bmad-orchestrator_skill

Overview

This skill orchestrates BMAD workflows for structured AI-driven development, initializing project structure, tracking progress, and routing work across the four BMAD phases. It centralizes project configuration, enforces level-based planning requirements, and coordinates with specialized workflow skills to keep projects moving predictably.

How this skill works

On initialization it creates a bmad directory, project config, and a workflow status file tailored to the chosen project level. For status checks it loads config and status files, evaluates phase completion against level rules, and produces clear visual indicators and a recommended next workflow. It routes work to specialized skills by passing project context (config, status, level, output folder) and can launch parallel subagents to speed checks or generate outputs.

When to use it

• Run /workflow-init or /init to set up BMAD in a new or existing project.
• Run /workflow-status or /status to get a concise progress report and next-step recommendations.
• When you need to enforce planning requirements based on project level (0–4).
• When coordinating handoffs between Analysis, Planning, Solutioning, and Implementation phases.
• When you want to automate directory, config, and status-file creation for standardized workflows.

Best practices

• Collect accurate project name, type, and level before initializing to ensure correct requirements.
• Use level-based rules: require PRD for level 2+, require tech spec for level 0–1, require architecture for level 2+.
• Run status checks frequently during planning and before sprints to avoid missing required artifacts.
• Let the orchestrator route to specialized skills rather than bypassing required phases.
• Use provided scripts (init-project.sh, check-status.sh, validate-config.sh) for repeatable automation.

Example use cases

• Bootstrapping BMAD for a new web-app: create config, status file, and recommend starting with /product-brief.
• Evaluating a Level 2 project mid-planning: detect missing PRD and recommend /prd.
• Automating routine checks across multiple projects using parallel subagents to aggregate artifact status.
• Enforcing workflow gates before architecture work on medium and larger projects.
• Triggering sprint workflows once planning artifacts are complete and recommending /sprint-planning.