Spawn Manifest Schema

The manifest file (.lumenflow/templates/manifest.yaml) controls how templates are assembled into spawn prompts. It defines the order, requirements, and conditions for each template.

Optional override surface

This file is only required when you want to override or extend the bundled wu:brief defaults. If it is absent, wu:brief falls back to the default composition shipped with your installed CLI version.

File Location

.lumenflow/
  templates/
    manifest.yaml          # This file
    spawn-prompt/
      tdd-directive.md
      constraints.md
      ...

Minimal Manifest

version: '1.0'

templates:
  - id: tdd-directive
    path: spawn-prompt/tdd-directive.md
    required: true
    order: 10

Complete Manifest

version: '1.0'

defaults:
  tokenFormat: '{TOKEN}'

templates:
  - id: methodology-tdd
    path: spawn-prompt/methodology/tdd-directive.md
    required: false
    order: 5
    condition: "policy.testing === 'tdd' && type !== 'documentation' && type !== 'docs' && type !== 'config' && type !== 'refactor' && type !== 'visual' && type !== 'design' && type !== 'ui' && work.testMethodologyHint !== 'smoke-test' && work.testMethodologyHint !== 'structured-content'"

  - id: methodology-test-after
    path: spawn-prompt/methodology/test-after-directive.md
    required: false
    order: 5
    condition: "policy.testing === 'test-after' && type !== 'documentation' && type !== 'docs' && type !== 'config' && type !== 'refactor' && type !== 'visual' && type !== 'design' && type !== 'ui' && work.testMethodologyHint !== 'smoke-test' && work.testMethodologyHint !== 'structured-content'"

  - id: methodology-none
    path: spawn-prompt/methodology/none-directive.md
    required: false
    order: 5
    condition: "policy.testing === 'none' && type !== 'documentation' && type !== 'docs' && type !== 'config' && type !== 'refactor' && type !== 'visual' && type !== 'design' && type !== 'ui' && work.testMethodologyHint !== 'smoke-test' && work.testMethodologyHint !== 'structured-content'"

  - id: architecture-hexagonal
    path: spawn-prompt/architecture/hexagonal-directive.md
    required: false
    order: 6
    condition: "policy.architecture === 'hexagonal'"

  - id: architecture-layered
    path: spawn-prompt/architecture/layered-directive.md
    required: false
    order: 6
    condition: "policy.architecture === 'layered'"

  - id: architecture-none
    path: spawn-prompt/architecture/none-directive.md
    required: false
    order: 6
    condition: "policy.architecture === 'none'"

  - id: tdd-directive
    path: spawn-prompt/tdd-directive.md
    required: false
    order: 10
    condition: "type !== 'documentation' && type !== 'docs' && type !== 'config'"

  - id: documentation-directive
    path: spawn-prompt/documentation-directive.md
    required: false
    order: 10
    condition: "type === 'documentation' || type === 'docs' || type === 'config'"

  - id: visual-directive
    path: spawn-prompt/visual-directive.md
    required: false
    order: 15
    condition: "type === 'visual' || type === 'design' || type === 'ui' || work.testMethodologyHint === 'smoke-test'"

  - id: refactor-directive
    path: spawn-prompt/refactor-directive.md
    required: false
    order: 15
    condition: "type === 'refactor'"

  - id: structured-content-directive
    path: spawn-prompt/structured-content-directive.md
    required: false
    order: 15
    condition: "work.testMethodologyHint === 'structured-content' && type !== 'documentation' && type !== 'docs' && type !== 'config'"

  - id: verification-requirements
    path: spawn-prompt/verification-requirements.md
    required: false
    order: 18
    condition: 'hasRequiredVerification'

  - id: project-specific-co-change-guidance
    path: spawn-prompt/project-specific-co-change-guidance.md
    required: false
    order: 19
    condition: 'hasCoChangeGuidance'

  - id: skills-selection
    path: spawn-prompt/skills-selection.md
    required: true
    order: 50

  - id: code-craft
    path: spawn-prompt/code-craft.md
    required: true
    order: 55

  - id: read-before-write
    path: spawn-prompt/read-before-write.md
    required: true
    order: 60

  - id: design-context-ui
    path: spawn-prompt/design-context-ui.md
    required: false
    order: 65
    condition: "work.domain === 'ui'"

  - id: mandatory-agents
    path: spawn-prompt/mandatory-agents.md
    required: false
    order: 66
    condition: 'hasMandatoryAgents'

  - id: invariants-prior-art
    path: spawn-prompt/invariants-prior-art.md
    required: false
    order: 67
    condition: 'hasInvariantGuidance'

  - id: implementation-context
    path: spawn-prompt/implementation-context.md
    required: false
    order: 68
    condition: 'hasImplementationContext'

  - id: effort-scaling
    path: spawn-prompt/effort-scaling.md
    required: true
    order: 100

  - id: parallel-tool-calls
    path: spawn-prompt/parallel-tool-calls.md
    required: true
    order: 110

  - id: search-heuristics
    path: spawn-prompt/search-heuristics.md
    required: true
    order: 120

  - id: token-budget
    path: spawn-prompt/token-budget.md
    required: true
    order: 130

  - id: completion-format
    path: spawn-prompt/completion-format.md
    required: false
    order: 135

  - id: completion-workflow
    path: spawn-prompt/completion-workflow.md
    required: false
    order: 136

  - id: agent-coordination
    path: spawn-prompt/agent-coordination.md
    required: false
    order: 137

  - id: bug-discovery
    path: spawn-prompt/bug-discovery.md
    required: true
    order: 200

  - id: quick-fix-commands
    path: spawn-prompt/quick-fix-commands.md
    required: true
    order: 210

  - id: lane-selection
    path: spawn-prompt/lane-selection.md
    required: true
    order: 220

  - id: worktree-recovery
    path: spawn-prompt/worktree-recovery.md
    required: false
    order: 300
    condition: 'worktreePath'

  - id: worktree-path-guidance
    path: spawn-prompt/worktree-path-guidance.md
    required: false
    order: 301
    condition: 'worktreePath'

  - id: lane-guidance-framework
    path: spawn-prompt/lane-guidance/framework.md
    required: false
    order: 400
    condition: "laneParent === 'Framework'"

  - id: lane-guidance-operations
    path: spawn-prompt/lane-guidance/operations.md
    required: false
    order: 400
    condition: "laneParent === 'Operations'"

  - id: lane-guidance-content
    path: spawn-prompt/lane-guidance/content.md
    required: false
    order: 400
    condition: "laneParent === 'Content'"

  - id: action-claimed
    path: spawn-prompt/action-claimed.md
    required: false
    order: 820
    condition: "isClaimed === 'true'"

  - id: action-unclaimed
    path: spawn-prompt/action-unclaimed.md
    required: false
    order: 820
    condition: "isClaimed !== 'true'"

  - id: db-risk-verification
    path: spawn-prompt/db-risk-verification.md
    required: false
    order: 845
    condition: 'hasDbRisk'

  - id: self-review
    path: spawn-prompt/self-review.md
    required: true
    order: 850

  - id: constraints
    path: spawn-prompt/constraints.md
    required: true
    order: 1000

  - id: codex-constraints
    path: spawn-prompt/codex-constraints.md
    required: false
    order: 1005
    condition: "clientAlias === 'codex'"

Schema Reference

Root Fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
version	string	Yes	Manifest schema version
defaults	object	No	Default settings for processing
templates	array	Yes	List of template entries

defaults Object

Field	Type	Default	Description
tokenFormat	string	{TOKEN}	Token placeholder format

Note

The tokenFormat field is reserved for future use. Currently, all tokens use the {TOKEN} format.

Template Entry

Each entry in the templates array:

Field	Type	Required	Description
id	string	Yes	Unique identifier matching template frontmatter
path	string	Yes	Relative path from .lumenflow/templates/
required	boolean	Yes	Whether template must exist
order	number	Yes	Sort position (ascending)
condition	string	No	Inclusion condition expression

Field Details

version

The manifest schema version. Currently only 1.0 is supported.

version: '1.0'

Future versions may add new fields or change behavior.

id

A unique identifier for the template. Must match the id field in the template’s YAML frontmatter.

- id: tdd-directive # Matches template frontmatter id
  path: spawn-prompt/tdd-directive.md

The id is used for:

• Matching templates during loading
• Client override resolution
• Error messages and debugging

path

Relative path from .lumenflow/templates/ to the template file.

# Direct file
- id: constraints
  path: spawn-prompt/constraints.md

# Nested in subdirectory
- id: lane-guidance-framework
  path: spawn-prompt/lane-guidance/framework.md

Caution

Paths are relative to .lumenflow/templates/, not the repository root.

required

Controls behavior when a template cannot be found or loaded.

When true:

- id: constraints
  required: true
  # Error thrown if template is missing

Assembly fails with an error message indicating the expected path.

When false:

- id: visual-directive
  required: false
  # Silently skipped if missing

Missing template is skipped without error.

order

Numeric value controlling assembly sequence. Lower values appear first in the output.

templates:
  - id: tdd-directive
    order: 10 # Appears first
  - id: constraints
    order: 1000 # Appears last

Recommended ranges:

Range	Purpose
10-20	Type and verification directives
50-70	Skills, craft, and context
100-140	Agent guidance and completion format
200-300	Operational guidance
300-310	Recovery and worktree
400-500	Lane-specific guidance
820-850	Action and completion checks
900+	Constraints (always last)

Equal order values:

When multiple templates have the same order, their relative order is undefined. Use conditions to ensure only one is included:

# Both have order 10, but conditions are mutually exclusive
- id: tdd-directive
  order: 10
  condition: "type !== 'documentation'"

- id: documentation-directive
  order: 10
  condition: "type === 'documentation'"

condition

Optional JavaScript-like expression controlling template inclusion.

Syntax:

Operator	Example
Equality	type === 'feature'
Inequality	type !== 'documentation'
Truthy	worktreePath
AND	type === 'bug' && laneParent === 'Core'
OR	type === 'feature' || type === 'bug'

Available variables:

Variable	Description
type	WU type (feature, bug, documentation)
lane	Full lane name
laneParent	Parent lane (Framework, Content, etc.)
wuId	Work Unit ID
worktreePath	Worktree path (truthy if claimed)
title	WU title
description	WU description
policy.testing	Resolved testing policy (tdd, test-after, none)
policy.architecture	Resolved architecture policy
work.domain	Classified work domain (ui, backend, docs, etc.)
work.testMethodologyHint	Classifier hint (smoke-test, structured-content)
hasRequiredVerification	Truthy when any required verification is declared
tests.hasUnit	Truthy when the WU spec declares unit test paths
tests.hasE2E	Truthy when the WU spec declares E2E test paths
tests.hasManual	Truthy when the WU spec declares manual verification items

Examples:

# Feature and bug WUs only
condition: "type === 'feature' || type === 'bug'"

# Documentation WUs only
condition: "type === 'documentation' || type === 'docs'"

# Only when worktree exists
condition: "worktreePath"

# Framework lane only
condition: "laneParent === 'Framework'"

# UI work only
condition: "work.domain === 'ui'"

# Structured-content guidance only
condition: "work.testMethodologyHint === 'structured-content'"

# Only when the WU spec declares required verification
condition: 'hasRequiredVerification'

# Combined: features in Framework lane
condition: "type === 'feature' && laneParent === 'Framework'"

Validation

The manifest is validated when loaded. Errors include:

Missing version

Error: manifest.yaml: 'version' field is required and must be a string

Missing templates array

Error: manifest.yaml: 'templates' field is required and must be an array

Invalid template entry

Error: manifest.yaml: Template entry 'my-template' is missing required fields: order, required

YAML syntax error

Error: Failed to parse manifest.yaml: <yaml error details>

Assembly Algorithm

When wu:brief assembles templates:

1. Parse manifest - Validate structure and entries
2. Load templates - Read files from spawn-prompt/
3. Resolve client alias - Example: claude-code -> claude, codex-cli -> codex
4. Apply overrides - Replace base templates with client-specific versions
5. Sort entries - Order by order field ascending
6. Evaluate conditions - Skip templates where condition is false
7. Check required - Error if required template is missing
8. Replace tokens - Substitute {TOKEN} placeholders
9. Join sections - Concatenate with double newlines

Client Override Resolution

Client-specific manifests are not supported. Overrides work at the template level:

.lumenflow/
  templates/
    manifest.yaml              # Single manifest for all clients
    spawn-prompt/
      skills-selection.md      # Base template
  templates.claude/
    spawn-prompt/
      skills-selection.md      # Claude override (same id)

When assembling for --client claude-code:

1. Load base template with id: skills-selection
2. Resolve alias to claude
3. Load override from templates.claude/spawn-prompt/skills-selection.md
4. Override replaces base (matched by id)

Client Alias Mapping

Client Flag (--client)	Alias	Override Directory
claude-code	claude	templates.claude/
codex-cli	codex	templates.codex/
gemini-cli	gemini	templates.gemini/
cursor	cursor	templates.cursor/
windsurf	windsurf	templates.windsurf/

Tip

To add client-specific templates not in the base manifest, add them to the manifest with a client-specific condition or create them in the base directory with a client condition.

Default Built-In Sections

These are the built-in sections most consumers override first:

Template ID	When it is included	Typical reason to override
visual-directive	UI work or work.testMethodologyHint === 'smoke-test'	Add project-specific UI verification commands
structured-content-directive	work.testMethodologyHint === 'structured-content'	Add content/config evaluators or schema checks
verification-requirements	hasRequiredVerification	Reformat or extend WU-declared verification output
design-context-ui	work.domain === 'ui'	Add design system or accessibility review guidance
code-craft	Always	Tighten implementation standards
read-before-write	Always	Add repo-specific discovery expectations
self-review	Always	Add completion checklist items

Lookup-Based Section Tokens

These shipped ids are selected directly by the CLI prompt builders and often carry section-specific tokens in addition to the shared {WU_ID}, {LANE}, and {WORKTREE_PATH} values:

Template ID	Primary token(s)	Notes
project-specific-co-change-guidance	CO_CHANGE_GUIDANCE_SECTION	Wrapper token containing the fully rendered co-change section
mandatory-agents	MANDATORY_AGENTS	Injects the rendered bullet list of required agents
invariants-prior-art	INVARIANTS_PRIOR_ART_SECTION	Wrapper token for the full invariants/prior-art section
implementation-context	IMPLEMENTATION_CONTEXT_SECTION	Wrapper token for the full implementation-context section
agent-coordination	AGENT_COORDINATION_SECTION	Wrapper token preserving config-driven progress-signal wording
action-unclaimed	WORKTREE_PATH_HINT, WU_EVENTS_PATH	Use alongside shared {WU_ID} and {LANE}
codex-constraints	TDD_CHECKPOINT_BLOCK, numbering tokens, {WU_ID}	Codex-only constraints rendering

Next Steps

• Template Format - Template file structure
• Customizing Spawn Prompts - Create custom templates
• CLI Reference - wu:brief and wu:delegate command options