---
name: building-gtd-domain-packs
description: >
  Use when someone says "GTD doesn't cover my field well", "extend GTD for legal/medical/design/data work", "build a domain pack for X discipline", "create a GTD extension without forking the core", or "customize GTD for my industry". Creates a focused domain extension that inherits Get Things Done instead of copying it. Do not use for creating a new agent skill unrelated to GTD, using GTD to execute work (use get-things-done instead), or adding a feature to GTD's core contract.
---

# Building GTD Domain Packs

Create a focused domain extension that inherits Get Things Done instead of copying it.

Load `references/domain-pack-spec.md` at the start — the required headings, field contracts, and validation rules live there. Load `references/core-contract.md` to confirm what the core already handles before extending it.

## Build method

1. **Collect failure examples first**
   Gather at least four realistic tasks: messy in-domain, well-formed in-domain, deceptive near-complete, and adjacent out-of-domain

2. **Prove the core is insufficient**
   Identify which field-specific vocabulary, readiness, review, or completion behavior is missing. If the core already handles the examples, do not create a pack

3. **Define selection boundaries**
   Write positive and negative selection signals based on intent and artifacts, not isolated keywords

4. **Extract only consequential vocabulary**
   Keep terms whose confusion would change decisions, execution, or verification

5. **Add diagnostic candidates**
   Include only questions that can change material work. Do not make them mandatory

6. **Extend the brief safely**
   Put optional field data under `domain_data`. Never fork core fields

7. **Add stricter gates where needed**
   Define domain-specific readiness checks, 2 to 4 workstream patterns, specialist review checks, and observable completion evidence

8. **Test routing collisions**
   The adjacent out-of-domain case must remain outside this pack. Tighten selection signals until it does

9. **Test deceptive completion**
   A plausible deliverable without field-specific proof must not pass Done

10. **Validate the contract**
    Confirm every required heading appears exactly once and the pack does not weaken the core

Use `templates/domain-pack-template.md` as the output shape.

## Rules

- Do not copy the core workflow into the domain pack
- Do not turn field knowledge into a questionnaire
- Do not create a new domain for branding or naming alone
- Do not weaken decision authority, readiness, evidence, completion, handoff, or tool honesty
- Do not claim a domain is validated until the four collision cases were actually exercised

## Self-validation checklist

Before calling the domain pack ready:

- [ ] all 9 required headings present exactly once
- [ ] YAML frontmatter has `domain`, `version`, and `extends: gtd-core-v1`
- [ ] selection signals include at least one non-selection signal
- [ ] vocabulary section explains why confusion changes work (not just a glossary)
- [ ] diagnostic questions are candidates, not a mandatory questionnaire
- [ ] readiness additions are observable by another agent
- [ ] 2–4 workstream patterns with dependency edges
- [ ] completion checks prefer inspectable artifacts over subjective language
- [ ] four collision cases tested (in-domain messy, in-domain well-formed, deceptive near-complete, adjacent out-of-domain)
- [ ] adjacent out-of-domain case does NOT route to this pack