Goal

• Move every ### [.] <Title> task (in progress) into the # IN PROGRESS section, under its topic's (IN PROGRESS) H2
• Move every ### [ ] <Title> task (not started) that sits under # IN PROGRESS into # BACKLOG, under its topic's (BACKLOG) H2
• Move any H2 topic header whose (<Stage>) suffix doesn't match its enclosing H1 stage to the H1 stage the suffix names, together with all its tasks
• Leave ### [x] ... tasks and nested checklist items (- [ ], - [x], - [.]) untouched

References

• .claude/skills/todo.rules.md: defines the H1 stage / H2 topic / H3 task organization and the ## <Topic> (<Stage>) header convention

Workflow

Load the Conventions

• Read .claude/skills/todo.rules.md
• Identify the H1 stage headers present in ai_task_queue.md (e.g. # IN PROGRESS, # BACKLOG - HIGH PRIORITY, # BACKLOG, # ICEBOX, # ALL TOPICS)
• Never touch the # ALL TOPICS section in this skill

Phase 1: Refile Mislabeled H2 Topics

• Do this phase first: fixing a misfiled topic before the task-marker rules run keeps the topic's tasks together instead of letting Phase 2/3 split them across stages
• For every H2 header ## <Topic> (<Stage>) found outside # ALL TOPICS:
  • Compare <Stage> to the name of its enclosing H1
  • Mismatch -> cut the entire H2 block (the header line through everything up to the next H2 or H1) and move it under the H1 that matches <Stage>
    • If an H2 with the same bare <Topic> already exists under that H1, append the moved block's task content there and drop the duplicate header line, instead of creating a second header for the same topic
    • Otherwise, insert the moved H2 block at the end of that H1's section (right before the next H1 header)
    • If <Stage> names an H1 that does not exist anywhere in the file, do not create it silently: list the header and ask the user whether to create that stage or use a different one
  • Keep the moved block's content (task titles, markers, bodies) byte-for-byte unchanged aside from its position
  • Example: ## Noesis (BACKLOG - HIGH PRIORITY) sitting under # IN PROGRESS is cut and moved, with all its ### ... tasks, under # BACKLOG - HIGH PRIORITY

Phase 2: Consolidate In-Progress Tasks

• For every ### [.] <Title> task anywhere in the file that is not already under # IN PROGRESS (including one exposed by a Phase 1 move):
  • Find its enclosing H2's bare topic name
  • Move the task block (the header line through the next H2, H3, or H1) under ## <Topic> (IN PROGRESS) in the # IN PROGRESS section
    • If that H2 doesn't exist yet under # IN PROGRESS, create it at the end of the section
  • If the task's original H2 is left with no task content, remove the now-empty H2 header

Phase 3: Demote Not-Started Tasks Out of In Progress

• For every ### [ ] <Title> task that sits under # IN PROGRESS after Phase 1 and 2 have run:
  • Find its enclosing H2's bare topic name
  • Move the task block under ## <Topic> (BACKLOG) in the # BACKLOG section
    • If that H2 doesn't exist yet under # BACKLOG, create it at the end of the section
  • If the task's original H2 under # IN PROGRESS is left with no task content, remove the now-empty H2 header

Leave Untouched

• ### [x] ... tasks (handled by todo.move_done, not this skill)
• Nested checklist items (- [ ], - [x], - [.]) inside a task body: these are subtask progress, not task headers
• Any H3 header with no [ ], [x], or [.] marker: flag it to the user instead of guessing a marker for it
• The # ALL TOPICS section

Ask User

• Any H2 whose (<Stage>) suffix names a stage with no matching H1 in the file
• Any H3 task header carrying a marker other than [ ], [x], or [.]
• Any case where a task's bare topic name doesn't clearly match an existing H2 and it's unclear whether to create a new topic H2 or reuse a close match
• Do not guess: list the ambiguous item and ask before moving it

Report

• List every H2 topic block moved as <Topic>: <old H1> -> <new H1>
• List every [.] task moved into IN PROGRESS as <Title> (<old H2>) -> IN PROGRESS / <Topic>
• List every [ ] task demoted out of IN PROGRESS as <Title> -> BACKLOG / <Topic>
• List every empty H2 header removed as a result of these moves

Verification

• No ### [.] ... task remains outside the # IN PROGRESS section
• No ### [ ] ... task remains under the # IN PROGRESS section
• No H2 header outside # ALL TOPICS has a (<Stage>) suffix that mismatches its enclosing H1
• No H2 header is left empty (zero task content) after the moves
• ### [x] ... tasks and nested checklist items are unchanged and in their original location
• Task content (title, body) is unchanged aside from its position
• # ALL TOPICS section is unchanged