DOWNLOADABLE CODEX SKILL · v1.0.0

Turn a request into a project brief

Define the outcome, constraints, and evidence for a focused change before implementation begins.

THE WORKFLOW

What this skill helps you do

Use this when a request describes a goal but leaves the expected behavior unclear. The skill connects the requested outcome to observable acceptance criteria, project constraints, and a useful review plan.

When it fits

It is a useful starting point for website changes, small product features, or repository tasks that need a clearer brief. It keeps unknown decisions visible instead of filling them with invented requirements.

Try it on a real task

EXAMPLE REQUEST

$aboutcodex-project-brief Turn my request for a searchable skill library into a brief with acceptance criteria. Use the project conventions and identify decisions that affect implementation.

What to look for

A focused brief whose acceptance criteria can be demonstrated, with assumptions clearly separated from confirmed facts.

Install the skill

Inspect the extracted package first. For a local project, place the skill folder here:

.agents/skills/aboutcodex-project-brief/SKILL.md

Desktop app

Open the project and inspect the Skills sidebar to locate the skill by name. Follow the skill controls available in your current desktop application.

Terminal / CLI

Open the project in Codex CLI. Use /skills or $aboutcodex-project-brief to select the skill explicitly.

IDE extension

Open the project in the Codex IDE extension. Use /skills or $aboutcodex-project-brief to select the skill explicitly.

Verify discovery: locate the exact skill name before starting. If missing, check the folder, SKILL.md filename, and name/description frontmatter, then restart the client.

After selecting the skill, use this inspection request:

Read the aboutcodex-project-brief skill. Explain its purpose, inputs, and boundaries. Do not edit files or run its workflow yet.

Documentation-based guidance, checked September 10, 2026. Client discovery was not independently tested here. OpenAI’s skill documentation. Troubleshoot installation

Inspect the files

  • aboutcodex-project-brief/SKILL.md2 KB
  • aboutcodex-project-brief/references/NOTES.md538 B
  • aboutcodex-project-brief/LICENSE.txt1 KB
Read SKILL.md before downloading
---
name: "aboutcodex-project-brief"
description: "Turn an underspecified software or website request into an actionable project brief with observable acceptance criteria. Use when the user asks to scope or clarify a change before implementation."
---

# Project brief

Turn the user's requested change into a brief that someone can implement and review.

Read the supplied request and available project instructions. Separate facts already established from assumptions. Use repository evidence when it is available; do not invent framework choices, commands, deadlines, or customer requirements.

Describe the visible behavior that should change, the relevant surfaces, and the boundaries of the work. For each acceptance criterion, name an observable result and the evidence that would demonstrate it. Prefer concrete examples to broad terms such as "modern" or "optimized."

Ask about a missing detail only when different answers would materially change the work. Continue drafting the independent parts of the brief while awaiting that answer. Treat optional preferences as stated assumptions, not blockers.

Use references/NOTES.md for a compact acceptance-criteria worksheet. Adapt its fields to the task; omit irrelevant fields. If the user also asked for implementation, use the brief to continue that authorized work rather than stopping after planning.

Deliver a concise brief that distinguishes intended results, known constraints, validation evidence, and unresolved decisions. Do not expand the requested scope into unrelated features.

Limits and considerations

This skill scopes a change; it does not establish budget estimates or prove that the implementation passes its checks.

Review notes

Workflow evaluated · 2026-09-10

Environment: Assistant-led text review; local Python 3.14.5 checklist runner.

Manually applied the published skill to one book-club documentation request. The resulting brief passed six checklist assertions for outcome, scope, unknowns, dependencies, acceptance, and review gate. No independent evaluator or automatic invocation benchmark. Full report: https://aboutcodex.com/project-brief-skill-evaluation/ Scope is limited to the recorded exercise.

Read the full evaluation and reproduce the exercise →

Package checks confirm file structure. They do not establish that a skill works well on every task.

Version notes

1.0.0 — Initial instruction-only release with supporting notes.

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Updates and upgrade guidance
  1. Scoped workflow evaluation recorded

    Manually applied the published skill to one book-club documentation request. The resulting brief passed six checklist assertions for outcome, scope, unknowns, dependencies, acceptance, and review gate. No independent evaluator or automatic invocation benchmark.

    What to do: Read the linked evaluation and repeat the matching exercise. Package instructions are unchanged; no re-download is required.

  2. Installation guidance clarified · package v1.0.0

    Added interface-specific guidance and a read-only inspection request. The downloadable package is unchanged.

    What to do: No re-download needed for this documentation update. Inspect the current version and compare your local changes before replacing a skill.

This log starts with the first recorded review; it is not a reconstruction of earlier revisions.