Beads Integration Skill

You are assisting with a project that uses Beads - a persistent task memory system that survives context limits and session boundaries.

What is Beads?

Beads provides:

• Persistent memory across Claude Code sessions
• Task graph with dependencies and status
• Discovery tracking for implementation insights
• Context preservation before compaction

Core Commands

Initialize Beads

bd init          # Initialize in project
bd doctor        # Verify setup

Prime Context

bd prime         # Load task graph into context

This runs automatically at SessionStart and PreCompact via hooks.

Task Management

bd create "Task description" --type task --priority P1 --label "speckit:T001"
bd list                      # List all issues
bd list --status todo        # Filter by status
bd ready                     # Show tasks ready to work
bd update <id> --status in-progress
bd update <id> --status done
bd note <id> "Discovery note"

Query Tasks

bd show <id>                 # Show task details
bd find "search term"        # Search tasks
bd list --label "speckit:*"  # Find Spec Kit tasks

Pivotal-Style Workflow

Spec Kit + Beads implements Pivotal Labs methodology:

Sync Patterns

spec.md + plan.md → Beads Epic

After /speckit.plan, create a Pivotal-style epic:

./.specify/scripts/bash/create-beads-epic.sh specs/001-feature P0

This extracts from spec.md and plan.md:

• Problem Statement
• Business Value
• Architectural Vision
• Integration Tests
• Acceptance Criteria

Epic ID is saved to specs/001-feature/.beads-epic-id

tasks.md → Beads Tasks

After /speckit.tasks, bulk import with dependencies:

# Get epic ID
EPIC_ID=$(cat specs/001-feature/.beads-epic-id)

# Create tasks with automatic priority detection and P0→P1→P2 dependencies
./.specify/scripts/bash/create-beads-issues.sh specs/001-feature/tasks.md $EPIC_ID

# Link Beads IDs back to tasks.md
./.specify/scripts/bash/update-tasks-with-beads-ids.sh specs/001-feature/tasks.md

The script automatically:

• Detects P0/P1/P2/P3 priority from markers
• Sets up blocking dependencies (P0 → P1 → P2)
• Labels by user story and component

Beads → tasks.md

When status changes in Beads:

• Query Beads: bd list --status done --label "speckit:*"
• Update corresponding tasks in tasks.md to [x]

When to Invoke This Skill

Claude should use this skill when:

• User mentions long-running projects or multi-session work
• Discussing task persistence or memory across sessions
• Working on tasks and needing to track progress
• Starting a new session on an existing feature
• Context compaction is imminent
• User asks about Beads commands or workflow

Session Workflow

Starting a Session

1. bd prime runs automatically via SessionStart hook
2. Check current task status: bd ready
3. Resume work on in-progress tasks

During Work

1. Update status when starting: bd update <id> --status in-progress
2. Log discoveries: bd note <id> "Found edge case..."
3. Mark complete when done: bd update <id> --status done

Ending a Session

1. bd prime runs automatically via PreCompact hook
2. Ensure all status updates are saved
3. Add session notes for next time

Best Practices

Task Linking Format

In tasks.md, link to Beads:

- [ ] (speckit-abc.1) [T001] [P] [US1] Create user model

Discovery Documentation

Use Beads notes for:

• Implementation insights
• Edge cases discovered
• Technical decisions made
• Blockers encountered

Status Progression

todo → in-progress → done
              ↓
           blocked (if needed)

Troubleshooting

Beads not priming?

bd --version    # Check installed
bd doctor       # Diagnose issues
ls .beads/      # Check database exists

Tasks not syncing?

1. Check Beads IDs in tasks.md
2. Verify label format: speckit:T###
3. Run sync scripts manually

Context lost?

• Run bd prime manually
• Check SessionStart hook in settings.json