Audit TODO Markers And Propose Next Steps

Run this workflow in order: (1) search the repository for TODO markers, (2) deduplicate results, (3) categorize TODOs, (4) propose actionable next steps, and (5) produce a markdown report.

When To Use

• The user wants a backlog extracted from inline TODO comments
• You need a maintenance audit of unfinished work across the repo
• You want to triage technical debt before a release or PR
• You need a markdown planning document based on code comments

Scope

Search the full repository for TODO markers, including at minimum:

• Python files
• JavaScript files
• TypeScript files
• Markdown and config files where TODOs may appear
• Built-in extensions and pipelines

Prefer whole-repo search unless the user explicitly narrows scope.

Required Search Targets

Look for common TODO variants such as:

• TODO
• TODO:
• # TODO
• // TODO
• /* TODO */
• inline TODO notes in comments or docstrings

Ignore files in common generated or vendor directories (for example node_modules, dist, build, .venv, venv) unless the user explicitly requests including them.

What To Capture

For each TODO found, collect:

• file path
• line number
• short excerpt of the TODO text
• likely subsystem or area (api, pipeline, ui, model loading, lint, etc.)
• proposed next step
• rough priority (high, medium, low) based on likely user impact or breakage risk

Procedure

1. Search Entire Codebase

• Run a repo-wide search for TODO markers.
• Deduplicate repeated hits when the same TODO appears multiple times from generated mirrors or repeated excerpts.

2. Read Local Context

For each meaningful TODO:

• Read enough surrounding lines to understand intent.
• Determine whether it is:
  • bug fix
  • missing feature
  • refactor
  • cleanup
  • documentation
  • test gap
  • temporary workaround

3. Propose Next Steps

For each TODO, write a concrete next step, for example:

• implement missing branch
• remove obsolete compatibility path
• add test coverage
• document required behavior
• replace placeholder logic
• validate runtime behavior

Do not just restate the TODO. Convert it into an actionable recommendation.

4. Produce Markdown Document

Create a markdown report that groups TODOs in a readable way.

Preferred structure:

• Title
• Summary counts
• Grouped sections by subsystem or priority
• One entry per TODO with:
  • file and line
  • TODO excerpt
  • proposed next step
  • priority

5. Report Limitations

If a TODO is ambiguous, say so and give the most likely next step instead of inventing certainty.

Output Expectations

When this skill is used, return:

• total TODO count found
• files containing TODOs
• markdown document content or path to generated markdown file
• grouped actionable next steps for each TODO

Pass Criteria

A successful pass means:

• the repository was searched comprehensively
• TODO markers were collected with file locations
• each TODO has a proposed next step
• the final output is a markdown document suitable for planning or triage