Use in any project that uses MDD (a .mdd/ directory exists) when editing source code, building a feature, fixing a bug, requesting an audit, or editing .mdd/docs files.

MITAuto-check: notes

Install Mdd Workflow

skills CLI
$ npx skills add TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit --skill mdd-workflow -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit mdd-workflow --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/mdd-workflow .claude/skills/mdd-workflow && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
mdd-workflow
GitHub stars
338
Token cost
~1.6k tokens
SKILL.md length
812 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
24
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Use in any project that uses MDD (a .mdd/ directory exists) when editing source code, building a feature, fixing a bug, requesting an audit, or editing .mdd/docs files.

  • Works in 4 steps: Gate (do this first, every time) → Job 1: Prevent doc drift when editing… → Job 2: Recommend the workflow for… → …
  • SKILL.md covers Step 1 — Gate (do this first,…, Step 2 — Job 1: Prevent doc…, Step 3 — Job 2: Recommend the… and Step 4 — Job 3: Keep .mdd/docs…, plus 1 more section
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Mdd Workflow is an agent skill from TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit. Use in any project that uses MDD (a .mdd/ directory exists) when editing source code, building a feature, fixing a bug, requesting an audit, or editing .mdd/docs files. Keeps feature docs in sync the moment their controlled source files change, recommends the /mdd workflow for substantial tasks, and conforms to .mdd doc conventions. Installed globally, so it self-gates: it does nothing in projects that don't use MDD.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.6k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

The repository describes itself as: The definitive starting point for Claude Code projects. Based on Claude Code Mastery Guides V1-V5. The licence is MIT.

Example prompts

  • “/mdd-workflow”

Requirements

  • Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Read, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Gate (do this first, every time)
  2. Job 1: Prevent doc drift when editing controlled code (priority)
  3. Job 2: Recommend the workflow for substantial tasks (recommend, never run)
  4. Job 3: Keep .mdd/docs conventions correct

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 61fbb99. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:

    • Read
    • Edit
    • Grep
    • Glob
    • Bash

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are bash).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Mdd Workflow loads about 1.6k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 110 tokens; SKILL.md has 812 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~110
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.6k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check: notes

The automated check noted patterns worth knowing about, such as sudo or a known installer.

  • NotePre-approves every shell command (allowed-tools: Bash)SKILL.md
    allowed-tools: Read, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit at commit 61fbb99, republished under its MIT licence (© TheDecipherist). 812 words, ~1,551 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/mdd-workflow/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
mdd-workflow
description
Use in any project that uses MDD (a `.mdd/` directory exists) when editing source code, building a feature, fixing a bug, requesting an audit, or editing `.mdd/docs` files. Keeps feature docs in sync the moment their controlled source files change, recommends the `/mdd` workflow for substantial tasks, and conforms to `.mdd` doc conventions. Installed globally, so it self-gates: it does nothing in projects that don't use MDD.
allowed-tools
Read, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash
when_to_use
- About to edit source code in a project that has a `.mdd/` directory (drift check) - User asks for a feature, a real bug fix, a meaningful refactor, or an…

MDD Workflow Companion

This skill complements the /mdd command. The command owns the workflow; this skill keeps things honest between command runs. Its single most valuable job is preventing documentation drift the moment it would happen, before it accumulates.

Step 1 — Gate (do this first, every time)

Act only if this project uses MDD. Check for any of:

  • a .mdd/ directory in the project root, or
  • a resolvable /mdd command (.claude/mdd/, ~/.claude/mdd/, .claude/commands/mdd.md).

If none exist, stop silently. Do nothing, say nothing, never mention MDD. This skill is installed globally and will activate in projects that have never adopted MDD; in those projects it must be invisible.

Two hard rules that hold for everything below:

  • Never run the workflow yourself. No branching, no .mdd/ bootstrap, no phase execution. You recommend /mdd and let the user confirm. The command performs all side effects.
  • Silence is the default. When you activate but there is nothing controlled to sync and nothing substantial to recommend, produce no MDD output at all. Never narrate the gate or the check.

Step 2 — Job 1: Prevent doc drift when editing controlled code (priority)

Feature docs declare the source they own in frontmatter (source_files, plus routes and models). When that source is edited outside a /mdd run, the doc silently goes stale. Catch it at the edit, not weeks later in /mdd scan.

When you are about to edit (or have just edited) a source file in an MDD project:

  1. Cheap controlled-file check. Grep .mdd/docs/*.md for the file's path in source_files (and routes/models if the change adds or alters a route or model):

    bash
    grep -rl "<relative/path/to/file>" .mdd/docs/*.md

    No match → the file is not controlled. Stay silent and proceed normally.

  2. If a doc controls the file, name it and keep it in sync:

    • Read .mdd/docs/00-frontmatter-spec.md first so any frontmatter edit conforms to the schema.
    • Make the lightweight, factual updates inline: bump last_synced to today; add a new endpoint to routes; add a new model to models; append a genuinely new defect to known_issues (append-only — never remove entries).
    • Tell the user in one line: 📝 Edited <file>, controlled by .mdd/docs/<id>.md — synced last_synced and routes.
    • If the change is structural (behavior, business rules, contracts, or data flow changed, not just a field), don't try to re-derive the doc body yourself. Recommend the command that does a full resync: This change affects how <id> behaves. Run \/mdd update <id>` (or `/mdd audit`) for a full doc resync.`
  3. If the user is mid-flow and declines the sync, don't block their work. Note it once so it isn't lost: Leaving .mdd/docs/<id>.md unsynced — \/mdd scan` will flag it later.`

This is real-time and pre-commit, which is precisely what /mdd status and /mdd scan cannot do (they detect drift retrospectively, from git history, only when invoked). Defer batch and historical drift detection to those commands; this skill catches the single edit as it lands.

Show full SKILL.md (336 more words)Show less

Step 3 — Job 2: Recommend the workflow for substantial tasks (recommend, never run)

When the user asks for work MDD is built for and it would genuinely benefit, offer the matching mode once, then defer to the user.

Nudge when the task is a new feature, a real (non-trivial) bug, a meaningful refactor, or an audit — and especially when it will touch code controlled by an existing feature doc that would drift if done ad-hoc.

Do not nudge for typos, formatting, renames, config tweaks, one-liners, or plain questions. Anything too small to deserve a doc is too small to nudge.

The offer is one line, in the user's words, and waits:

You have MDD installed and this looks like a task that would benefit from it — /mdd <feature> documents it first, then builds against the doc. Want me to use it, or just proceed here?

Pick the right invocation: feature → /mdd <feature-slug>; bug → /mdd bug; audit → /mdd audit; existing-doc drift → /mdd update <id>.

One offer per task. If the user declines or says "just do it," proceed ad-hoc and don't ask again this task. Never run /mdd without an explicit yes — but Job 1 still applies, so keep any controlled doc in sync even while working ad-hoc.

Step 4 — Job 3: Keep .mdd/docs conventions correct

When editing a .mdd/docs/*.md file directly (not through /mdd), read .mdd/docs/00-frontmatter-spec.md first and conform:

  • All required frontmatter fields present and correctly typed.
  • satisfies_contracts entries use the from / function / when / status (pending|done) / verified_at shape — the field is verified_at, not verified.
  • relates is symmetric: if doc A relates B, ensure B relates A.
  • known_issues is append-only.
  • Tags are domain concepts, technology names, or feature names — never file paths or generic words.

What this skill does NOT do

  • It does not execute, branch, bootstrap, or run any MDD phase — /mdd does that.
  • It does not re-derive doc bodies or do full resyncs — /mdd update, /mdd audit, and /mdd scan do that.
  • It does not act, or mention MDD, in projects that don't use MDD.

© TheDecipherist, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in .claude/skills/mdd-workflow of TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 61fbb99

Compare with similar skills

Mdd Workflow next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Mdd Workflow compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Mdd Workflow this skillTheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit338—~1.6kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Exist AutomationComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills77k3 repos~723Automated safety check: PassNone
Brilliant Directories AutomationComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills77k3 repos~783Automated safety check: PassNone
SEO Directory Backlinkssickn33/agentic-awesome-skills47k1 repos~6.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
People Directorysickn33/agentic-awesome-skills47k1 repos~4.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Identify Assumptions Existingphuryn/pm-skills27k—~525Automated safety check: PassMIT

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Questions about Mdd Workflow

What does Mdd Workflow do?

Use in any project that uses MDD (a .mdd/ directory exists) when editing source code, building a feature, fixing a bug, requesting an audit, or editing .mdd/docs files. Mdd Workflow is an agent skill from TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit.mdd/docs files.

How do I install Mdd Workflow in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit --skill mdd-workflow -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/mdd-workflow in TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit) into .claude/skills/mdd-workflow in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Mdd Workflow in Codex?

Run `npx skills add TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit --skill mdd-workflow -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/mdd-workflow in TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit) into .agents/skills/mdd-workflow in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Mdd Workflow in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit --skill mdd-workflow -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/mdd-workflow, .gemini/skills/mdd-workflow, .github/skills/mdd-workflow and .opencode/skills/mdd-workflow in your project.

What does Mdd Workflow need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Mdd Workflow is instructions for the agent only. Its frontmatter pre-approves these tools: Read, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash.

Does Mdd Workflow access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Mdd Workflow safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (pre-approves every shell command (allowed-tools: bash)), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Mdd Workflow use?

Mdd Workflow is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Mdd Workflow use?

About 1.6k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.2k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Mdd Workflow?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Mdd Workflow: Exist Automation (ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills, 77k stars), Brilliant Directories Automation (ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills, 77k stars), SEO Directory Backlinks (sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills, 47k stars) and People Directory (sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills, 47k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Mdd Workflow?

TheDecipherist (a GitHub user) maintains it in TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit, which has 338 GitHub stars. The repository holds 24 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on June 29, 2026.

Source: TheDecipherist/claude-code-mastery-project-starter-kit on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.