Slash Rituals

Slash Rituals

Slash rituals are structured checkpoints in the Ant-Digest v2 workflow. Each ritual maps to one or more ANTROUTE steps and produces a specific, traceable output. They are called “rituals” because they must be performed in order, every time, without shortcuts.

/crumbs — Read the Trail

When: Before any work begins. First action in every session. ANTROUTE step: Pre-step (before scope)

Actions:

1. Read CRUMBLOG.md — understand all prior decisions
2. Read GUARDRAILS.md — load constraints into working memory
3. Read CLAUDE.md — load project conventions
4. Read ANTROUTE.yaml — confirm workflow steps

Output: Mental model of project state. No file changes.

Abort if: Any of the four files is missing or unreadable.

/preflight — Classify the Change

When: After receiving a task, before planning. ANTROUTE step: scope

Actions:

1. Write a scope statement: what changes, what does not
2. Identify all context sources needed (Plane A, B, or C)
3. Check if any new dataflows are introduced
4. Flag any Plane C assumptions that need verification

Output: Scope statement written to the conversation (not a file).

Template:

SCOPE: [one-line description]
IN:    [what changes]
OUT:   [what does not change]
SOURCES: [Plane A: files | Plane B: URLs/tools | Plane C: assumptions]
NEW DATAFLOWS: [yes/no — if yes, classify per CONTEXT_PLANES.md]
RISK: [any Plane C items that must be verified]

/plan — Design Before Building

When: After scope is confirmed, before implementation. ANTROUTE step: plan

Actions:

1. List files to create, modify, or delete
2. Describe the approach with trade-offs
3. Identify which subagents are needed (per SUBAGENTS.md)
4. Run MCP policy gate (per MCP_POLICY.md) if tools are needed
5. Check for conflicting CRUMBLOG entries

Output: Plan documented in conversation or plan file.

Abort if: Conflicting crumbs found without resolution path.

/verify — Prove It Works

When: After implementation is complete. ANTROUTE step: verify

Actions:

1. Run npm run check — TypeScript type checking must pass
2. Run npm run build — Vite + esbuild build must succeed
3. If UI changes: confirm pages load and function at http://localhost:5000
4. Check that no unintended files were modified
5. Verify all Plane C assumptions were promoted to A or B

Output: Build log + test results. Pass/fail determination.

Abort if: Type check fails, build fails, or unpromoted Plane C items remain.

/guard — Enforce the Rails

When: After verification passes, before documenting. ANTROUTE step: guard

Actions:

1. Review all changes against every rule in GUARDRAILS.md
2. Check for PII in code, comments, sample data
3. Check for secrets or connection strings
4. Check for swallowed exceptions
5. Check that Zod validation is used on all API inputs
6. Verify signal strength stays in [0, 1] range
7. Check i18n keys exist in both en/ and de/ locales
8. If a GUARDRAIL is violated: stop, fix, re-verify

Output: Compliance confirmation or violation report.

Abort if: Any GUARDRAIL violation cannot be resolved.

/federate — Import External Context

When: When external information is needed at any step. ANTROUTE step: federate (new in v2)

Actions:

1. Identify the external source (URL, MCP tool, documentation)
2. Check source against MCP_POLICY.md allowed list
3. Fetch the information
4. Classify the result as Plane B
5. Log the source, query, and date
6. If the external info contradicts Plane A: flag conflict in CRUMBLOG

Output: Classified Plane B content with source attribution.

Abort if: Source is not in the MCP policy allowed list, or data classification is unclear.

Ritual Sequence for a Typical Change

/crumbs          → Load context
/preflight       → Scope the change
/federate        → (if needed) Gather external context
/plan            → Design the approach
  implement      → Write the code
/verify          → npm run check + npm run build
/guard           → Check constraints
  update         → Write CRUMBLOG entry

The implement and update steps are actions, not rituals — they do not have their own slash command because they are the work itself, not checkpoints around the work.