Steering Workflow

Steering Workflow Skill

This skill provides comprehensive knowledge for creating and maintaining steering documentation that enables seamless AI-driven software development workflows.

Overview

The steering workflow establishes project conventions, technical standards, and workflow protocols that guide AI agents in understanding and working with a codebase effectively.

Steering Ecosystem
├── .claude/​steering/
│   ├── product.md     → Product purpose, features, business rules
│   ├── tech.md        → Tech stack, conventions, commands
│   └── structure.md   → Project organization, key files
├── CLAUDE.md          → Central AI guidance + workflow protocols
└── AGENTS.md          → Jules VM environment setup guide

Workflow Phases

Phase 1: Pre-flight Validation

1. Check .claude/​steering/ directory exists
2. Read existing steering files (if any)
3. Read CLAUDE.md (if exists)
4. Determine update strategy:
   - CREATE: File doesn't exist
   - UPDATE: File exists but outdated
   - SKIP: File exists and is current

Phase 2: Codebase Analysis

Execute these tracks in parallel:

Phase 3: Document Generation

Apply content templates to generate actionable documentation:

# Product.md Template
- Product Overview (2-3 sentences)
- Core Features (max 5-7)
- User Value Proposition
- Key Business Logic Rules
- Success Metrics

# Tech.md Template
- Primary Technologies
- Key Dependencies (max 10)
- Build System
- Common Commands (copy-paste ready)
- Code Conventions (max 7-10)
- Testing Strategy
- Environment Variables

# Structure.md Template
- Directory Structure (2-3 levels)
- File Naming Patterns
- Component Architecture
- Key File Locations
- Module Dependencies

Phase 4: Integration

Update CLAUDE.md with:

• Steering document references
• Core workflow instructions
• Lessons section
• Scratchpad section

Create AGENTS.md with:

• Environment setup for Jules VMs
• Build order for monorepos
• Task execution protocol
• Quality gates checklist

Phase 5: Verification

Quality checklist:

• Clarity: No ambiguous instructions
• Completeness: Critical conventions covered
• Actionability: Commands are copy-paste ready
• Brevity: No generic advice

Integration with Other Workflows

/​steering → /​spec → /​jules → /​reviewer
    │         │        │         │
    │         │        │         └── Review PRs
    │         │        └── Cloud implementation
    │         └── Feature specification
    └── Project setup

Key Commands

Best Practices

1. Selective Updates: Never overwrite existing content without comparison
2. Project-Specific: Eliminate generic advice; focus on actual patterns
3. Actionable: Every instruction should be executable
4. Concise: Every sentence should add value
5. Error Markers: Use ⚠️ TODO for uncertain sections

Skill Integration Points

When running /​steering, these skills enhance specific phases:

Source Files