Windsurf Task Manager Workflow

Follow this 5-step process for effectively managing an AI development workflows within Windsurf editor to build complex features by breaking down large development tasks into manageable, verifiable steps for sequential AI execution.

Prerequisites: Access to Windsurf editor and the necessary worflows files (create-prd.md, create-windsurf-rules.md, generate-tasks.md, manage-task.md).

Step 1: Create a Product Requirement Document (PRD)

• Purpose: Define what you are trying to build. A clear PRD is essential for guiding Windsurf editor.
• How: Create a PRD in a markdown file (.md) directly within Windsurf editor. Clearly outline the features, requirements, and goals of your project.
  • Start like this:

    /create-prd
    Feature: {define your feature here}

• Output: A markdown file (e.g., YourProject-PRD.md) detailing the product requirements.

Step 2: Prepare Workspace with Windsurf Rules

• Purpose: Establish clear coding, workflow, and collaboration standards for your project by creating a windsurfrules.md file, ensuring Cascade (Windsurf AI) behaves according to your team's conventions.
• How:
  • Use the docs/create-windsurf-rules.md as a guide.
  • In Windsurf editor Agent chat, start with:

    /create-windsurf-rules

  • Answer any clarifying questions from Cascade to refine your rules.
  • Save the output as windsurfrules.md in your project root.
  • Important: After reviewing and editing, manually rename windsurfrules.md to .windsurfrules to activate the rules for your workspace.
• Output: A windsurfrules.md file in your project root, to be renamed as .windsurfrules.

Step 3: Generate a Task List from the PRD

• Purpose: Convert the high-level requirements from the PRD into a detailed, step-by-step implementation plan for Windsurf editor.
• How:
  • Use the generate-tasks.md rule file (available within Windsurf editor).
  • In Windsurf editor Agent chat, use the following command structure, replacing YourProject-PRD.md with the actual filename of your PRD from Step 1:

    /generate-tasks @YourProject-PRD.md

• Output: A detailed, multi-step task list, likely broken down into tasks and sub-tasks.

Step 4: Examine the Task List

• Purpose: Review Windsurf editor-generated task list for accuracy, completeness, and logical flow.
• How: Carefully read through the tasks and sub-tasks generated in the previous step. Ensure they accurately reflect the steps needed to implement the PRD. Make any necessary manual adjustments.

Step 5: Execute and Verify Tasks

• Purpose: Work through the development process by having Windsurf editor execute each task and verifying the output before proceeding.
• How:
  • In Windsurf editor Agent chat, start the process with the first task (e.g., 1.1) by using the following command structure:

    /manage-task @YourProject-PRD.md @tasks-YourProject-PRD.md

  • After each task, review the output. When ready, instruct Windsurf editor to move to the next task (e.g., 1.2) by using the following command structure:

    Continue with the next task

  • Repeat this cycle: Windsurf editor executes a task -> You verify -> Instruct Windsurf editor on the next task.
  • Output: A progressively built feature, with each step validated. The task list gets marked off as you proceed.

Usage: Fetch Remote Docs from Workflow Repo

You can use the workflow docs fetcher via npm or pnpm:

pnpm dlx windsurf-task-manager
# or
npx windsurf-task-manager

This will:

• Print the instructions from the remote workflow repo's README.md in color
• Ask for confirmation
• Copy all documentation files from the remote repo's docs directory into your current folder

You can also run it directly if you have the repo cloned:

./windsurf-task-manager-workflow.js

Workflow Summary:

Here are example prompts to use with the files already provided in this repo:

1. Create a PRD Prompt:

/create-prd
Feature: {describe your feature here}

2. Prepare Workspace with Windsurf Rules Prompt:

/create-windsurf-rules

3. Generate Tasks from PRD Prompt:

/generate-tasks @YourProject-PRD.md

4. Start A Task Execution Prompt:

/manage-task @YourProject-PRD.md @tasks-YourProject-PRD.md

5. Continue/Verify After each task, review the output and repeat the step 4 for the next task.