request-refactor-plan
SkillFiles & storageThis skill lets your AI generate a plan for refactoring code. Rather than editing right away, your AI works out what should change and presents it as a plan you can follow. It comes from a collection of skills for real engineers.
Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.
No other account needed.
After adding it, ask your AI to create a refactor plan for the code you want to improve. Review the plan, then use it to guide the refactoring work.
Then ask your AI: use the request-refactor-plan skill
What your AI can do with it
- Generate a plan for refactoring code
- Break a refactor into clear steps
- Outline what will change before any code is edited
- Turn a refactoring request into a plan you can follow
What this skill tells your AI
The instructions your AI receives, as published by asymmetric-al/core in .agents/skills/request-refactor-plan/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.
This skill will be invoked when the user wants to create a refactor request. You should go through the steps below. You may skip steps if you don't consider them necessary.
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Ask the user for a long, detailed description of the problem they want to solve and any potential ideas for solutions.
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Explore the repo to verify their assertions and understand the current state of the codebase.
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Ask whether they have considered other options, and present other options to them.
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Interview the user about the implementation. Be extremely detailed and thorough.
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Hammer out the exact scope of the implementation. Work out what you plan to change and what you plan not to change.
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Look in the codebase to check for test coverage of this area of the codebase. If there is insufficient test coverage, ask the user what their plans for testing are.
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Break the implementation into a plan of tiny commits. Remember Martin Fowler's advice to "make each refactoring step as small as possible, so that you can always see the program working."
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Create a GitHub issue with the refactor plan. Use the following template for the issue description:
Problem Statement
The problem that the developer is facing, from the developer's perspective.
Solution
The solution to the problem, from the developer's perspective.
Commits
A LONG, detailed implementation plan. Write the plan in plain English, breaking down the implementation into the tiniest commits possible. Each commit should leave the codebase in a working state.
Decision Document
A list of implementation decisions that were made. This can include:
- The modules that will be built/modified
- The interfaces of those modules that will be modified
- Technical clarifications from the developer
- Architectural decisions
- Schema changes
- API contracts
- Specific interactions
Do NOT include specific file paths or code snippets. They may end up being outdated very quickly.
Testing Decisions
A list of testing decisions that were made. Include:
- A description of what makes a good test (only test external behavior, not implementation details)
- Which modules will be tested
- Prior art for the tests (i.e. similar types of tests in the codebase)
Out of Scope
A description of the things that are out of scope for this refactor.
Further Notes (optional)
Any further notes about the refactor.
Signals
- GitHub stars
- 391
- Forks
- 7
- Last commit
- Sep 2026
ahel recommends instead
Advanced
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request-refactor-plan- Source
- github.com/asymmetric-al/core