GS

gsd-execute-phase

Executes multi-step development plans in parallel phases.

Install

mkdir -p .claude/skills/gsd-execute-phase-acidicsoil && curl -L -o skill.zip "https://agentskills.codes/api/skills/download/12674" && unzip -o skill.zip -d .claude/skills/gsd-execute-phase-acidicsoil && rm skill.zip

Installs to .claude/skills/gsd-execute-phase-acidicsoil

Activation

This is the description your AI agent reads to decide when to run this skill — the better it matches your request, the more reliably it fires.

Execute all plans in a phase with wave-based parallelization
60 charsno explicit “when” trigger
Advanced

Key capabilities

  • Execute plans in a phase
  • Handle user input requests
  • Translate GSD `AskUserQuestion` to Codex `request_user_input`
  • Translate GSD `Task()` to Codex `spawn_agent`
  • Manage multi-select questions
  • Handle `spawn_agent` schema detection

How it works

The skill translates GSD workflow constructs like `AskUserQuestion` and `Task()` into Codex-compatible `request_user_input` and `spawn_agent` calls, managing user interaction and sub-agent execution.

Inputs & outputs

You give it
GSD workflow with `AskUserQuestion` or `Task()` calls
You get back
User input via `request_user_input` or spawned sub-agents

When to use gsd-execute-phase

  • Executing a multi-task development plan
  • Running parallel build or test phases
  • Managing complex agentic workflows

About this skill

<codex_skill_adapter>

A. Skill Invocation

  • This skill is invoked by mentioning $gsd-execute-phase.
  • Treat all user text after $gsd-execute-phase as {{GSD_ARGS}}.
  • If no arguments are present, treat {{GSD_ARGS}} as empty.

B. AskUserQuestion → request_user_input Mapping

GSD workflows use AskUserQuestion (Claude Code syntax). Translate to Codex request_user_input:

Parameter mapping:

  • headerheader
  • questionquestion
  • Options formatted as "Label" — description{label: "Label", description: "description"}
  • Generate id from header: lowercase, replace spaces with underscores

Batched calls:

  • AskUserQuestion([q1, q2]) → single request_user_input with multiple entries in questions[]

Multi-select workaround:

  • Codex has no multiSelect. Use sequential single-selects, or present a numbered freeform list asking the user to enter comma-separated numbers.

Execute mode fallback:

  • When request_user_input is rejected or unavailable, activate TEXT_MODE: append --text to {{GSD_ARGS}} so the workflow's built-in text-mode branching takes over. Present every AskUserQuestion call as a plain-text numbered list, then stop and wait for the user's reply. Do NOT pick a default and continue (#3018 / #3808).
  • You may only proceed without a user answer when one of these is true: (a) the invocation included an explicit non-interactive flag (--auto or --all), (b) the user has explicitly approved a specific default for this question, or (c) the workflow's documented contract says defaults are safe (e.g. autonomous lifecycle paths).
  • Do NOT write workflow artifacts (CONTEXT.md, DISCUSSION-LOG.md, PLAN.md, checkpoint files) until the user has answered the plain-text questions or one of (a)-(c) above applies. Surfacing the questions and waiting is the correct response — silently defaulting and writing artifacts is the #3018 failure mode.

C. Task() → spawn_agent Mapping

GSD workflows use Task(...) (Claude Code syntax). Translate to Codex collaboration tools:

Schema detection (required first step): Codex exposes two spawn_agent schemas:

  • agent_type-capable schema (e.g. multi_agent_v2): spawn_agent accepts agent_type, message, reasoning_effort, fork_context, etc. — typed GSD agent dispatch is available.
  • Generic schema (multi_agent_v1): spawn_agent accepts only message, items, fork_context — there is no agent_type field. Typed GSD agent dispatch is unavailable in this session.

Before spawning, inspect the spawn_agent tool's visible parameter schema (via tool_search or the tool list) to determine which form is active.

Typed mapping (agent_type-capable schema only):

  • Task(subagent_type="X", prompt="Y")spawn_agent(agent_type="X", message="Y")
  • Agent(subagent_type="X", prompt="Y")spawn_agent(agent_type="X", message="Y")
  • Task(model="...") → omit. spawn_agent has no inline model parameter; GSD embeds the resolved per-agent model directly into each agent's .toml at install time so model_overrides from .planning/config.json and ~/.gsd/defaults.json are honored automatically by Codex's agent router.
  • Resolved reasoning_effort="low|medium|high|xhigh" (xhigh is a GSD/Codex tier, not a generic runtime enum) → pass reasoning_effort to spawn_agent when the runtime/tool supports it. Omit missing, empty, inherited, or unsupported values; do not invent one-off effort literals in workflow prose.
  • fork_context: false by default — GSD agents load their own context via <files_to_read> blocks
  • Task(isolation="worktree") / Agent(isolation="worktree") → no direct Codex mapping. Codex spawn_agent does not create or bind a git worktree automatically. Workflows that require this isolation must fail closed or use an explicit manual worktree protocol before spawning (#3360).

Generic-agent workaround (multi_agent_v1 schema — NO agent_type field): When only the generic multi_agent_v1 schema is available, typed GSD agent dispatch (gsd-planner, gsd-executor, etc.) is NOT possible. This is a known Codex limitation (openai/codex#15250). This workaround is NOT equivalent to typed gsd-planner/gsd-executor execution — GSD agents carry project-aware prompts, audit logging, and workflow context that a generic subagent lacks. Use the following fallback:

  1. Resolve your active Codex config root — the directory that contains your config.toml. This directory is determined in priority order: $CODEX_HOME (if set), the path given by --config-dir (if passed on invocation), a local .codex directory in the current project (if --local was used), or the default global config directory. Read agents/<agent-name>.toml relative to that config root to extract the agent's system instructions.
  2. Inject those instructions as a role-preamble into a generic spawn_agent(message=...) call.
  3. Label results and logs clearly as "generic-agent workaround" so the orchestrator and user know full typed-agent guarantees are not in effect.
  4. Where typed dispatch is mandatory for correctness (e.g. worktree isolation), fail closed and report the schema limitation rather than silently degrading.

Spawn restriction:

  • Codex restricts spawn_agent to cases where the user has explicitly requested sub-agents. When automatic spawning is not permitted, do the work inline in the current agent rather than attempting to force a spawn.
  • In some Codex sessions, multi-agent tooling can be deferred. If spawn_agent is not currently visible, discover tools first via tool_search before defaulting to inline execution.

Parallel fan-out:

  • Spawn multiple agents → collect agent IDs → wait(ids) for all to complete

Result parsing:

  • Look for structured markers in agent output: CHECKPOINT, PLAN COMPLETE, SUMMARY, etc.
  • close_agent(id) after collecting results from each agent </codex_skill_adapter>
<objective> Execute all plans in a phase using wave-based parallel execution.

Orchestrator stays lean: discover plans, analyze dependencies, group into waves, spawn subagents, collect results. Each subagent loads the full execute-plan context and handles its own plan.

Optional wave filter:

  • --wave N executes only Wave N for pacing, quota management, or staged rollout
  • phase verification/completion still only happens when no incomplete plans remain after the selected wave finishes

Flag handling rule:

  • The optional flags documented below are available behaviors, not implied active behaviors
  • A flag is active only when its literal token appears in {{GSD_ARGS}}
  • If a documented flag is absent from {{GSD_ARGS}}, treat it as inactive

Context budget: ~15% orchestrator, 100% fresh per subagent. </objective>

<execution_context> @/home/user/projects/temp/ai-apps/.personal-projects/registry-atlas/.codex/gsd-core/workflows/execute-phase.md @/home/user/projects/temp/ai-apps/.personal-projects/registry-atlas/.codex/gsd-core/references/ui-brand.md </execution_context>

<runtime_note> Copilot (VS Code): Use vscode_askquestions wherever this workflow calls AskUserQuestion. They are equivalent — vscode_askquestions is the VS Code Copilot implementation of the same interactive question API. </runtime_note>

<context> Phase: {{GSD_ARGS}}

Available optional flags (documentation only — not automatically active):

  • --wave N — Execute only Wave N in the phase. Use when you want to pace execution or stay inside usage limits.
  • --gaps-only — Execute only gap closure plans (plans with gap_closure: true in frontmatter). Use after verify-work creates fix plans.
  • --interactive — Execute plans sequentially inline (no subagents) with user checkpoints between tasks. Lower token usage, pair-programming style. Best for small phases, bug fixes, and verification gaps.

Active flags must be derived from {{GSD_ARGS}}:

  • --wave N is active only if the literal --wave token is present in {{GSD_ARGS}}
  • --gaps-only is active only if the literal --gaps-only token is present in {{GSD_ARGS}}
  • --interactive is active only if the literal --interactive token is present in {{GSD_ARGS}}
  • If none of these tokens appear, run the standard full-phase execution flow with no flag-specific filtering
  • Do not infer that a flag is active just because it is documented in this prompt

Context files are resolved inside the workflow via node "$HOME/.codex/gsd-core/bin/gsd-tools.cjs" query init.execute-phase and per-subagent <files_to_read> blocks. </context>

<process> Execute end-to-end. Preserve all workflow gates (wave execution, checkpoint handling, verification, state updates, routing). </process>

When not to use it

  • When `request_user_input` is rejected or unavailable and no non-interactive flag is present
  • When `spawn_agent` is restricted and automatic spawning is not permitted

Limitations

  • Codex has no `multiSelect` for questions
  • Codex `spawn_agent` does not create or bind a git worktree automatically
  • Codex restricts `spawn_agent` to cases where the user has explicitly requested sub-agents

How it compares

This skill provides a specific adapter for GSD workflows within Codex, enabling automated execution and interaction that would otherwise require manual translation or intervention.

Compared to similar skills

gsd-execute-phase side by side with the closest alternatives in the catalog.

SkillInstallsUpdatedSafetyDifficulty
gsd-execute-phase (this skill)01moNo flagsAdvanced
workflow-automation36moReviewIntermediate
workflow-execute14moReviewAdvanced
lfg02moNo flagsIntermediate

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