Finishing Work Skill | Agent Skills

Finishing Work

Verify tests, present options, execute chosen workflow, clean up.

Purpose

Implementation without proper completion leaves work in limbo. This skill provides structured options for finishing work: merge locally, create PR, defer for later, or discard. Each option has specific procedures and cleanup requirements.

Prerequisites

Before using this skill, verify:

All implementation steps completed
All verifications passed
Code review completed (if applicable)
Security review completed (if applicable)

Do not proceed with failing tests. Fix them first.

The Completion Workflow

Step 1: Verify Tests Pass

Run the full test suite:

Run: [project test command]
Verify: Exit code 0, all tests pass

If tests fail: Stop. Do not proceed until tests pass.

Step 2: Identify Base Branch

Determine the target branch for integration:

Common targets:
- main (most common)
- master (legacy naming)
- develop (gitflow)
- [feature-branch] (nested features)

Check git configuration or ask if unclear.

Step 3: Present Options

Present exactly four options without elaboration:

Merge locally - Merge to base branch on local machine
Create pull request - Push and open PR for review
Keep for later - Leave branch as-is to continue later
Discard work - Delete branch and changes

Use AskUserQuestion to get user's choice.

Step 4: Execute Chosen Option

Option 1: Merge Locally

1. Checkout base branch
   git checkout [base-branch]

2. Pull latest changes
   git pull origin [base-branch]

3. Merge feature branch
   git merge [feature-branch]

4. Run tests on merged result
   [project test command]

5. If tests pass, push
   git push origin [base-branch]

6. Delete feature branch
   git branch -d [feature-branch]
   git push origin --delete [feature-branch]

Never merge without verifying tests pass on the result.

Option 2: Create Pull Request

1. Push feature branch
   git push -u origin [feature-branch]

2. Create PR using gh CLI
   gh pr create --title "[title]" --body "[description]"

3. Report PR URL to user

4. Keep branch active for PR review

Do NOT delete the branch after creating PR.

Option 3: Keep for Later

1. Commit any uncommitted changes
   git add -A && git commit -m "WIP: [description]"

2. Push to remote (backup)
   git push -u origin [feature-branch]

3. Note current state for later
   - Branch name
   - What's done
   - What remains

Do NOT delete the branch.

Option 4: Discard Work

1. Confirm with user (require typed confirmation)
   "Type 'DISCARD' to confirm deletion of all changes"

2. If confirmed:
   git checkout [base-branch]
   git branch -D [feature-branch]
   git push origin --delete [feature-branch] (if pushed)

3. Clean up any worktree if applicable

Require explicit confirmation. This is destructive.

Step 5: Clean Up

Cleanup depends on the chosen option:

| Option | Cleanup Action | |--------|----------------| | Merge locally | Delete feature branch, remove worktree if used | | Create PR | Keep branch, keep worktree if used | | Keep for later | Keep branch, keep worktree if used | | Discard work | Delete branch, remove worktree if used |

Worktree Cleanup (if applicable)

If work was done in a git worktree:

1. Exit the worktree directory
   cd [main-repository]

2. Remove the worktree
   git worktree remove [worktree-path]

3. Verify removal
   git worktree list

Only remove worktree for merge (Option 1) and discard (Option 4).

Integration with Implement Phase

This skill is the natural endpoint of the implement phase:

Implementation complete
→ Code review passed
→ Security review passed
→ Use finishing-work skill
→ Choose completion option
→ Execute and clean up

Safety Guardrails

Never Merge with Failing Tests

If tests fail after merge:
1. Do NOT push
2. Reset the merge: git merge --abort
3. Investigate failures
4. Fix before attempting merge again

Never Force Push to Shared Branches

Avoid: git push --force origin main
This rewrites history and breaks collaborators.

If needed, use: git push --force-with-lease
This fails if remote has new commits.

Confirm Before Discarding

Discard is permanent. Require typed confirmation:
"Type 'DISCARD' to confirm"

Do not accept:
- "yes"
- "y"
- "confirm"

Only exact match: "DISCARD"

Status Reporting

After completing the chosen option, report:

Option 1 (Merge):
"Merged [feature-branch] to [base-branch].
Branch deleted. [N] commits integrated."

Option 2 (PR):
"Pull request created: [PR-URL]
Branch [feature-branch] pushed to origin."

Option 3 (Keep):
"Branch [feature-branch] saved for later.
Pushed to origin as backup."

Option 4 (Discard):
"Branch [feature-branch] deleted.
All changes discarded."

Anti-Patterns

Merging Without Tests

Wrong: Merge and hope tests pass Right: Run tests, then merge only if passing

Leaving Branches Dangling

Wrong: Finish work, forget to clean up branches Right: Execute appropriate cleanup for chosen option

Skipping Confirmation for Discard

Wrong: Delete branch immediately when user says "discard" Right: Require explicit "DISCARD" confirmation

Merging Unreviewed Code

Wrong: Merge without code review Right: Complete review process before finishing

Force Pushing to Shared Branches

Wrong: Force push to fix mistakes Right: Use safe alternatives or coordinate with team

Checklist Before Finishing

[ ] All implementation steps complete
[ ] All tests pass
[ ] Code review completed (if required)
[ ] Security review completed (if required)
[ ] Base branch identified
[ ] Option chosen by user
[ ] Tests pass after merge (if merging)
[ ] Appropriate cleanup performed
[ ] Status reported to user

Agent Skills: Finishing Work

Skill Files