Plan files & continuation

Kickstart manages plan files in a plans/ directory in the workspace root. The directory is created automatically. Plan files track implementation progress and work with Cursor IDE.

Plan file locations

• Default mode — Uses plans/.last.plan.md for iterative development (or plans/[name].plan.md with --save-plan / --saved-plan <name>).
• AWP mode — Always uses plans/[name].plan.md (prompts for name, suggests branch name).

Plan file structure

Plan files contain:

• Title — Issue title (H1)
• Overview — Brief description of the implementation goal
• Issue Context — Issue number, description, labels
• Implementation Plan — Detailed breakdown of changes
• Acceptance Criteria — Checklist format (- [ ] / - [x]) for progress
• Code Pointers — Files and locations to modify
• Notes — Assumptions, questions, or considerations

Plan continuation (default mode)

If plans/.last.plan.md exists, kickstart prompts: Continue existing plan? (y/n, default: n). If you continue, existing plan content is read and the planning agent can update, correct, or extend it; previous acceptance criteria are preserved.

Completion detection

After the implement phase, kickstart:

1. Parses the Acceptance Criteria section
2. Counts how many items are [x] vs [ ]
3. If incomplete, generates a continuation prompt file

Example output:

Completion Status: 3/5 acceptance criteria completed
Plan is incomplete. 2 item(s) remaining.

Continuation prompt files

For incomplete plans, kickstart creates plans/[name].continuation.plan.md with:

• Issue context (number, title, URL)
• Plan file path
• Progress summary (completed/total)
• List of remaining items
• Instructions for continuing

These can be used with Cursor (if --cursor), other AI agents, or manual continuation.

Plan naming for incomplete work

Default mode: If work is incomplete and you’re using .last.plan.md, kickstart asks: Would you like to name this plan? (y/n, default: y). If yes, it prompts for a name, saves plans/[name].plan.md, and generates plans/[name].continuation.plan.md.

AWP mode: Plans are always named; continuation prompts are generated automatically for incomplete work.

Plan merging

For named plans (not .last.plan.md), if both a plan file and a continuation file exist on a later run:

1. Kickstart detects both files
2. Merges them into a single plan file
3. Deletes the continuation file after a successful merge

This keeps one plan file with full context for future continuation.

Cursor IDE

Plan files work with Cursor: checklist tracking, context for agents, progress visible in the plan file, and plan files can be committed for history. Plan files are never auto-deleted.