Tracks complex, multi-session work using the Beads issue tracker and dependency graphs, and provides persistent memory that survives conversation compaction. Use when work spans multiple sessions, has complex dependencies, or needs persistent context across compaction cycles. Trigger with phrases like "create task for", "what's ready to work on", "show task", "track this work", "what's blocking", or "update status".
A comprehensive skill for using beads (bd) issue tracking with Claude Code.
This skill teaches Claude Code how to use bd effectively for:
Copy the beads/ directory to your Claude Code skills location:
# Global installation
cp -r beads ~/.claude/skills/
# Or project-local
cp -r beads .claude/skills/
The skill activates when conversations involve:
beads/
├── SKILL.md # Main skill file (Claude reads this first)
├── README.md # This file (for humans)
└── references/ # Detailed documentation (loaded on demand)
├── BOUNDARIES.md # When to use bd vs TodoWrite
├── CLI_BOOTSTRAP_ADMIN.md # CLI command reference
├── DEPENDENCIES.md # Dependency semantics (A blocks B vs B blocks A)
├── INTEGRATION_PATTERNS.md # TodoWrite and other tool integration
├── ISSUE_CREATION.md # When and how to create issues
├── MOLECULES.md # Protos, mols, wisps (v0.34.0+)
├── PATTERNS.md # Common usage patterns
├── RESUMABILITY.md # Writing notes for post-compaction recovery
├── STATIC_DATA.md # Using bd for reference databases
├── TROUBLESHOOTING.md # Common issues and fixes
└── WORKFLOWS.md # Step-by-step workflow guides
| Use bd when... | Use TodoWrite when... | |----------------|----------------------| | Work spans multiple sessions | Single-session tasks | | Complex dependencies exist | Linear step-by-step work | | Need to resume after weeks | Just need a quick checklist | | Knowledge work with fuzzy boundaries | Clear, immediate tasks |
bd dep add A B means "A depends on B" (B must complete before A can start).
# Want: "Setup must complete before Implementation"
bd dep add implementation setup # ✓ CORRECT
# NOT: bd dep add setup implementation # ✗ WRONG
When Claude's context gets compacted, conversation history is lost but bd state survives. Write notes as if explaining to a future Claude with zero context:
bd update issue-123 --notes "COMPLETED: JWT auth with RS256
KEY DECISION: RS256 over HS256 for key rotation
IN PROGRESS: Password reset flow
NEXT: Implement rate limiting"
brew install steveyegge/beads/bd)bd init in project root)This skill is maintained at github.com/steveyegge/beads in the skills/beads/ directory.
Issues and PRs welcome for:
MIT (same as beads)
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Category:productivity