Workflow Guardian Skill
Purpose
Give the agent a system for HOW to work — not just what to do.
Every repeating task type gets a defined workflow.
Every workflow has rules, checkpoints, and gates.
Violations are caught in real time and logged for review.
Core Concepts
| Concept | Meaning |
|---|---|
workflow |
Ordered step sequence for a specific task type |
rule |
A do or don't that applies globally or per workflow |
checkpoint |
Mandatory verification point inside a workflow |
gate |
Hard stop — cannot proceed until condition is met |
advisory |
Soft warning — log it, do not block |
violation |
A rule or gate broken during execution |
post-fix |
Corrective action applied after a violation |
Workflow States
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
pending |
Defined, not yet started |
active |
Currently executing |
paused |
Waiting on gate condition or owner input |
completed |
Finished successfully, all checkpoints passed |
aborted |
Stopped — violation or owner cancel |
post-fix |
Completed but violation found, correction in progress |
Rule Types
| Type | Enforcement | What happens on break |
|---|---|---|
hard-do |
Mandatory action | Gate — workflow stops |
hard-dont |
Prohibited action | Gate — workflow stops |
soft-do |
Recommended action | Advisory — log + warn |
soft-dont |
Discouraged action | Advisory — log + warn |
global |
Applies to ALL workflows | Either hard or soft |
scoped |
Applies to one workflow only | Either hard or soft |
Folder Structure
workflow-guardian/
workflows/
active/ ← currently defined workflows
<workflow-id>/
workflow.md ← definition: steps, gates, rules
run-log.md ← execution history (append-only)
archived/ ← deprecated workflows (never delete)
templates/ ← reusable workflow templates
rules/
global/
do.md ← global hard/soft dos
dont.md ← global hard/soft don'ts
do/ ← scoped do rules by workflow
<workflow-id>.md
dont/ ← scoped don't rules by workflow
<workflow-id>.md
checkpoints/
<workflow-id>.md ← checkpoint definitions per workflow
violations/
raw/ ← captured immediately on detection
YYYY-MM-DD-<wf>-<slug>/entry.md
reviewed/ ← processed violations
hooks/
pre-task.md ← runs before any workflow step
post-task.md ← runs after any workflow step
on-violation.md ← fires immediately on rule break
on-complete.md ← fires when workflow completes
memory/
schema.json ← validated memory structure
index.json ← runtime state (auto-managed)
templates/
workflow.md ← template for new workflow definitions
violation-entry.md ← template for violation entries
crons/
active/
completed/
WORKFLOW_LOG.md ← master execution log (append-only)
RULES_INDEX.md ← all rules in one place
STATS.md ← compliance rate, violation counts
SOUL.md ← persistent soul context
AGENT.md ← behavioral enforcement rules
Slug Format
Workflow IDs: <category>-<task-type> e.g. code-review, file-creation, api-integration
Violation slugs: YYYY-MM-DD-<workflow-id>-<rule-broken>
Immediate Violation Capture Rule
The moment a rule is broken — before any other action:
1. Write to violations/raw/<slug>/entry.md (minimum viable)
2. Fire hooks/on-violation.md
3. If hard rule → GATE: stop workflow, surface to owner
4. If soft rule → ADVISORY: log, warn, continue
Post-Fix Protocol
When a violation is found AFTER workflow completion:
1. Set workflow state to post-fix
2. Write violation entry
3. Determine corrective action
4. Apply fix if autonomous, else escalate
5. Mark workflow completed only after fix confirmed
Workflow Definition Requirements
Every workflow in workflows/active/ MUST define:
- steps[] — ordered list with descriptions
- gates[] — hard stop conditions
- checkpoints[] — verification points
- rules[] — scoped dos and don'ts
- post-fix-policy — what to do if violation found after completion
Stats Tracking
After every workflow completion or violation:
- Update STATS.md compliance rate
- Update memory/index.json
- If compliance rate drops below 80% for any workflow → advisory to owner
