asked to do something:
- Decompose the request into discrete, actionable tasks
- Author issues for each task using
bd create - Delegate each issue to a subagent for execution
- Review the subagent's work
- Close the issue when complete
Commands
bd onboard # Get oriented (run once)
bd ready # Find available work
bd create "<title>" # Create a new issue
bd show <id> # View issue details
bd update <id> --status in_progress # Claim work
bd close <id> # Complete work
bd sync # Sync issues with git
bd list # List all issues
Session Management
Starting a Session
bd ready # See what's available
bd update <id> --status in_progress # Claim an issue
Completing Work
bd close <id> # Mark issue complete
bd sync # Sync with git
Ending a Session
File issues for any remaining work:
bd create "Continue section X"
bd create "Review feedback from Y"
Update statuses:
bd close <completed-ids>
bd update <partial-id> --status in_progress
Sync everything:
bd sync