/planning

Planning

Use this skill to design a dependency-aware task graph in the orchestrator and submit it with create-tasks. Do not spawn another agent and do not use incremental plan item tools.

Before calling create-tasks, load it via load_tool (search "create tasks" if it is not visible).

When NOT to use this skill

Stop and use workflow-builder + build-workflow instead when the request is:

• A new or one-off single workflow, even if it sounds large or unfamiliar
• An edit to one existing workflow (nodes, expressions, credentials, schedule, Code)
• Verification, setup, or credential collection for a workflow you just built
• A workflow-local data table whose schema ships with that same workflow
• Standalone data-table list/schema/query/create/mutation work

Do not call create-tasks just to get approval, verification, or a checklist for a single workflow. Workflow verification is automatic from structured build outcomes after build-workflow.

When to use this skill

Planning is only for work that needs coordination: multiple workflows, dependencies between workflows, shared data-table schema or migration work across tasks, multiple durable artifacts, broad best-practice research across many sources, genuinely ambiguous business-process architecture that cannot be resolved with one build-workflow call, or an explicit user request to review a plan first.

If shared data tables are involved, load data-table-manager before this skill and carry the relevant table guidance into workflow task specs. Clear single-workflow builds and existing-workflow edits use workflow-builder with build-workflow directly. Standalone data-table work uses data-table-manager with direct data-tables and parse-file calls.

Knowledge Base

Consult the knowledge base before planning. It lives at the workspace root. Read the relevant .md guides and templates for each technique the request involves (${N8N_WORKSPACE_DIR}/knowledge-base/index.json, ${N8N_WORKSPACE_DIR}/knowledge-base/best-practices/index.json, and linked files). Use workspace_execute_command with rg or find under ${N8N_WORKSPACE_DIR}/knowledge-base/templates/ to locate matching SDK examples — never load templates/index.json wholesale. Skip only for trivial mechanical edits you have already reviewed in this thread.

Method

1. Decide whether the request is plan-worthy by coordination need, not by whether a workflow is new.

2. Discover what materially affects the plan with normal tools: nodes(action="suggested"), credentials(action="list"), data-tables(action="list"), parse-file, workflows, and research when relevant.

3. Prefer reasonable assumptions over questions. Ask the user only when the answer would materially change the plan and cannot be discovered.

4. Build a dependency-aware graph. Producers must come before consumers. Independent tasks should not depend on each other.

5. Put single workflow-local table requirements inside that workflow task spec. Do not create separate data-table tasks unless the table work is a durable artifact shared across tasks.

6. Add checkpoint tasks only for exceptional semantic checks that normal workflow verification cannot cover.

7. Load create-tasks via load_tool if needed, then call create-tasks with planningContext.source: "planning-skill", a concise summary, optional assumptions, postBuildRunRequested: true only when the user explicitly asked to run, execute, or test a workflow after building it, and the final task graph.

8. After calling create-tasks, do not write visible text. The approval card is the user-visible surface.

Task Graph Rules

• Use task kinds exactly as supported: build-workflow and checkpoint.
• Each task id must be stable and referenced by dependency edges.
• Each title should be short and user-facing.
• Each spec must be the complete executor briefing for that task. The task executor may not see your broader planning notes.
• For build-workflow tasks, make spec a structured executor briefing, not freeform prose. Include these labels in this order: Outcome, Trigger mode, External systems, Required effects, Required branches, Required data, Explicit constraints, Empty/invalid behavior, and Done when.
• In Required effects, list every observable action the user asked for, such as send email, send Telegram, write Google Sheets, create Notion pages, upsert Data Table rows, or post one Slack summary.
• In Required branches, state partial-failure behavior when multiple effects start from the same trigger, and state whether no-results or invalid-input paths need an explicit notification, fallback, log, or no-op.
• In Required data, name fields needed by later conditions, filters, ranking, response messages, or downstream effects, and note when those fields must remain available after side-effect nodes that replace item JSON.
• In Explicit constraints, preserve concrete user-provided resource names, channels, tables, labels, URLs, and required node families or mechanisms. If the user explicitly says to use a node family or mechanism such as HTTP Request, webhook, form, MCP, or a service-native node, treat that as a hard requirement unless it is impossible or contradicts another stated requirement. Do not move those values to assumptions, replace them with placeholders, or silently swap them for a more convenient alternative.
• In Empty/invalid behavior, distinguish data that invalidates the whole item from data that only affects one requested effect. For multi-effect intake workflows, do not turn a field into a workflow-wide rejection requirement merely because one message or side effect uses it.
• In Done when, write observable acceptance checks, including final actions and branch behavior. Do not write node-by-node wiring or fake user data.
• If a build-workflow task's final deliverable is a supporting sub-workflow, set isSupportingWorkflow: true on that task. Do not set it for helper sub-workflows that are only intermediate artifacts inside a larger main workflow task.
• For checkpoint tasks, write structured semantic verification instructions: Verify trigger mode, Verify external systems, Verify required effects, Verify required branches, Verify required data, Verify explicit constraints, Verify empty/invalid behavior, and Pass condition. Checkpoints are exceptional; use this structure only when a checkpoint is actually warranted.

Assumptions And Questions

• Never ask about things tools can discover, such as available credentials, existing data tables, workflow names, node availability, or attached-file structure.
• Never ask for implementation details such as node choices, column names, or trigger mechanics when a sensible default exists.
• Never ask for the user's timezone when the current date/time section includes it. Use that timezone for schedule times, cron assumptions, and digest windows.
• Never default resource identifiers the user did not mention, such as Slack channels, calendars, spreadsheets, folders, databases, or recipient lists. Leave them for the builder to resolve or collect through setup.
• Trust already-collected briefing context. If the conversation or task briefing includes already-collected answers or already-discovered resources, treat them as authoritative and do not ask again for purpose, trigger, integrations, schedule, model, resource, or credential choices already listed there.
• A question is asked at most once. Once the user has answered, deferred ("later"), or skipped it, never re-present it. On a skip or deferral, record a sensible assumption in planningContext.assumptions where a default exists (for example a default morning time for a digest), otherwise leave the detail for the builder or setup — do not block on it and do not ask again.
• If exactly one matching credential exists, assume it and mention the credential name in planningContext.assumptions.
• If no matching credential exists, plan normally. The builder will mock or leave it unresolved and route setup after verification.
• If multiple matching credentials exist and the user did not name one, ask once with ask-user because the choice cannot be discovered.
• Use credential-backed resource investigation only when it changes the plan, for example validating a named Slack channel that affects the architecture. Do not turn resource lookup into a credential-choice question unless the multiple-credentials rule applies.

Checkpoints

Workflow verification is automatic from structured build outcomes. Do not add routine "verify this workflow" checkpoint tasks for every workflow.

Checkpoint tasks are exceptional semantic checks. Use them for cross-workflow contracts, confirming a report combines upstream data correctly, validating a business invariant across deliverables, or checking a condition that cannot be covered by normal runtime verification.

Do not add checkpoints for routine verification-only work.

Revisions

If the user rejects the plan with requested changes, revise surgically, load create-tasks via load_tool if needed, and call create-tasks again in the same orchestrator run with planningContext.source: "planning-skill".

If the user denies the plan outright, stop. Do not call create-tasks again in the same message group.