Overview
/sb: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 v0.53.0 APO catalog. Standard composition:
Catalog triggers: phase, thread, backlog, migration. Routed by /sb intent classification when maintenance signals match.
AF-PHASE-MANAGE manages roadmap structure only. Adding execution work or changing acceptance criteria belongs in /sb: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 (/sb:feature), spec authoring (/sb:spec), or gap analysis on existing specs (/sb:validate alone).
Catalog Composition
| Atomic flow | Command | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
AF-PHASE-MANAGE | /sb:phase, /sb:add | Phase, backlog, thread, or state transition record (ART-PHASE_MANAGE) |
AF-DOCUMENT | /sb:ensure-docs | Updated .planning/ROADMAP.md, STATE.md, and workflow archives |
AF-VALIDATE | /sb:validate | Planning integrity check after mutations |
Atomic Flow Execution
AF-PHASE-MANAGE — Apply structural mutations
Use sanctioned skills under AF-PHASE-MANAGE:
/sb:phase --add,--insert,--remove,--edit,--list— ROADMAP phase CRUD/sb:add— classify and file work items to GitHub Issues ordocs/issues//sb:remove,/sb:update— additional phase/state mutations as catalog flow steps
AF-DOCUMENT — Persist state transitions
Invoke /sb: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 /sb:validate. Verify ROADMAP structure is consistent, no orphaned phase references exist, and filed backlog items have stable IDs.
Supporting skills
| Skill | Role in maintenance |
|---|---|
/sb:phase | Sanctioned ROADMAP.md phase list mutations (blocked by planning-file-guard otherwise) |
/sb:add | File deferred items, tech debt, bugs, and open questions with stable reference IDs |
/sb:context | Phase execution context — use for AC changes, not structure changes |
Example Invocation
Silver Bullet routes to WF-PROCESS-MAINTENANCE. AF-PHASE-MANAGE runs /sb:phase --insert 4 with goal confirmation. AF-DOCUMENT records the transition. AF-VALIDATE confirms ROADMAP consistency and phase numbering integrity.