task-complete - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: task-complete description: Use when finishing tasks and recording completion with output artifacts

Task Complete

Purpose

Properly close out tasks in the PM-OS system by marking them done, linking output artifacts, and archiving to the monthly archive. Ensures no completed work is lost and all outputs are traceable.

When to Use

Activate when:

Human finishes a task and wants to mark it done
Agent has completed assigned work and produced output
A task is no longer needed and should be cancelled
Reviewing agent-completed tasks from the inbox

Do NOT use when:

Task is still in progress (use task-update to add progress notes)
Task is blocked and needs help (use task-update to set blocked)
Creating new tasks (use task-create)

Workflow Steps

1. Human Completion Flow

# Mark done and archive
./scripts/task.sh done TASK-0042

# Mark done with output artifact
./scripts/task.sh done TASK-0042 --output "datasets/product/prds/2026/PRD_feature-x.md"

This does three things:

Sets status to done
Records the output artifact path (if provided)
Moves the task file to _archive/YYYY-MM/

2. Agent Completion Flow

Agents use the dedicated alias which also records agent-specific metadata:

# Agent marks work complete
./scripts/task.sh agent:complete TASK-0042 --output "datasets/product/reports/analysis.md"

This does:

Sets agent_status: complete with timestamp
Records agent_output path
Sets status to done
Archives the task file

3. Cancellation

For tasks that are no longer relevant:

./scripts/task.sh update TASK-0042 --status cancelled --comment "Superseded by TASK-0055"

Cancelled tasks remain in their queue directory (not archived). Always add a comment explaining why.

4. Archive Structure

Completed tasks are moved to:

datasets/tasks/_archive/YYYY-MM/TASK-NNNN.md

The archive is organized by completion month. This keeps active queue directories clean while preserving full history.

5. Reviewing Agent Completions

When inbox shows agent-completed tasks:

Run ./scripts/task.sh show TASK-NNNN to see what the agent produced
Check the agent_output field for the artifact path
Review the artifact
If acceptable, the task is already archived -- no further action needed
If revisions needed, create a new follow-up task with task-create

6. Output Artifacts

Always link meaningful outputs when completing tasks:

PRDs, reports, memos, strategies
Data files, processed datasets
Any file generated as a result of the task

The --output flag records the path in the task frontmatter for traceability.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Completing without linking output	If the task produced a file, always use `--output`
Agent using `done` instead of `agent:complete`	Agents must use `agent:complete` for proper metadata
Not reviewing agent completions	Check `inbox` regularly; agent work needs human verification
Deleting cancelled tasks	Use `--status cancelled` with a comment; never delete task files
Completing a blocked task	Resolve the blocker first, then complete

Success Criteria

Task status set to done (or cancelled with explanation)
Output artifact path recorded when applicable
Task file archived to _archive/YYYY-MM/ directory
Agent completions include agent_status: complete and timestamp
Activity log documents the completion with actor attribution
Human has reviewed agent-completed work before considering it final