Overview
/silver:process-maintenance is the Silver Bullet specialized workflow for mutating planning state without triggering implementation. It covers phase CRUD, thread management, backlog filing, and migration of planning artifacts — the operational layer that keeps .planning/ authoritative between delivery cycles.
It never treats direct edits to guarded planning files as the workflow. ROADMAP.md and other SB-managed artifacts are mutated only through catalog-backed skills; the planning-file-guard blocks bypass attempts.
Maps to WF-PROCESS-MAINTENANCE in the v0.48.3 APO catalog. Standard composition:
Catalog triggers: phase, thread, backlog, migration. Routed by /silver intent classification when maintenance signals match.
AF-PHASE-MANAGE manages roadmap structure only. Adding execution work or changing acceptance criteria belongs in /silver:context (AF-ORIENT), not phase maintenance.
When to Use
Entry trigger signals for WF-PROCESS-MAINTENANCE:
- Add, insert, remove, or reorder phases in
.planning/ROADMAP.md - File deferred work, tech debt, or open questions to the backlog
- Thread or archive workflow state in
.planning/workflows/ - Migrate planning artifacts between SB versions or project structures
Not for: feature implementation (/silver:feature), spec authoring (/silver:spec), or gap analysis on existing specs (/silver:validate alone).
Catalog Composition
| Atomic flow | Command | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
AF-PHASE-MANAGE | /silver:phase, /silver:add | Phase, backlog, thread, or state transition record (ART-PHASE_MANAGE) |
AF-DOCUMENT | /silver:ensure-docs | Updated .planning/ROADMAP.md, STATE.md, and workflow archives |
AF-VALIDATE | /silver:validate | Planning integrity check after mutations |
Atomic Flow Execution
AF-PHASE-MANAGE — Apply structural mutations
Use sanctioned skills under AF-PHASE-MANAGE:
/silver:phase --add,--insert,--remove,--edit,--list— ROADMAP phase CRUD/silver:add— classify and file work items to GitHub Issues ordocs/issues//silver:remove,/silver:update— additional phase/state mutations as catalog flow steps
AF-DOCUMENT — Persist state transitions
Invoke /silver:ensure-docs. Record what changed, why, and the resulting roadmap/workflow state. Updates propagate to .planning/STATE.md when phases are removed or reordered.
AF-VALIDATE — Confirm planning integrity
Invoke /silver:validate. Verify ROADMAP structure is consistent, no orphaned phase references exist, and filed backlog items have stable IDs.
Supporting skills
| Skill | Role in maintenance |
|---|---|
/silver:phase | Sanctioned ROADMAP.md phase list mutations (blocked by planning-file-guard otherwise) |
/silver:add | File deferred items, tech debt, bugs, and open questions with stable reference IDs |
/silver:context | Phase execution context — use for AC changes, not structure changes |
Example Invocation
Silver Bullet routes to WF-PROCESS-MAINTENANCE. AF-PHASE-MANAGE runs /silver:phase --insert 4 with goal confirmation. AF-DOCUMENT records the transition. AF-VALIDATE confirms ROADMAP consistency and phase numbering integrity.