sift-backlog

Sift Backlog

Triage backlog tasks: prioritize, group into plans, set dependencies, and activate.

Overview

1. List backlog tasks (sf task backlog)
2. Clarify and enrich each task (titles, descriptions)
3. Identify groupings and create draft plans
4. Add tasks to plans and set dependencies
5. Activate plans
6. Set task status to open

Workflow

Step 1: List Backlog Tasks

sf task backlog

Step 2: Clarify and Enrich Tasks

Backlog tasks often have only a brief title with no description. Before organizing, ensure each task is well-defined.

For each task, evaluate:

• Is the title clear and actionable?
• Is there a description? Check with sf task describe <task-id> --show
• Is the scope unambiguous?

If the title is unclear, update it:

sf update <task-id> --title "Clear, actionable title"

Add a description with context, scope, and acceptance criteria:

sf task describe <task-id> --content "Description with:
- What needs to be done
- Why it matters
- Acceptance criteria
- Any relevant context"

Use your best judgment to interpret tasks and make reasonable decisions about scope, grouping, and priority. You have context about the codebase, project patterns, and typical development practices—leverage this knowledge rather than deferring to the user for routine decisions.

Only ask the user for clarity when absolutely necessary:

• The task is fundamentally ambiguous (multiple mutually exclusive interpretations)
• Critical business logic or user-facing behavior that could go wrong in meaningful ways
• External dependencies or integrations you cannot verify

Do NOT ask about:

• Implementation details you can reasonably infer
• Priority or grouping decisions—use your judgment
• Standard development practices (testing, code style, etc.)
• Tasks where a reasonable interpretation exists

Step 3: Create Draft Plans

Group related tasks into plans using your best judgment. Plans start as drafts (tasks won't be dispatched until activated).